And yeah, I was kind of amazed at how Loki was portrayed (assuming it is legit). I think it's legit because a) I'm biased and b) there's already a lot going on right now. Thanos wielding Mjolnir with the infinity gems is enough of a threat, imo, that introducing another challenge would just undermine him. There's also no foreshadowing I can think of in Cates' run that points to Loki betraying Thor -- pretty much the only reason he would do so is because of his past, which Cates has taken pains to show Loki overcoming (giving the role to Blake). Also, I'm not sure how Thor would actually win without seeming unbeatable. There's also the fact that this has to wrap up in a few issues, and Thor is set to fight the Hulk after, which indicates to me that the mess will be resolved by then. And I don't think Loki would need to tell anyone that Thor attacked, given that only a handful of people know about Thor's problems with Mjolnir. I just don't see what Loki betraying Thor adds, at this point.
So, yeah, assuming this is all legit, Loki was portrayed in a super flattering manner. The narrative also contrasted him with Odin, who played the role of a fool. Like, Thor hushed Odin to hear what Loki had to say. It could put him more in a support role (tends to be more one dimensional), but for now I'm happy.
I'm hoping he shows up in MoM as well, and I think it's likely he will
fingers crossed.
ETA: Also, unlike Sif, Loki's not even a vassal of Asgard, and this isn't his job. He is pretty much doing his job + Thor's job.