REVIEW: ‘We Are Here Forever’ From Quirk Books

We Are Here Forever is an anthology of stories based in the world of the webcomic, which started on Tumblr, of the same name, both created by Michelle Gish and published by Quirk Books. The stories are set in the future where humans have abandoned Earth. Now, the Puramus, the adorable purple creatures that inhabit the world, explore Earth, form a mini-monarchy, and develop a modern society in what remains of the 21st-century humans’ world.

We Are Here Forever doesn’t have a lot of dialogue and most of the humor in the book revolves around the Puramus’ attempts or inability to understand this new world. Each story is a small adventure for the Puramus as they explore the deserted world around them. One story has them finding a weapon big enough to shut off a scary television that is only playing white noise. Another story finds on Puramus attempting to be like a baby bird. Each story takes place at some point in the future and the book itself is divided into chapters to show exactly how far in the future we are. However, the stories within each chapter jump around, so not everything is chronological.

A lot of the themes and tone of the book are reminiscent of the Pixar movie WALL-E – these creatures are very simple in mind and nature as they explore the post-apocalyptic world. The stories are a quick read but fairly adorable however as the anthology goes on we get more insight into what exactly happened to humanity.

Gish’s cartoony art is adorable and the designs of the creatures are somewhere between a blobfish and a dog. While the story reminds me of WALL-E, the art is similar to Cartoon Network’s Adventure Time. The colors within the graphic novel are bright and radiant despite the fact this is a post-apocalyptic world. In regards to Gish’s story, the book has a lot of heart and imaginative ideas. The Puramus, at times, are incredibly relatable, particularly for me when they face their anxiety. Each story offers a lesson, often about communicating, friendship, and understanding one’s own identity.

We Are Here Forever is a fantastic and fun read for anyone looking for a lighter more heartwarming story. Its bright colors and easy dialogue make it perfect for children, but its courage in using humor to tackle subjects like anxiety and identity keep it relatable for adults. While We Are Here Forever takes place in the same world as the webcomic, no prior knowledge of those stories are needed to pick up this graphic novel. In addition to this graphic novel, you can find more of We Are Forever online on its website and WEBTOON.

We Are Here Forever is available now wherever books are sold.