Zombies might be the main threat in most post-apocalyptic worlds, but not on the Earth that exists in the series We Live by the Miranda Brothers, Eva De La Cruz, and Dave Sharpe from AfterShock Comics. Sure, there are zombies wreaking havoc on this tormented planet (one of these creatures even scratches a little girl that forces an old man to shoot the child as she begins to transform), but the world is saturated in a litany of other horrors with the mother of all calamities having yet to befall what is left of humanity.
Now, violent species of wild beasts and so-called “genetic degenerations” roam these wracked lands, one of which includes a ferocious mutated lion that is first spotted in issue #1 with a human corpse dangling from its blood-soaked jaws. And this isn’t even including past natural disasters that have already decimated the population to a measly 10% of what it used to be: “colossal hurricanes, biblical floods, electromagnetic storms, and earthquakes” that have actually reshaped all of the Earth's continents.
But as alluded to earlier, a new existential threat has emerged that foretells the end of the human race as we know it. While the manner in which this end will transpire has yet to be revealed, a message came from the heavens prophesying that all will be destroyed save for 5,000 children who find an alien device. These so-called “rescue bracelets” are hidden at various places on the planet. However, the trials and tribulations of these lucky few do not suddenly end once these devices have been found.
These children need to traverse these dangerous lands to one of nine extraction beacons within an allotted time frame (for it is assumed that the world will end shortly afterward). Then, on what is known as “extraction day,” the children will be transported safely into the stars to begin anew. At least each child can be accompanied by a companion to these beacons.
The post-apocalyptic tale begins five days before that so-called extraction day is set to take place where a group of children (and their companions) board a bus with an old man who serves as their guide and is by no means frail. On this perilous journey, the group is attacked by the aforementioned zombies called Molders, their bus is destroyed by an electromagnetic storm forcing them to travel on foot and come face to face with a massive mutated lion. It’s at moments like these where everyone wished they had what one of the 5,000 children has: a robotic helmet called the Marshall Supercat 2000, which can change how the wearer perceives the world. At one point, the boy activates Samurai Panda mode that transforms every person into, well, pandas who are wearing a Karuta (but are not armed with katanas and especially not wielding one of Deadpool's blades). Another mode causes the jungle that the troupe recently descended into to dematerialize into a land of robots (hence why the mode is referred to as Robotland). For the sake of the boy's sanity, the Marshall Supercat 2000 hopefully doesn't break. We Live is in stores now.