We live vol 1 by Roy and Inaki miranda

Written by Roy Miranda and Inaki Miranda, illustrated by Inaki Miranda, colored by Eva De La Cruz, lettered by Dave Sharpe.
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Earth has suffered through extinction events, wars, and horrendous weather cataclysms. Humanity has almost been wiped out, save for nine mega cities around the globe and smaller villages scattered through the wilds. One day, Earth receives a message from benevolent aliens that the planet will soon be ravaged by yet another weather event, but there is hope in saving the children. Five thousand bracers are sent down with the instructions to put them on children, who will then be transported to another world to restart the human race. Tala finds one of these bracers and puts it on her younger brother Hototo. They then must start the dangerous journey through the wilds to the extraction point in one of the megapolis cities, battling beasts, zealots, and other humans along the way.

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I immediately had questions about these "benevolent" aliens and whether this was all a trap, and was initially frustrated that the story has humans going along with this plan. My suspicions paid off, though, but weren't addressed until the cliff-hanger conclusion of the story. Tala and Hototo are adorable and awesome characters, and they remind me of Skottie Young creations from Middlewest. There are some comical moments, but at other times, the Mirandas break my heart. There are quite a few obstacles for the children to overcome, so much so that it seems like pure luck that they manage to survive all of it. But this wild journey has definitely sucked me in, and I look forward to the next story in the series - We Live: Age of the Palladions.

The art for this series is very detailed and vibrant. There are lush jungle/wilderness landscapes with hidden details of a decayed human civilization. The monsters and deformed animals are truly terrifying in their composition and coloring. Hototo and Tala are often the only bright spot on the page, which really draws the eye to what they're doing and going through. This world is horrifying and beautiful at the same time.

Aftershock rates this for teens, which seems appropriate given the scarier monsters and high-stakes environment Tala and Hototo live in.

Sara's Rating: 9/10
Suitability Level: Grades 9-12

Publisher: Aftershock Comics
Publication Date: May 25, 2021
ISBN: 9781949028607 (Paperback)

​Tags: Rating: 9/10, Suitability: High School, Comicbooks, Action Adventure, Survival, Family