The Many Deaths of Laila Starr
I have read a lot of graphic novels. There have definitely been ones I didn’t enjoy, some so much so I just stopped reading them. There have been some I fell head over heels in love with and will talk about them ad nauseum. But there have been very few that have stopped me in my tracks and altered my view of the world. The Many Deaths of Laila Starr is one of those books.
As is our tradition, David and I got each other graphic novels for Christmas last year, and Laila Starr was one of them. Not 100% sure if I got it for him, or he for me, but 6 of one, half a dozen of the other. But when I read it, it took my breath away. I had a very similar feeling as when I read Daytripper, and it had a similar theme … death.
What first struck me about this book was the art and colors. I’m not sure why, but it reminded me of A Scanner Darkly, that weird Keanu Reeves animated movie in the 2000s. Every page felt like it had so much movement and mix that with the vibrant colors, each scene had a very distinct feel to it.
And then the story itself, humanity is about to discover immortality and the gods have to put a stop to it, so the Indian God of Death is thrust into a mortal body in Dubai to find and stop the human who discovers the secret. It’s a story about dying, living, life and love. So good it had me in tears.
Also, it was awesome to discover gods I had no knowledge of from a different culture. I’m so used to Greek and Viking gods, that these gods looked and acted so differently it was so cool to live in that world for a bit.
Anyway, I strongly suggest reading this graphic novel. It’s short, less than 130 pages, and a complete stand-alone story, but it will make you think about humanity and maybe even change how you view the world.
