This was one where I though I knew where it was going but was surprised to see the rather clever and moving twists in it. This is a book that keeps you on your toes and keeps your mind working. It’s a lovely reminder that death doesn’t have to be such a gloomy concept and makes you think about outlooks that could create more death-positivity. This is such a fun book, it’ll make you laugh, it’ll blow your mind, and it’ll also hit you deeply in the feelings. My only minor complaint is the font is occasionally hard to read. The Many Deaths of Laila Starr is a complete gem of a graphic novel that reminds you ‘ like a cigarette, the point of life, my friends, is to be smoked.’ This story begins with setting the premise perfectly. As Laila (death) starts to live in human body, she gets indulged in pleasure of mortal life. Because she was death, now she can also see ghosts, spirits and even hear the crows which makes her life more unique. We also get to know life of Darius in various stages. Laila meets him many times, sometimes without knowing him. The most interesting thing about each issue is that each time Laila meets Darius, two incidents happens and the way they happen was so interesting to see.

Beautiful, poignant, indie comic about questioning the meaning of defying death. The art is very unique and gorgeous. My attention slipped a bit for a moment in Darius' adolescent years, but the beginning of this story and the end are very strong. I like the message that, for some, chasing immortality leads to missing moments with the people that make life meaningful to begin with. The pacing of the book is incredibly tight. Each chapter feels like a complete story. And the ending was surprising but it didn't feel like a cheap twist.I love how as story moves, Laila learns lots of valuable lessons about mortal life and at one point she even forgets what she wanted to do. Each issue teaches us some lessons and small things about life. Also the ending of this story was beautifully done. Ram V's writing is very smooth, pacing is amazing and artwork is very colorful and unique which captures the atmosphere of Mumbai perfectly. So the skinny gist is that the goddess of Death is forced into early retirement because it looks like a baby has been born who will introduce immortality to the humans. She gets put into the body of a young woman who just died. Enter Laila Starr. And now I have finished it and I'm overwhelmed with how truly beautiful this story was. Rubbery alien bodies be damned, this was PERFECT 🖤🖤🖤 I haven't read nearly enough of Ram V's work, but everything I've touched has been stellar. That said, I'm not convinced that reading every word he's ever written could've prepared me for how surgically concise he is here. He takes cultural ideas and beliefs, combs through them for universal experiences and sentiments, and gives them a voice that's wholly unique and maybe a little transcendent. His plot is a little looser than I wanted it to be, but it's intentional, I think, as that looseness helps it linger for longer and encourages the reader to fill in the gaps with themselves. Maybe the ending is too tidy, and maybe the character arc for Death is somewhat truncated, but I don't care. Unlike Daytripper, another comic with similar aims, The Many Deaths of Laila Starr doesn't overstay its welcome and knows precisely when and where to shift gears. For a story about life and existence, the series doesn't have any pretensions—it's simple, pure, and magical. The Eisner-nominated, definitive hardcover collection of the tragic and enchanting story of death and immortality from award-winning writer Ram V!

The Many Deaths of Laila Starr has a fun premise - a sorta Indian take on a Pratchett/Gaiman’s Good Omens-style story - that turns out to be quite dull thanks to a lot of overly-simplistic storytelling.DC Comics. І коли берешся за читання сучасної супергероїки його авторства є впевненість, що історія, як мінімум, буде середнього рівня. Але сьогодні мова не про супергероїку, а його іншу роботу для видавництва BOOM! Studios. Зважаючи на коріння цього сценариста, можна було припустити, що колись він дістане змогу створити й видати комікс, який пов’язаний із релігією та міфологією своєї батьківщини. І це якраз комікс «Багато смертей Лайли Старр» про який сьогодні розповідатиму. The art is oddly disconcerting, with rubbery bodies and very cool settings. But the colors are SUBLIME. Also, we have an Eastern pantheon of gods? Love!! Also, because of the repetitive nature of the story, I didn't find anything interesting or exciting in the plot.

This is what I have learned in all my years, Laila Starr. We are strong, all mortal things. We live because we truly desire to. Do you understand? Each heartbeat, every breath— is a rejection of death».I'm very happy that my first blind grab this year was this title. I don't think I've been as pleasantly surprised by a one volume story since I read Daytripper a decade ago. Laila Starr” is so many things at once that if you don’t read it in the right headspace or you rush through it, it becomes a little forgettable. Instead, take your time, and savor the art, the writing and, well, everything else — the graphic novel has a lot of things going on. However, “Laila Starr” is more than the sum of its parts; its sleeper diasporic cultural references, gorgeously fluid art and Hindu mythology-inspired storyline work to create something bigger. In teaching an immortal being what it means to die, the anomalous graphic novel series gives readers a new lens on living. The five issues in the series — which re-released as a complete collection on February 1st — follow Laila Starr, the identity assumed by the goddess Death after she is banished from the heavenly pantheon (portrayed in the series as an efficient corporation where she works by removing souls from bodies). The story is based on Hindu lore, focusing on the interplay between the mortal and the divine; Death (implied visually to be Kali, the Hindu goddess of death, time and change) mingles with spirits, humans and Brahman alike. The initially vague reason for her expulsion is as follows: Darius Shah, the key to eternal life, is born, meaning that her position in the heavens is now rendered obsolete. She now must live amongst the mere mortals she considers liabilities at her 9-to-5 job. The omnipotent Laila follows Darius from a distance throughout his days, revealing herself at five stages of Darius’s life, from his birth to the mystery of his final days. Will Laila ever understand what it means to live and die, especially as a supernatural being untouched by the rules of a lifespan? Does death have a purpose? The book answers these questions more profoundly and succinctly than I can, but I can tell you this: “Laila Starr” is absolutely gorgeous in its musings on death.