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The Many Deaths of Laila Starr #1-5
Toutes les morts de Laila Starr
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Graphic Novels & Comics (2022)Mumbai, de nos jours. Mme Shah, en plein travail et coincée dans un embouteillage, hurle sur son mari au téléphone. Laila Starr, une jeune femme déjà fatiguée de tout, est allongée sur le rebord d'une fenêtre ouverte, plusieurs étages au-dessus du trafic. Et plus haut encore, bien au-delà des nuages, la déesse de la Mort est convoquée dans le bureau de son patron. Ces trois destins se rejoignent au moment où, simultanément Laila saute dans le vide, Mme Shah donne naissance à son fils Darius, et la Mort est renvoyée sans ménagement. Dans un futur, Darius est en effet celui qui découvrira le secret de l'immortalité et reléguera la Mort au rang de désagréable souvenir. Mais la Mort, incarnée dans le corps sans vie de Laila, compte bien retrouver sa place, même si elle doit pour cela éliminer le jeune Darius. Du moins, c'était le plan avant qu'un camion ne la fauche et qu'elle ne se retrouve à nouveau ressuscitée quelques années plus tard...
128 pages, Hardcover
First published February 1, 2022
About the author
Ram V.
483 books276 followersRam V is an author and comic book writer from Mumbai, India. His comics career began in 2012 with the award-nominated Indian comic series, Aghori. A graduate of the City University of London’s Creative Writing MA, he has since created the critically acclaimed Black Mumba and the fantasy adventure series, Brigands.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,311 reviews
January 30, 2024
Okay so this is ASTONISHINGLY GOOD. The Many Deaths of Laila Starr is a visual treat and emotional ride. Author Ram V. and artist Felipe Andrade deliver this incredible story set in Mumbai, playing with Hindu mythology through characters that are fun and comical enough to keep the otherwise heavy, existential themes of the graphic novel from dipping into melodrama. Plus it is absolutely gorgeous to look at, with a sharp art style brought to life in heaping doses of arrestingly bright color palettes. When Death (visually represented as Kali finds herself laid off because a boy has been born that will put an end to death, she is sent to live a mortal life and decides she must kill him to allow death to continue. We follow Death as she finds herself without a purpose and living through several of her own deaths, and through this immortal being grappling with the emotions of those with a finite lifespan we must ultimately confront the question if death itself does have a purpose in life.
Told across five issues, The Many Deaths of Laila Starr has an engaging, episodic narrative with each issue comprising its own arc within a larger story. In each we see Laila brought back to life, with longer gaps of years between each death, and engaging with Darius (the boy destined to end death) at different phases of his life. Having been unable to kill him as a baby, and dying herself in the escape, Laila begins to contemplate existence and in each arc—aided by some fascinating characters like a funeral bird who ferries souls from death, a talking cigarette, or a Chinese temple—we discover more ideas on the meaning of life in a reality where we know it must come to and end. It is rather amusing seeing Death, already in the stolen body of Laila, continuously meet an abrupt and tragic end and have to start over again.
The story mercifully manages to avoid seeming overly cliched or pop-self-helpy, with so rather moving lines and messages from ‘to be witnessed by someone else and to be remembered when you are gone, these are the things that belong to mortals,’ or ‘I’ve just learned today that those are different things…dying and going away forever.’ The story is zany with plenty of dark humor to keep it upbeat as it moves along at a rather fast pace, but it is still quite ponderous and lovely. As much as it bends your thoughts towards ideas of death and destruction, it also celebrates life and is a surprisingly comforting read. Plus it is a joy to look at, this is worth it for the bold and colorful art alone.
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.’
5/5
Told across five issues, The Many Deaths of Laila Starr has an engaging, episodic narrative with each issue comprising its own arc within a larger story. In each we see Laila brought back to life, with longer gaps of years between each death, and engaging with Darius (the boy destined to end death) at different phases of his life. Having been unable to kill him as a baby, and dying herself in the escape, Laila begins to contemplate existence and in each arc—aided by some fascinating characters like a funeral bird who ferries souls from death, a talking cigarette, or a Chinese temple—we discover more ideas on the meaning of life in a reality where we know it must come to and end. It is rather amusing seeing Death, already in the stolen body of Laila, continuously meet an abrupt and tragic end and have to start over again.
The story mercifully manages to avoid seeming overly cliched or pop-self-helpy, with so rather moving lines and messages from ‘to be witnessed by someone else and to be remembered when you are gone, these are the things that belong to mortals,’ or ‘I’ve just learned today that those are different things…dying and going away forever.’ The story is zany with plenty of dark humor to keep it upbeat as it moves along at a rather fast pace, but it is still quite ponderous and lovely. As much as it bends your thoughts towards ideas of death and destruction, it also celebrates life and is a surprisingly comforting read. Plus it is a joy to look at, this is worth it for the bold and colorful art alone.
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.’
5/5
June 30, 2023
Man, I was blinking back some tears at the end of this one.
You know those books that are the epitome of bittersweet and make you cough out a little sob when you read the last bit? <--this book
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 that baby?
Laila keeps meeting up with him over the course of his life and her many deaths.
Why does she keep dying? <--I'm assuming you ask.
Well, that's a big ass spoiler, Random Goodreader.
Anyway. It's not the destination. It's the journey.
Wait. Is that right?
Normally, I hate these kinds of stories but this was very well done and just hit me in the feels.
Recommended.
You know those books that are the epitome of bittersweet and make you cough out a little sob when you read the last bit? <--this book
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 that baby?
Laila keeps meeting up with him over the course of his life and her many deaths.
Why does she keep dying? <--I'm assuming you ask.
Well, that's a big ass spoiler, Random Goodreader.
Anyway. It's not the destination. It's the journey.
Wait. Is that right?
Normally, I hate these kinds of stories but this was very well done and just hit me in the feels.
Recommended.
March 26, 2022
Death is fired after being told a boy called Darius has been born who will grow up to unlock the secret for humans to live forever - no more death, no more Death. Corporate downsizing for the non-corporeal! Until Death is also made mortal, filling the body of a recently-deceased young lady called Laila Starr. Now stuck on Earth with the rest of us schmucks, Death/Laila hatches a plan to get her job back: kill Darius…
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.
The tone is like that of a child’s fable (ie. Death is never rendered as scary, inanimate objects and animals talk, etc.) and the story choices reflect the format. So it’s never explained why if Death is “fired”, how come people continue to die - how important could she have been if death happens without her actively reaping the dead? Or how Death keeps coming back in the same body of Laila Starr instead of reincarnating in a different body instead? Or the convenience of how, at each incarnation, Death happens to meet Darius, and at spaced intervals too, arbitrarily different each time but enough to encapsulate a lifetime. The answer to all of those questions is because that’s the plot.
The first issue is fairly solid but, once Death immediately decides to about-face on the plan, the story meanders pointlessly until the very end. It’s unexciting reading for the most part and, without giving anything away about that finale, it’s unsatisfying and dripping with vapid New Age sentiment.
I wasn’t taken with Filipe Andrade’s goopy, funhouse-mirror-style art though I liked the colourfulness of the comic overall. Indian mysticism is nothing if not colourful and I liked that reflected in the visuals. And, even if Ram V’s writing continues to leave me unimpressed, his observation of why funerals are so ritualised because it’s the one aspect of death we have control over, is a pretty smart one (unless he’s just repeating something someone else said).
The Many Deaths of Laila Starr was mostly uninteresting reading with little happening story-wise and a lot of pseudo-spiritualist pontificating. Basically it’s a comic that Paulo Coelho fans will love!
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.
The tone is like that of a child’s fable (ie. Death is never rendered as scary, inanimate objects and animals talk, etc.) and the story choices reflect the format. So it’s never explained why if Death is “fired”, how come people continue to die - how important could she have been if death happens without her actively reaping the dead? Or how Death keeps coming back in the same body of Laila Starr instead of reincarnating in a different body instead? Or the convenience of how, at each incarnation, Death happens to meet Darius, and at spaced intervals too, arbitrarily different each time but enough to encapsulate a lifetime. The answer to all of those questions is because that’s the plot.
The first issue is fairly solid but, once Death immediately decides to about-face on the plan, the story meanders pointlessly until the very end. It’s unexciting reading for the most part and, without giving anything away about that finale, it’s unsatisfying and dripping with vapid New Age sentiment.
I wasn’t taken with Filipe Andrade’s goopy, funhouse-mirror-style art though I liked the colourfulness of the comic overall. Indian mysticism is nothing if not colourful and I liked that reflected in the visuals. And, even if Ram V’s writing continues to leave me unimpressed, his observation of why funerals are so ritualised because it’s the one aspect of death we have control over, is a pretty smart one (unless he’s just repeating something someone else said).
The Many Deaths of Laila Starr was mostly uninteresting reading with little happening story-wise and a lot of pseudo-spiritualist pontificating. Basically it’s a comic that Paulo Coelho fans will love!
February 9, 2022
Set in Mumbai, Death is fired from her job when a baby is born that will discover immortality. Death becomes mortal and seeks to find this boy and end his life before he cures death. Like Daytripper, it's one of those books that make you revisit your life. I really liked Ram V.'s writing, I did not like Filipe Andrade's art. He draws everyone with distended limbs and large heads with very weak linework.
March 1, 2022
The God of death is out of a job because the boy prophecized to discover the secret to immortality has finally been born. Scorned and jealous, Death goes down to earth, stealing the body of a dead woman named Laila Starr. She attempts to kill the child but finds herself unable to complete the task, instead, obsessing over the boy and re-entering his life intermittently whenever someone close to him dies.
First and foremost, allow me to say that I really liked both the art and the POC representation that this graphic novel brings to the table.
I thought we started out very strong, I liked the whole concept of The Gods being a sort of corporation (I LOVE Lore Olympus, and am generally obsessed with this trope), HOWEVER, I felt like that aspect of this book was extremely underdeveloped.
We weren't really given enough time to get attached to either one of the main characters, and I didn't really find myself caring about what happened at all. I also didn't find the twist all that shocking either.
Overall: Meh. Alright.
Good art, but subliminal characters & plot. /:
First and foremost, allow me to say that I really liked both the art and the POC representation that this graphic novel brings to the table.
I thought we started out very strong, I liked the whole concept of The Gods being a sort of corporation (I LOVE Lore Olympus, and am generally obsessed with this trope), HOWEVER, I felt like that aspect of this book was extremely underdeveloped.
We weren't really given enough time to get attached to either one of the main characters, and I didn't really find myself caring about what happened at all. I also didn't find the twist all that shocking either.
Overall: Meh. Alright.
Good art, but subliminal characters & plot. /:
February 25, 2022
Deeply spiritual and immense fun, this is one of my books of the year. A book that made me stop and think, contemplate life and death and love too?! Uh yeah that’s 5 stars for me! What a hopeful, beautiful and brilliant graphic novel this is. Very cool artwork too!
September 2, 2021
This was..just so good.
It starts with the goddess of death removed from her job and sent down to earth for her to find a man named Darius who finds the cure to death..Immortality. And bonded with a mortal named Laila Starr we follow her journey as she meets this man at various points of his life and I love how each issue she dies and after many years is resurrected by Pranah (God of Life) but meets Darius and how he blames her when they meet in his adult self but right in the end, the convo they have and the revelations that happen change them and the story comes full circle and its one of the most beautiful endings ever.
Its one of those books that make you question your own life and existence and showing what life really is, how it fades away while we ponder on meaningless things when life is a gift itself and death the eventual conclusion. Its not the destination but the journey and reading this will change your perspective about so many things. I loved this book and its deep and self introspective and philosophical and I love the evolution of death aka Laila itself but most importantly Darius and its such an emotional and self healing story. Truly remarkable. One of the best stories of 2021 easily.
It starts with the goddess of death removed from her job and sent down to earth for her to find a man named Darius who finds the cure to death..Immortality. And bonded with a mortal named Laila Starr we follow her journey as she meets this man at various points of his life and I love how each issue she dies and after many years is resurrected by Pranah (God of Life) but meets Darius and how he blames her when they meet in his adult self but right in the end, the convo they have and the revelations that happen change them and the story comes full circle and its one of the most beautiful endings ever.
Its one of those books that make you question your own life and existence and showing what life really is, how it fades away while we ponder on meaningless things when life is a gift itself and death the eventual conclusion. Its not the destination but the journey and reading this will change your perspective about so many things. I loved this book and its deep and self introspective and philosophical and I love the evolution of death aka Laila itself but most importantly Darius and its such an emotional and self healing story. Truly remarkable. One of the best stories of 2021 easily.
March 6, 2022
Death gets laid off by her pantheon of gods when a child is born who will one day find the cure for mortality. (Seems premature, eh?) Sent to live out her life on Earth, she spends the next decades trying to thwart that development so she can get her job back.
Told with the tone of a fairy tale or fable, this story strikes me as something Neil Gaiman could have written, though he might have side-stepped the chapter narrated by a cigarette. And he probably would not have side-stepped the advancements or changes in the world that should be evident in a timeline that runs all the way up through the 2080s.
It's the first really decent thing I've read of Ram V's, but I'm not sure its enough to keep me from putting him on my don't-bother list as I'd been planning.
Told with the tone of a fairy tale or fable, this story strikes me as something Neil Gaiman could have written, though he might have side-stepped the chapter narrated by a cigarette. And he probably would not have side-stepped the advancements or changes in the world that should be evident in a timeline that runs all the way up through the 2080s.
It's the first really decent thing I've read of Ram V's, but I'm not sure its enough to keep me from putting him on my don't-bother list as I'd been planning.
May 21, 2023
Énorme coup de coeur 💜
Une BD sur la thématique de la mort, du deuil, du destin et du souvenir.
C’était incroyablement beau, que ce soit graphiquement ou littérairement.
Tout m’a beaucoup parlé, j’ai trouvé les thèmes abordés traités avec une justesse rare.
Merci à Ram V et Filipe Andrede, et désolé pour cet avis un peu brouillon que je rédige à chaud, les yeux encore humides de ma lecture.
Une grande BD, que je relirais a coup sûr, et dont je recopierai certains extraits dans un carnet, pour toujours les avoir près de moi.
Une BD sur la thématique de la mort, du deuil, du destin et du souvenir.
C’était incroyablement beau, que ce soit graphiquement ou littérairement.
Tout m’a beaucoup parlé, j’ai trouvé les thèmes abordés traités avec une justesse rare.
Merci à Ram V et Filipe Andrede, et désolé pour cet avis un peu brouillon que je rédige à chaud, les yeux encore humides de ma lecture.
Une grande BD, que je relirais a coup sûr, et dont je recopierai certains extraits dans un carnet, pour toujours les avoir près de moi.
March 10, 2022
It's okay. The writing feels a bit aimless at times, feeling around in the dark for a point to make, and at the end the found point is one that has been made a thousand times before, bordering on the trite.
(And I hate the name Laila Starr, the comicbookiest of names.)
The art and colouring are very beautiful. Very, very beautiful.
(And I hate the name Laila Starr, the comicbookiest of names.)
The art and colouring are very beautiful. Very, very beautiful.
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May 16, 2022
“I need to find a baby…“
“A baby?”
“A real bastard. One day he’ll grow up and invent immortality.”
“Oh, that’s cool!”
“No, Munmun! No, it’s not! Things are meant to die. That was my job and I was very good at it, you see?
Art 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Story 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
“A baby?”
“A real bastard. One day he’ll grow up and invent immortality.”
“Oh, that’s cool!”
“No, Munmun! No, it’s not! Things are meant to die. That was my job and I was very good at it, you see?
Art 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Story 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
January 18, 2023
This is an amazing work of art. In this story, the Goddess of Death loses her job because the person who has been prophesied to invent human immortality has been born. In order to kill this person, she must take a mortal form. On her quest to save her job, she learns a great deal about the meaning of life and death. The art is truly amazing in its use of colors and forms, which really adds to the mythic feel of this story. In short, this is one of the best comics published in 2022.
February 1, 2022
Probably the best independent comic published throughout 2021, and the best I have read so far in 2022. I don't want to give anything away as this should just be read going in with a fresh and open mind, so please just go read this book. It is so amazing. Ram V delivers what will probably be his Magnum Opus.
October 22, 2022
I'M IN LOVE WITH THIS COMIC. Death possesses the body of Laila Starr who killed herself by jumping off a building, to kill the baby who's gonna grow up to invent immortality and ruin Death's entire career. Such an amazing concept!
November 5, 2022
Знайомий багатьом сценарист коміксів Рам Ві, повне ім’я якого Рамнараян Венкатесан, який став відомим завдяки жанру супергероїки та американськогому ринку коміксів, народився в місті Мумбаї, Індія. Особисто для мене цей автор у даний час є одним із кращих сценаристів видавництва 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.
Переосмислення певної міфології для сучасності не є новою ідеєю й ми бачили такого сповна. Проте переосмислена міфологія в коміксі «Багато смертей Лайли Старр» Рама Ві та художника Філіпе Андраде є набір роздумів про безсмертя в сучасну епоху. Читач занурюється в Мумбаї, де технології та індуїстська міфологія поєднуються між собою, щоби створити тло, яке виглядає лише трохи перебільшеним в голові кожного, хто уявляв собі це місто. Смерть звільняють після того, як їй повідомляють, що народився хлопчик на ім’я Даріус, який виросте, щоб розкрити таємницю вічного життя людей. Тому навичок Смерті вже не потрібно. Корпоративне скорочення для неї призвело до того, що вона стала смертною, заповнивши тіло нещодавно померлої молодої жінки на ім’я Лейла Старр. Тепер, застрягши на Землі разом із людьми, Смерть, чи краще сказати Лейла, виношує план, щоби повернути собі роботу. А для цього потрібно убити Даріуса.
Історія ґрунтується на індуїстських знаннях та зосереджена на взаємодії між смертним і божественним. Смерть (візуально мається на увазі Калі, індуїстська богиня смерті, часу та змін) змішується з духами та людьми. Всемогутня Лейла стежить за Даріусом на відстані протягом його днів життя у цьому світі, розкриваючи себе на п’яти етапах життя Даріуса, від його народження до таємниці його останніх днів. Тому кожен із п’яти випусків у цьому коміксі має свої назви: «Одного разу падаюча Старр (Зірка)», «Знання воронів», «У диму», «Розмови з Богом» і «Поезія». Чи зрозуміє Лейла коли-небудь, що означає жити й померти, особливо, як надприродна істота, якої не торкаються правила тривалості життя? Чи є якась мета в смерті? Це головні питання, які стоять перед Лайлою та на які вона має знайти власні відповіді.
Оповідь коміксу проходить у спокійному ритмі, який переходить у такий собі казковий стан поезії. Але незважаючи на це, історія поєднує в собі необхідну кількість ідей, як старих, так і нових, щоби створити живий, дихаючий світ — такий, який виглядає цілком правдоподібною версією Мумбаї. Зображення індуїстської міфології в різного роду графічних форматах не є чимось новим, оскільки ці перекази та історії були представлені в релігійному та культурному аспектах протягом тисячоліть. Філіпе Андраде вражаюче зображує протиставлення традицій і сучасності використовуючи свій художній стиль. Смертні та надприродні істоти однаково користуються побутовими предметами, спілкуються за горнятком кави чи блукають нескінченними скупченнями крамниць у якомусь індійському місті. Філіпе Андраде спритно змальовує обстановку Мумбаї схематичними лініями і малюнок відверто сподобаються не всім. Але може привернути увагу його барвистість, адже індійська культура — це не що інше, як велика кількість яскравих барв.
Загалом ідеї, осучаснення міфології та візуальна частина цього коміксу виглядають добре. Але саме читання цієї історії особисто для мене не стало якимось вибухом палітри емоцій. А навпаки, у деяких моментах було достатньо нудно. Мабуть, через багато філософії в тексті, де після завершення кожного випуску я потсійно думками повертався до літературного роману «Володар світла» Роджера Желязни, який мені дався досить важко. «Багато смертей Лайли Старр» — це таке розмірене й повільне читання, де баланс оповіді зберігається від початку й до кінця, без ніяких серйозних чи неочікуваних поворотів. Але беззаперечно на цей комікс вартує звернути увагу, навіть витратити трохи часу, щоб, хоча б, спробувати почитати цю історію. Кінець!
Переосмислення певної міфології для сучасності не є новою ідеєю й ми бачили такого сповна. Проте переосмислена міфологія в коміксі «Багато смертей Лайли Старр» Рама Ві та художника Філіпе Андраде є набір роздумів про безсмертя в сучасну епоху. Читач занурюється в Мумбаї, де технології та індуїстська міфологія поєднуються між собою, щоби створити тло, яке виглядає лише трохи перебільшеним в голові кожного, хто уявляв собі це місто. Смерть звільняють після того, як їй повідомляють, що народився хлопчик на ім’я Даріус, який виросте, щоб розкрити таємницю вічного життя людей. Тому навичок Смерті вже не потрібно. Корпоративне скорочення для неї призвело до того, що вона стала смертною, заповнивши тіло нещодавно померлої молодої жінки на ім’я Лейла Старр. Тепер, застрягши на Землі разом із людьми, Смерть, чи краще сказати Лейла, виношує план, щоби повернути собі роботу. А для цього потрібно убити Даріуса.
Історія ґрунтується на індуїстських знаннях та зосереджена на взаємодії між смертним і божественним. Смерть (візуально мається на увазі Калі, індуїстська богиня смерті, часу та змін) змішується з духами та людьми. Всемогутня Лейла стежить за Даріусом на відстані протягом його днів життя у цьому світі, розкриваючи себе на п’яти етапах життя Даріуса, від його народження до таємниці його останніх днів. Тому кожен із п’яти випусків у цьому коміксі має свої назви: «Одного разу падаюча Старр (Зірка)», «Знання воронів», «У диму», «Розмови з Богом» і «Поезія». Чи зрозуміє Лейла коли-небудь, що означає жити й померти, особливо, як надприродна істота, якої не торкаються правила тривалості життя? Чи є якась мета в смерті? Це головні питання, які стоять перед Лайлою та на які вона має знайти власні відповіді.
Оповідь коміксу проходить у спокійному ритмі, який переходить у такий собі казковий стан поезії. Але незважаючи на це, історія поєднує в собі необхідну кількість ідей, як старих, так і нових, щоби створити живий, дихаючий світ — такий, який виглядає цілком правдоподібною версією Мумбаї. Зображення індуїстської міфології в різного роду графічних форматах не є чимось новим, оскільки ці перекази та історії були представлені в релігійному та культурному аспектах протягом тисячоліть. Філіпе Андраде вражаюче зображує протиставлення традицій і сучасності використовуючи свій художній стиль. Смертні та надприродні істоти однаково користуються побутовими предметами, спілкуються за горнятком кави чи блукають нескінченними скупченнями крамниць у якомусь індійському місті. Філіпе Андраде спритно змальовує обстановку Мумбаї схематичними лініями і малюнок відверто сподобаються не всім. Але може привернути увагу його барвистість, адже індійська культура — це не що інше, як велика кількість яскравих барв.
Загалом ідеї, осучаснення міфології та візуальна частина цього коміксу виглядають добре. Але саме читання цієї історії особисто для мене не стало якимось вибухом палітри емоцій. А навпаки, у деяких моментах було достатньо нудно. Мабуть, через багато філософії в тексті, де після завершення кожного випуску я потсійно думками повертався до літературного роману «Володар світла» Роджера Желязни, який мені дався досить важко. «Багато смертей Лайли Старр» — це таке розмірене й повільне читання, де баланс оповіді зберігається від початку й до кінця, без ніяких серйозних чи неочікуваних поворотів. Але беззаперечно на цей комікс вартує звернути увагу, навіть витратити трохи часу, щоб, хоча б, спробувати почитати цю історію. Кінець!
March 12, 2022
Oooh, I think I like it already! The opening page of Mumbai is gorgeous...
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!!
***
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 🖤🖤🖤
***
GR Personal Rating System:
★★★★★ 5 Stars ~ LOVED
★★★★☆ 4 Stars ~ ENJOYED
★★★☆☆ 3 Stars ~ LIKED
★★☆☆☆ 2 Stars ~ MEH
★☆☆☆☆ 1 Star ~ NOPE
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!!
***
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 🖤🖤🖤
***
GR Personal Rating System:
★★★★★ 5 Stars ~ LOVED
★★★★☆ 4 Stars ~ ENJOYED
★★★☆☆ 3 Stars ~ LIKED
★★☆☆☆ 2 Stars ~ MEH
★☆☆☆☆ 1 Star ~ NOPE
March 9, 2022
Thought-provoking, touching, and bittersweet, this was a worthwhile exploration of life, death, and all that they could mean.
Laila (aka the god of death) was the perfect protagonist for this story. Her character growth aided the the increasing level of emotion as the story progressed and her reflectiveness was poignant. What was most surprising was that, whilst the story was about her, it wasn't just about her. It was also about Darius Shah and the many other people who touched her and his life, and how it all intertwined to create a story that flowed freely. In fact, even though she was the protagonist, Laila was not even the narrator. The narrative style was wonderfully poetic, like an old tale in a dusty tome on a long forgotten shelf of a ramshackled library. It set the perfect tone for such an introspective story.
The only weakness of the story was the open ending, but even then it suited the narrative style so it wasn't entirely a fault of the comic. And whilst the art was more scribbly than I would normally prefer, the colours complemented the style quite nicely. The squiggles never hindered the portrayal of the many raw emotions featured, if anything they enhanced the whimsical tale aspect of it at times.
Laila (aka the god of death) was the perfect protagonist for this story. Her character growth aided the the increasing level of emotion as the story progressed and her reflectiveness was poignant. What was most surprising was that, whilst the story was about her, it wasn't just about her. It was also about Darius Shah and the many other people who touched her and his life, and how it all intertwined to create a story that flowed freely. In fact, even though she was the protagonist, Laila was not even the narrator. The narrative style was wonderfully poetic, like an old tale in a dusty tome on a long forgotten shelf of a ramshackled library. It set the perfect tone for such an introspective story.
The only weakness of the story was the open ending, but even then it suited the narrative style so it wasn't entirely a fault of the comic. And whilst the art was more scribbly than I would normally prefer, the colours complemented the style quite nicely. The squiggles never hindered the portrayal of the many raw emotions featured, if anything they enhanced the whimsical tale aspect of it at times.
![Profile Image for laurel [the suspected bibliophile].](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1645808644i/7494844._UX200_CR0,6,200,200_.jpg)
March 29, 2023
This was so fucking good.
Just perfection. Straight up perfection.
Just perfection. Straight up perfection.
March 12, 2022
What a sad, tragic, beautiful and introspective book. We have the god of death get fired from her job by who I would guess is god? The reason is that someone is about to be born, Darius, that is going to grow up and invent immortality for humanity. With this, the god of death of course is no longer needed. She is sent to earth as a mortal in the body of Laila Star who just died. Being the god of death since the beginning of time, she is immune to death. Death means nothing to her and she doesn’t seem to care about what it means to other mortals. Throughout the story she ironically dies multiple times herself. From the beginning, on to each time the god of life brings her back at different intervals, 8 years later, 12 years later, 16 years later, etc etc, she finds herself crossing paths with Darius. Throughout these meetings, she starts to see what death does to people, family and loved ones, which begins to change her outlook on the topic. Just like These Savage Shores, this story was put together beautifully and by the time you get to the end, you’re all caught up with emotion. A wonderful story.
December 7, 2021
"Each heartbeat, each breath—is a rejection of death."
This leveled me. The first two issues take a clever conceit and have fun with it, exploring it from different thematic angles and using them all to give the character and the idea of death a personality. I was all in, of course, but I also wasn't expecting it to so utterly break my heart and put it back together again. There are moments in this perfectly brief story that take questions and doubts and fears I know intimately well and twist them in such a way to reveal a new insight (revelation?) that I wouldn't have discovered otherwise. For what is ultimately a very straightforward story with what could be considered a predictable plot, The Many Deaths of Laila Starr has immediately implanted itself in the roots of my brain.
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.
Speaking of magic, I'm going to need Filipe Andrade to become a household name after this. His illustrations are sublime and seem to effortlessly capture all the chaos and busyness of daily life while still finding ways to spotlight how miraculous it all is. The colors are essential for this, as they give each page a flash of surrealist vibrancy that translates the world through the lens of a romanticized memory.
What a book.
This leveled me. The first two issues take a clever conceit and have fun with it, exploring it from different thematic angles and using them all to give the character and the idea of death a personality. I was all in, of course, but I also wasn't expecting it to so utterly break my heart and put it back together again. There are moments in this perfectly brief story that take questions and doubts and fears I know intimately well and twist them in such a way to reveal a new insight (revelation?) that I wouldn't have discovered otherwise. For what is ultimately a very straightforward story with what could be considered a predictable plot, The Many Deaths of Laila Starr has immediately implanted itself in the roots of my brain.
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.
Speaking of magic, I'm going to need Filipe Andrade to become a household name after this. His illustrations are sublime and seem to effortlessly capture all the chaos and busyness of daily life while still finding ways to spotlight how miraculous it all is. The colors are essential for this, as they give each page a flash of surrealist vibrancy that translates the world through the lens of a romanticized memory.
What a book.
January 6, 2022
I think when you read a lot of something, lets say a comic series or comics in general, you get to a point where you have to step out of the inertia of it all and start looking for comics that at the very least have a purpose for existing beyond simply continuing the machine of serialized comics, and most I find do not so when the ones that pop up do they should be recognized.
I think a lot of people will have come for the Ram writing, and they won't be disappointed, this is a book, that like most endeavors, asks a question, and watching the writer convey and find the answers is very worthwhile but really even beyond that is the art. Filipe Andrade is throwing it down, its a beautiful looking book on every page, and like the best of any year, it's kinda of its own vibe, and I strongly suspect might be rewarded with award nominations for his work next year.
I think a lot of people will have come for the Ram writing, and they won't be disappointed, this is a book, that like most endeavors, asks a question, and watching the writer convey and find the answers is very worthwhile but really even beyond that is the art. Filipe Andrade is throwing it down, its a beautiful looking book on every page, and like the best of any year, it's kinda of its own vibe, and I strongly suspect might be rewarded with award nominations for his work next year.
September 2, 2021
داستانی از دل اساطیر هند دربارهی زندگی و فانیبودن.
خوشنوشت با طراحیهای زیبا (فقط کاور جلد دوم رو مشاهده بفرمایید... واو نداره؟)
خلاقانه و متفاوت و خلاصه، زیبا.
دیگه چیز بیشتری نمیگم. کوتاهه و جلد آخرش هم دیروز اومد و میتونید کامل بخونید. بخونید که بیشتر دیده بشه. از کمیکهای موردعلاقهم شد.
خوشنوشت با طراحیهای زیبا (فقط کاور جلد دوم رو مشاهده بفرمایید... واو نداره؟)
خلاقانه و متفاوت و خلاصه، زیبا.
دیگه چیز بیشتری نمیگم. کوتاهه و جلد آخرش هم دیروز اومد و میتونید کامل بخونید. بخونید که بیشتر دیده بشه. از کمیکهای موردعلاقهم شد.
January 2, 2024
Neverovatne boje, neverovatne ilustracije i srceparajuca prica koja slavi zivot i sve njegove nesavrsenosti. 💜
Toliko sam zahvalna univerzumu jer mi je graficka novela, cini se, dosla u pravo vreme u ruke i najneznije me zagrlila i vizuelno obogatila!
Toliko sam zahvalna univerzumu jer mi je graficka novela, cini se, dosla u pravo vreme u ruke i najneznije me zagrlila i vizuelno obogatila!
April 30, 2023
3.5 stars
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.
A recommend if you're in the mood for these types of discussions.
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.
A recommend if you're in the mood for these types of discussions.
April 5, 2022
“It’s what happens when things die. They go away, but you don’t realize all the parts of you that they were holding up until after. And then the days that follow, the possibilities of what could’ve been begin to fall away. Leaving you with less, each time – more precious, to be savored.“
January 29, 2022
The story, the setting, the art, and the coloring. ❤
March 4, 2024
9'5/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
La diosa de la muerte es despedida. Sí, como si de una empresa se tratase sus superiores deciden que sus servicios ya no son necesarios. ¿El motivo? Acaba de nacer la persona que descubrirá la inmortalidad. El despido significa volver a la Tierra como mortal, algo que aprovecha la diosa muerte para hacerlo cerca del recién nacido y así tener alguna posibilidad de recuperar su trabajo.
El guionista indio Ram V centra los hechos en Bombay para poder impregnar esta bonita historia con la cultura y mitología del país. Una reflexión sobre la vida y lo cotidiano a través de la diosa muerte. Profundidad narrativa y recursos originales para un cómic inolvidable.
El dibujo de Filipe Andrade le viene muy bien. Un dibujo con una línea esbelta y ciertas formas oníricas. Maravilloso. Como el color de Inés Amaro y la acertada paleta de colores que usa.
Autoconclusivo de 144 páginas.
La diosa de la muerte es despedida. Sí, como si de una empresa se tratase sus superiores deciden que sus servicios ya no son necesarios. ¿El motivo? Acaba de nacer la persona que descubrirá la inmortalidad. El despido significa volver a la Tierra como mortal, algo que aprovecha la diosa muerte para hacerlo cerca del recién nacido y así tener alguna posibilidad de recuperar su trabajo.
El guionista indio Ram V centra los hechos en Bombay para poder impregnar esta bonita historia con la cultura y mitología del país. Una reflexión sobre la vida y lo cotidiano a través de la diosa muerte. Profundidad narrativa y recursos originales para un cómic inolvidable.
El dibujo de Filipe Andrade le viene muy bien. Un dibujo con una línea esbelta y ciertas formas oníricas. Maravilloso. Como el color de Inés Amaro y la acertada paleta de colores que usa.
Autoconclusivo de 144 páginas.
December 8, 2022
*2.5 stars*
I picked this up after it was on the Goodreads Choice Awards this year and it looked fun.
Unfortunately, it was just ok for me. The artwork was not my thing and really brought down my enjoyment. We were also introduced to several characters where I never felt like we got to know them.
Also, because of the repetitive nature of the story, I didn't find anything interesting or exciting in the plot.
Not for me, but I can see why other readers would enjoy it.
I picked this up after it was on the Goodreads Choice Awards this year and it looked fun.
Unfortunately, it was just ok for me. The artwork was not my thing and really brought down my enjoyment. We were also introduced to several characters where I never felt like we got to know them.
Also, because of the repetitive nature of the story, I didn't find anything interesting or exciting in the plot.
Not for me, but I can see why other readers would enjoy it.
July 19, 2022
4/5✨
Such a beautiful story!
Such a beautiful story!
January 8, 2022
The Goddess of Death has been fired. Humanity is about to invent immortality, so she's not particularly necessary any more. Inhabiting the body of a girl named Laila Starr, Death ventures into the human world to exact her revenge on the man responsible. But by following his life along its track, she may just discover life for herself all over again.
Laila Starr's a wonderful snippet of culture that I never expected to get. So far, everything I've read of Ram V's comics work is infused with some part of Indian culture, be it familiar characters (like in Justice League Dark) or by creating new ones (like in The Swamp Thing). He does this both effortlessly and in a welcoming manner, sharing his experiences without alienating any of his readers. Even as a white man, I never felt like I wasn't part of the target audience here - some media isn't for me, of course, but this book felt more educational than exclusional, and I loved learning everything that V wanted to teach, or just introduce.
That aside, Many Deaths is a look at the nature of life and death through the eyes of both a goddess and a very human person. By examining a life through the eyes of someone who has never died before, it puts into perspective the idea of living itself, and the adventures that Laila Starr has, both with her quarry and around him, go to show that life isn't just about what you do or who you are. It's so much more than that.
Filipe Andrade isn't an artist I usually gravitate towards, since his sketchy style and distended figures can sometimes feel out of place, but here he fits the world perfectly. He makes Laila Starr and the characters she meets feel real, and the locales are always packed with character of their own. The colours are rich and varied, and yet somehow a little muted, as if the world is always a little more disappointing than Laila Starr expects, but more real and nature as a result.
Gorgeous, thought-provoking, and haunting, The Many Deaths Of Laila Starr is a story that's well worth spending some of your single life on.
Laila Starr's a wonderful snippet of culture that I never expected to get. So far, everything I've read of Ram V's comics work is infused with some part of Indian culture, be it familiar characters (like in Justice League Dark) or by creating new ones (like in The Swamp Thing). He does this both effortlessly and in a welcoming manner, sharing his experiences without alienating any of his readers. Even as a white man, I never felt like I wasn't part of the target audience here - some media isn't for me, of course, but this book felt more educational than exclusional, and I loved learning everything that V wanted to teach, or just introduce.
That aside, Many Deaths is a look at the nature of life and death through the eyes of both a goddess and a very human person. By examining a life through the eyes of someone who has never died before, it puts into perspective the idea of living itself, and the adventures that Laila Starr has, both with her quarry and around him, go to show that life isn't just about what you do or who you are. It's so much more than that.
Filipe Andrade isn't an artist I usually gravitate towards, since his sketchy style and distended figures can sometimes feel out of place, but here he fits the world perfectly. He makes Laila Starr and the characters she meets feel real, and the locales are always packed with character of their own. The colours are rich and varied, and yet somehow a little muted, as if the world is always a little more disappointing than Laila Starr expects, but more real and nature as a result.
Gorgeous, thought-provoking, and haunting, The Many Deaths Of Laila Starr is a story that's well worth spending some of your single life on.
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