This bittersweet but lighthearted book from one of the funniest duos in webcomics roasts our human folly while also creating moments of wonder and appreciation for our beautiful, fragile, messed-up planet.
The webcomics duo War and Peas presents a hilariously irreverent book of comics paying tribute to a subject near and dear to all of Planet Earth. Utilizing underrepresented points of view including those of animals, icebergs, anthropomorphized recyclables, the ghosts of trees, aliens, a horny flower, and a teenage praying mantis named Timmy who is understandably terrified of his species’ mating process, Hi, Earth packs a Noah’s Ark-size cast into just over 100 delightful pages. These sweet and apocalyptic comics celebrate the wonders and weirdness of Earth even as we hurtle toward an uncertain future.
Jonathan Kunz is a cartoonist at the webcomic War and Peas, which he runs together with Elizabeth Pich. Millions of people follow the duo on various platforms.
He is also a lecturer, speaker and founder of an independent publishing house.
Hi, earth is a satirical and lighthearted graphic novel that comments on climate change and mocks human folly.
At 106 pages this is a very quick read. I found myself genuinely laughing out loud at a number of pages. It is not a story as such but more a collection of mini comics, each 1/2 pages telling a humorous tale about life on earth. Some of the humour I would say it is slightly dark in nature but nothing horrifically overt or offensive.
I enjoyed the recurring characters and jokes that are scattered throughout this book. I also liked the art style and think it really fits the tone.
Would recommend to anyone looking for a quick fun read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Andrew McMeel Publishing for providing an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
The black comedy in these pages is too funny and to the point! I discovered the duo of authors from this comic collection only and will definitely be watching out for more of their work.
I've had mixed experiences with the War and Peas comics in the past, but something about these hit just right. You've gotta be in one of those "if I don't laugh, I'll cry" moods, though (which is my general state of being).
I wish I could be a fly on the wall of a climate change denier as they read this comic.
Hi, Earth is a lighthearted and satirical comic collection that roasts the human folly and its cause on climate change.
My thoughts: As an anxious person that thinks about climate change daily, reading Hi, Earth was a bleak, but enjoyable time. This was brilliant. I smiled, I giggled, I chuckled, I laughed my ass off, and then sat there in total darkness as I thought about our society’s demise. The illustration, dialogue, and execution was beautifully done.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley, Andrew McMeel Publishing and War and Peas for providing an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own - although I'm a silly human.
The moment I opened Hi, Earth and saw the first gag comic, I knew this had to be one of those Instagram webcomic artists who made a book - and, lo and behold, I was right. War and Peas' unique blend of sarcasm, humor, and sharp commentary quickly turned me into a new fan, and I promptly followed them on Instagram. Their ability to tackle serious issues with wit and absurdity is nothing short of brilliant.
At its core, this comic explores themes of ecology, climate change, and human stupidity, with recurring characters that truly stand out. Among them are a teenage praying mantis terrified of the breeding process, aliens who laugh at humans but adore our cats and dogs, and other planets that are scared of Earth "infecting" them with humans. These characters and their quirky situations bring humor to important topics, making complex issues more approachable without losing the gravity of the message.
What surprised me most was how genuinely I laughed out loud at most of the gag comics. The humor is sharp, relatable, and hits the mark more often than not. War and Peas have truly found the perfect formula for combining hilarity with a critique of our environmental impact and the general absurdity of human behavior. Their work is an excellent example of how comics can both entertain and educate.
This comic isn't just for comic book lovers - it's a fantastic gift for anyone who enjoys quirky, sarcastic, and hilarious content that's still critical of societal issues. With over a million followers, War and Peas have certainly found their audience, and it's clear why. Their ability to mix humor and advocacy in such a light-hearted, yet impactful way is exactly what makes them a perfect duo for this project.
Hi, Earth is a collection of single and double page comics created by the duo War and Peas. Steeped in nihilism, Pich and Kunz offer us a peak into their brand of wry humour. All to confront us with an undeniable truth: If we keep going like this as humans we will inevitably bring about not only the death of nature, but ourselves.
While they bring attention to humanity's hubris, it isn't only gloom and doom. Pich and Kunz have a talent for bringing levity to these topics, and even a touch of hope at times. Maybe extinction is around the corner, but a hug feels nice regardless.
Hi, Earth is suitable for adult audiences. This collection is perfect for you if you enjoy climate change awareness with a dose of nihilism à la the “This is fine” dog meme. It would also make a great gift for anyone with a darker sense of humour.
Thank you Elizabeth Pich, Jonathan Kunz, and Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
This was a really fun and quick read. I can't remember the last time I snorted this much while reading a book. The humour is satirical and can, at times, be pretty dark. Nothing I ever shy away from and also generally topical when it comes to climate change jokes and other topics approached in this graphic novel. .
I also really enjoyed the art. Very "this is fine" meme energy, which fits perfectly for the type of humour. I highly recommend it for adults who enjoy a dark sense of humour. Also a huge fan of the "thank you" page at the end. Perfect way to wrap this book up!
It's an ideal read to cope with climate anxiety and gives an insight into the emergency of dealing with climate change from the view point of mother earth, animals, mountains, planets and so on.
Some comics made me laugh out loud.
I already want to gift it to everyone I know.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reading copy.
I love this webcomics duo and their webcomic War and Peas, so when I saw this book on netgalley, I literally jumped on it. It's satirical and has this dark humor I love, and it mostly deals with earth, so we have climate change, animals and life, extinction and humans stupidity, all in their distinctive style. so I really enjoyed it!
To start off, I'd like to thank Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley for a free digital copy of this book for an honest review.
Feelings As soon as I saw the cover I was hooked. The artists have such an easily recognizable art style and sense of humour. They did an amazing job once more with this collection and most stories really did hit home for me. It baffles me to see such small stories bringing such intense emotions. One story can be made up of only 4 images and still have that plot twist gotcha moment and it's fascinating.
5/5 Quality of writing: 5 Plot development: - Pace: 5 Characters: 5 Enjoyability: 5 Ease of reading: 5
I love thesecomic strip books. Sometimes they are better than scrolling through Instagram to find these comics. Highly recommend. Be warned, some of these comic strips have some jokes that are not meant for kids.
Review copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Elisabeth Pich and Jonathan Kunz, also known as War and Peas, a german-american Duo, publish a comic (1-6 panels) every Sunday on their website (since 2011). Mostly about the wonders and weirdness of earth, highly focusing on human’s wrongdoings, told in a sarcastic way. This book is a collection of around 100 comics. Each comic is a stand-alone (tiny tale, or in German known as Bierdeckelgeschichte), though some have continuations or recurring characters.
Funny, yet tragic. I’m a huge (and annoying, according to those around me) environmentalist, and mostly wanted to cry to these, but the morbid humour works well enough to even make me laugh away my tears.
I love how essentially every being on earth and in space wants to get rid of humans. I mean, the good thing at least is that earth survived just fine after the humans rotted themselves out. That’s my upmost worry honestly – that earth will die too.
The mantis storyline was my favorite I think, followed by the icebergs. I only didn’t get the shark one, but otherwise very hilariously hidden sad massages. Hopefully it’ll reach some people.
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Thank you to Andrews McMeel Publishing for an eARC on Netgalley.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a copy of this collection in exchange for an honest review!
I actually really enjoyed this. It's very adult and very dark in the humor at times but that vibes for me so I thought it was funny. I would be interested to see more from this duo. And the art style was fun!
For a silly, kind of horrifying, but also quick, fun time, I'd say this one is worth it.
I love the blend of bittersweet, funny and slightly gross that the creators of the war and peas comic manage. It's a fine line between laughing and crying when it comes to the realities of climate change - and this collection provides food for thought - as well as giggles.
Thank you to Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley for the advance reader's digital copy. #HiEarth #NetGalley
This collection of comics is delightfully cynical and sometime dishes out a sucker-punch to the spleen. Themes include satirizing climate change, nature facts, environmentalism, space, sex, and religion. I appreciated there being reoccurring story lines; my personal favorites include the Titanic and Earth dealing with various challenges of being inhabited by humans. This book would make a great coffee table book or gift.
Thank you Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel. 4.5/5 stars.
I finished this in one day despite me forgetting to do my review. I realize with a lot of these books that publish webcomics that I actually know quite a few of these webcomics just from being on the internet. There is something nice, though, about just being able to read them in a book like this. Also, there were some HILARIOUS ones. There were also some ermmmmmm not kid appropriate ones. Fun quick read but it might also give you an existential crisis.
Oh my gosh, the one with the fashion show was way too dark for me 😭
This comic is very dark and oh so vulgar so it’s definitely not for under 18 but wow I loved it. I am an avid fan of War and Peas’ Instagram comics so when I saw this was being published with some of my favorite posts I knew I had to read it. Highly recommend to everyone because yes it’s crude but I gets the point across about how dire the state of the world is and how humans are destroying our own home with no remorse. I agree that we are parasites and the other animals would have to agree as well lol.
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Thanks to Andrews McMeel Publishing via NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you so much NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book. Hi, Earth is a graphic novel that everyone must read. It makes a statement about the state of our planet and the role of humans in it but in a sarcastic and fun manner. It is made of short comics with recurrent characters like earth, a tree, two flowers, mountains, mantis and many more. It made me smile and pained me at the same time as it is a reminder of what led our earth to be in this state. We also get to learn more about animals and their dynamics, still in an entertaining way. I would highly, highly recommend it, and give it 5 stars.
Hi, Earth is a witty and thought-provoking graphic novel that blends humor with climate exploration. The pages consist of perspective on human behavior, our environmental impact, and the oddities of daily life. Kunz's sharp writing and Pich's expressive illustrations create a unique narrative that's both entertaining and reflective. The book cleverly balances dark humor with a sense of wonder, making it a thought-provoking commentary on humanity's place in the cosmos. Hi, Earth is a quirky, visually striking read that will leave readers both laughing and contemplating the future of our planet. I physically laughed out loud multiple times while reading this and will continue to re-read whenever I need a good giggle.
At first, I wasn't sure I wanted to read Hi, Earth.
Climate change is one of those things that keep me up all night.
I don't need to be reminded that Earth and humanity is going to hell in a hand basket.
But I do enjoy comics!
This was a quick, very funny, tongue in cheek read about our planet and how us humans are systemically destroying her.
I really enjoyed the recurring characters that showed up and the blunt references to how humans are ruining our planet.
Everyone makes an appearance; dinosaurs, nature, dogs, trees, insects, and the worst kind the planet has to offer: HUMANS.
Some of the jokes made me laugh, you have to laugh or else you'll cry at how wonderful and amazing our planet is...and how little time we have left to be with her.
I really like the art in this but I hate the humor so much, which really is a problem in a book about comics that are supposed to be funny. Key words supposed to be. I got halfway into this and hated the humor so much I had to stop reading (which is saying a lot considering this is 100 pages of 4 panel comics). Not one single page was funny. Not one. Maybe this has an audience? But I’m apparently not one of them. Like I said stopped at the halfway point and will not be finishing.
Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
A satire about the climate crisis we're hurtling towards, this book cleverly highlights the absurdity of some of our actions. It’s more of a short story graphic collection, with each page presenting a different story or artwork. While some entries advance the overall narrative the book aims to convey, others feel more abstract or disconnected. Some parts are funny and engaging, offering a “light” satirical take, though the topic it tackles remains undeniably relevant and pressing.
This collection of satirical and dark humor comic strips covered themes of extinction, pollution, and climate change. I found it very funny and also enjoyed that it has the potential of being very eye opening through the vehicle of comedy for readers. It also seems entirely appropriate reading considering the current events around the globe.
Elizabeth and Jonathan have an effective way of getting your attention about our all too human faults and flaws. In this collection, they make us both laugh and cry at what we’ve done to our good Earth. They are unconstrained with both words and images, and simultaneously shock us with the situations while charming us with the adorable characters they draw. Check out their weekly posts on Substack!
I had read Jonathan Kunz and Elizabeth Pinch's other works before Hi, Earth and all I can say is this comic is not as good as their previous works. Despite of my three stars, I was still laugh with the joke and how they try to "educate" us all about climate change, about how Earth is suffering from whatever human do.
My husband and I read this one before bed and we cackled the entire time. I so enjoy a good comics collection especially when it touches on important topics.
Hi, Earth talks of the impending doom that all humans likely face through hilarious comics and jokes meant to inform but also provide relief throughout its pages.
I am so thankful to Jonathan Kunz and Andrews McMeel for sending the gorgeous finished copy before April 1, 2025.