In a new series set to be released by Aftershock Comics, two siblings negotiate the near-end of the human race in the forthcoming family drama, We Live.
The story, written by the brothers Roy and Inaki Miranda, is set in a near-future, a number of different events such as climate collapse and a world war rages to claim dominance over the few remaining resources, has left only a third of humanity alive. Then the unthinkable happens, a message arrives from space, announcing the upcoming, unavoidable extinction of the human race.
We Live may sound like apocalyptic hand-wringing but according to the creators, there’s a small sliver of hope. The alien race who will be responsible for the forthcoming genocide promise that 5,000 children will be spared, providing rescue bracelets and placing nine “Extraction Beacons” around the world that will provide safe passage to those present and wearing the bracelets when the end comes.
Series creator, co-writer, and artist Inaki Miranda told The Hollywood Reporter, that the book is one for the current struggles we face.
“We are five days away from Extraction Day when we start the story. We follow the journey of two siblings, Hotoro and his older sister, Tala, from their home to a distant Extraction Beacon. What Hotoro doesn’t know is what his salvation implies — if they survive and succeed in reaching the Extraction Beacon in time, that will also mean that he will lose his sister Tala forever since she doesn’t wear a bracelet and must stay on Earth. The weight of the journey falls upon Tala. She will risk everything to save her little brother, keeping him unaware of the real tragedy that’s unfolding.”
“We are living a moment where we can’t think in future mode; there are too many variables in the game. Our present feels a lot like walking through fog. And in the middle of all this, we also harbor a powerful human emotion and the sentiment of fighting the adversities: keep walking, surviving, thriving. I’d love this book to be experienced as a parallel read, in some magical way, to all the adversities that we are going through right now. I’d love for Tala and Hotoro’s journey to turn into a part of the readers’ own journey as well. That’s the magic of storytelling, it’s all about the metaphors that we can re-create and the emotions that we can extrapolate into our own lives.”
Miranda’s brother and co-writer, Roy also added,
“(We Live) is a story about defeat. It talks about a human race that has accepted its own extinction. Imagine what it‘s like to begin an adventure in that emotional state. We have combined two great human conflicts, desperate migration, and the consequences of climate change, and we have placed them on the shoulders of two innocent kids. That right there is a fabulous blend of fairy dust and powder in the pockets of imagination.”
Look below for preview pages from the first issue of We Live:
We Live includes the colorwork of Eva de la Cruz, and will launch Oct. 14.