The Sandman is one of the greatest comics in the history of the comic industry. The story of Dream of the Endless and his family of anthropomorphic representations of universal forces grabbed readers’ attention and never let go. The original series ran for 75 issues with a special one-shot, two hardcover with new stories, and a prequel miniseries. The title revolutionized comics, making the trade paperback market more important than ever, and helped usher in a new generation of more mature mainstream comics. However, recent allegations against writer Neil Gaiman have changed the way fans look at the book and the characters it introduced, leaving something of a hole in comics.
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The Sandman birthed many comics and changed the way fans looked at the medium. It was the kind of book that you could hand to anyone, even someone who hated comic books, and they would love it. The changing view of Gaiman has made it so that people who would recommend this book have to find another book to give to their non-comic reading friends. Luckily, four years ago, BOOM! Studios put out a comic that is perfect for people who never read comics and for fans looking for a comic like The Sandman: The Many Deaths of Laila Starr, from writer Ram V and artist Filipe Andrade.
The Many Deaths of Laila Starr Tread Similar Ground to The Sandman
The Sandman took readers to the halls of gods, the afterlife, and basically every other place you could imagine, peopling these places with gods and monsters. The stories often dealt with the mysteries of humanity, and that’s one of the reason that it resonated with all kinds of readers. The Many Deaths of Laila Starr did something similar, except unlike The Sandman it used Indian culture instead of Western culture to tell a story about life and death.
The Many Deaths of Laila Starr begins with the Hindu gods, as the goddess of death is told that humanity is about to invent a method of living forever and that she’s out of a job. She’s given a chance to become a human named Laila Starr and go to the Earth. She decides to use her new life to hunt down the man who will invent immortality, so she can stop him and get her job back. Each issue sees her meet him in a different portion of his life, decide not to kill him, and then accidentally die, with the next issue beginning with her being resurrected to start over again by one of her divine lovers.
The Sandman revolved around a divine character, albeit one who is one of the biggest jerks in comics, and dealt with how he and those like him see human life. The Many Deaths of Laila Starr did much the same, and much like The Sandman it has a lot to say about the human condition. It’s a book that uses the divine to tell a story about what it means to be a human. It is a deep look at death and what it means to humanity, and in that way is somewhat life-affirming. It’s a beautiful comic, and you don’t have to feel bad about buying it or enjoying it, unlike The Sandman in 2025.
Ram V is one of the greatest writers working right now (his Detective Comics run is perfect) and he gave readers something unlike anything else out there. His use of Indian culture in his comics makes them unique, and this viewpoint informs The Many Deaths of Laila Starr. Meanwhile, artist Felipe Andrade’s art is perfect for this kind of book. His unique style gives the book the kind of otherworldly feel it needs, all while truly capturing the emotion dripping off every page. V and Andrade are perfect together, and they gave readers a gift. The Many Deaths of Laila Starr won’t make you alright with your mortality, but it will remind you of the beauty and preciousness of life. Sometimes, that’s all you need.
What do you think of The Many Deaths of Laila Starr? Leave a comment in the comment section below and join the conversation on the ComicBook Forums!
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