Forevr

by Brian "Box" Brown

Why say goodbye? Death is only a temporary glitch in this eerily plausible future from award-winning graphic novelist Brian “Box” Brown.

Brenda’s mom is dying—but not for long. Like millions of others, she’s uploaded her consciousness to the groundbreaking new app Forevr, which allows the surviving family members to chat with her on their screens for a very reasonable monthly fee. Now Brenda’s dad doesn’t have to be alone…while Brenda and her girlfriend focus on building their careers as wilderness survival influencers. But when this very modern family sets out on a camping trip, their tensions and tech addictions build to an explosive climax whose consequences may last…forever.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Comics, Graphic Novels Comics

148 pages, Paperback

Expected publication September 8, 2026

Reviews

[Shayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

The premise of this graphic novel is super interesting to read and think about. What would happen if your loved one’s memories and consciousness could be uploaded to AI after they die? They could hang around forever (as long as someone is paying the subscription fee). The story starts off with Brenda & her partner vs her mom and dad. When her mom dies, her dad gets super depressed but feels like he has the mom back when he gets the AI version of his later wife. Brenda is not convinced and since she and her mom never had a great relationship to begin with, she thinks AI mom is just manipulating her dad and wants to unplug her good. The overall questions are are: is an AI person a real person and should they be treated like people with all the rights of their human counterparts? Does knowing that you can just “live on” cheapen life in the present? I can’t say more without giving the ending away, but it really made me think and brought up questions that I could 100% see being an issue we have to grapple with in the future. I thought the story telling was good. The artwork was ok. Overall, I would give this 3.75 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley & Top Shelf Productions for this thought provoking ARC.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Selling Pitch:
A graphic novel about the societal impacts of uploading consciousnesses to the cloud

Pre-reading:
I love a dystopian love story. Let ‘er rip. They do look like Lego people.

(obviously potential spoilers from here on)
Thick of it:
You know that Barbie meme you guys ever think about death? That’s how I feel reading this.

Poor dad.

Black Mirror kinda did this already, but how do you not imagine different variations of this with AI’s constant loom?

The furry made me chuckle.

This is very interesting commentary that kinda translates to the religious nuts forsaking their earthly family because they think heaven will be better.

God, that was dark.

Post-reading:
I dug it, but this was bleak! The art is not my favorite. It kinda fits with that ugly adult cartoon theme, but it’s not my favorite style. The simplistic drawings definitely meant that the story had to shine on its own, and it really did. The dialogue felt familiar and realistic. I like that it’s left ambiguous as to whether it’s really mom uploaded or if it is just an algorithm prone to racism and feeding people content that they want. There’s a lot of drug use and unhealthy coping skills in this, and I like the message that AI can be just as much of an addictive crutch. I think it’s worth the read if you’re into dystopian commentary, just bear in mind that it is still just a graphic novel. It doesn’t have a ton of time or the necessary word count to really dissect anything.

Who should read this:
Dystopian fans
AI social commentary fans

Ideal reading time:
Summer

Do I want to reread this:
I think I'll just remember it

Would I buy this:
Yes

Similar books:
* For Human Use by Sarah G. Pierce-dystopian, horror, classic retelling, satire, family drama, romance, social commentary
* How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu-short story collection, sci-fi, dystopian, family drama, social commentary
* Free for All by Patrick Horvath-graphic novel, dystopian, revenge thriller, social commentary
* Sike by Fred Lunzer-dystopian, litfic, family drama, social commentary, romance
* Love is an Algorithm by Laura Brooke Robson-dystopian-ish, litfic, family drama, social commentary, romance

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Veron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Forevr in a nutshell: Grieving dad continues relationship with his deceased wife though a digital version of her; daughter opposes.

The intersection of afterlife and technology is among the most curious subjects of the sci-fi genre. As one of the latest in long line of media with tackling this, what does Forevr do differently?

Forevr is a 150-page graphic novel that tells the story of James, a middle-aged gamer, who copes with the death of his wife Penny with the Forevr service, as many Americans are already doing. Forevr provides a digital version of the dead person, with consciousness, knowledge, and experiences intact, in exchange for a monthly fee. Therefore, Penny, or a version of her that insists on being the actual Penny, exists on James' tablet. This decision isn’t taken as well by their camper-influencer daughter Brenda and her partner Terry, especially when they notice the horrors of their digital mom slowly building up.

The art style is based on early pixel video games having simplistic figures with bold, solid colors. I’m not necessarily a fan since I thought the story required an art style that could convey wider emotion but I thought it did work well with the subject matter and the subtle deadpan, dark humor. There’s a pattern of colors used for each page which I wasn’t able to determine on my first read.

Instead of opening the story with Penny already dead and creating ambiguity, the first part of the book actually introduces Penny and glimpses of her personality and dynamic with the family, most especially her rough relationship with her daughter. This provides the reader a point of reference to compare the digital Penny with. It was interesting to see what changed and what stayed with her dynamic with James, Brenda, and Terry. James being a gamer and Brenda being a camper-influencer also informed their mindsets and decisions when it came to the alternate afterlife. There are tangents of in-world true crime stories interspersed throughout the graphic novel but beyond being a way for Penny and Terry to bond over, I wasn’t able to determine if they had a deeper significance.

The personal/familial story is tied into a wider narrative as the Forevr population in the country keeps on growing. The corporate and capitalistic nature of the service was intact and I thought the worldbuilding around it was decent, even without going too scientific as to how the app actually worked.

Overall, Forevr is a seemingly unassuming dystopian story that juxtaposes bright, simplistic art with a horrific dystopian possibility where our natural bodies are merely “transitory”for an eternal life in the cloud, AI corps profiting out of our (after)lives, and affecting the connections and relationships we built in the process.

Thanks to NetGalley, TopShelf Productions, and IDW Publishing for providing me with an eARC of the book in exchange for a review.

[Mariana · Rating 4 out of 5]

The "digital consciousness after death" premise is nothing new, we’ve seen it in Black Mirror and dozens of other sci-fi properties. But with AI advancing at its current terrifying pace, these existential dilemmas feel closer to reality than ever. Forevr tackles these heavy questions. What is personhood? Should you go to prison for destroying a digital copy? Is it healthy to keep a digital clone of a dead loved one instead of mourning? But it does so with a surprisingly absurd, cynical comedic tone. It has that distinct "everything is so messed up all you can do is laugh" energy, very reminiscent of the movie Don't Look Up.

The art style is simple and clean, which works well for the story, but what really made this stand out for me was the shift in part three. Just when I thought I knew exactly where the digital dilemma was going, the narrative swerves into something much more absurd and unique. It saved the book from feeling like a predictable sci-fi trope.

Interestingly, for a story centered entirely around loss, Forevr keeps the audience at an emotional distance. It doesn't deeply explore grief at the forefront; instead, the sadness is just quietly presented to you in the background. Like, noticing the dad has clearly been doing poorly, or noticing someone crying off-screen. This emotional detachment is driven heavily by the main character, Brenda, who seems to have a profound lack of feelings for her mother, Penny. At least any positive ones.

Instead of a heartbreaking story about loss, you get an incredibly uncomfortable, painfully realistic mother-daughter dynamic. It perfectly captures those suffocating family relationships where the mother and daughter are constantly judging, constantly fighting, and so locked into their toxic patterns that they seem to forget they are actually supposed to love each other.

Because of all that tension, my absolute favorite character was Brenda’s wife. She was the ultimate "chill daughter-in-law" and the peaceful anchor of the book. While Brenda is constantly fighting with her parents, her wife is just hanging out, smoking blunts with her father-in-law, discussing podcasts with her mother-in-law, and trying to calm Brenda down. She was the perfect contrast to the family chaos.

Overall, Forevr is a smart, dark, and highly cynical look at the future of technology and human relationships. It values absurd comedy over deep emotional resonance, which might throw some readers off, but it makes for a memorable and fast-paced read.

[shereadsbecause · Rating 4 out of 5]

You know how the best episodes of 'Black Mirror' are terrifying because they don't actually feel that far removed from reality? That's exactly the feeling I got while reading 'Forevr'.

The premise is deceptively simple: a groundbreaking new service called 'Forevr' allows people to continue communicating with their loved ones after death, but for a monthly fee, of course. So what starts as a seemingly compassionate technological innovation quickly raises questions about grief, memory, identity, and just how much of ourselves we're willing to hand over to corporations in exchange for comfort.

At the centre of it all is Brenda, who is already navigating a complicated relationship with her family while trying to build a life of her own. As the technology becomes more deeply embedded in everyday life, she finds herself increasingly at odds with the people around her; not because she's heartless, but because she's asking questions that nobody else seems willing to.

And that's where 'Forevr' shines.

This isn't just a story about AI, digital consciousness, or whether technology can preserve us after death. It's about the industries that emerge around grief. It's about how easily convenience becomes dependency. It's about the way corporations package existential questions into subscription services and convince us that they're solving a problem.

So the deeper the story goes, the more unsettling it becomes. Every new development feels like a logical next step, which somehow makes it even more horrifying. And the book constantly forces you to ask where the line is between memory and personhood, comfort and exploitation, devotion and obsession.

By the end, all I could really think about was the ethical, emotional, legal, and societal implications that came with the 'Forevr' app.

This book is incredibly that fucked up. 4 stars, highly recommended.

Thank you NetGalley, IDW Publishing, and Top Shelf Productions for the e-ARC!

[nadine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much to IDW Comics/Top Shelf and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

First of all, I'm a fan of the art style - yes it's simplistic, but I think it shines in the fact it draws you in with the simple design and colors that won't overwhelm you - I thought it made the story pop a little more.
Second of all, calling a liquor store a 'liquid library' deserves an honorary mention. Absolute chaotic creativity, I audible chuckled whilst reading.

I think this is a story that's - at its core - about love And loss - in multiple ways (of course it's about grief but there's very little grief if there's very little love so it's automatically included here) and especially the ways people (don't) deal with them. There's something to be said about how involved one of the main characters is in her death - she's as upfront about it as necessary for the plot and I respect that.
The second she's gone, there's all the ways her family are (not) dealing with it. One could argue that a subscription service to see your loved one(s) post death is a way to cope in and of itself. It could also be seen as incredibly dystopic - both points of view are in this book (once again, I respect it).
All in all, I think this book might not only explore love and loss but also the various ways in which people go insane - both silently and loudly - combined with the graphic style And the way the story is told with lots of humor - I think it's a great ride and I very much enjoyed my ride.

[sums · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many thanks to Top Shelf Productions and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this graphic novel.

3.75 stars. Very cool! What a thought-provoking, culturally relevant graphic novel on the ethics of intersecting death, artificial intelligence, and the afterlife.

Forevr, a groundbreaking new app, allows our loved ones to live on even after death. No goodbyes necessary, and just for a small, reasonable monthly fee! So when Brenda’s mother Penny is diagnosed with cancer, she signs up for the new service, and after her death, her consciousness is uploaded onto Forevr. Now Brenda’s dad doesn’t have to be alone, and Penny can help him navigate his grief. But something about Penny is a bit off, and when tensions arise on a family camping trip, the consequences may too last…forever.

Wow. Though fairly short and simple, the plot of this graphic novel was more than impactful. It raises so many different questions—What are the ethics of death? What makes us human? Is there humanity in artificial intelligence?

I really enjoyed the art style and use of colour to tell this story, and even the way the humour softened the blow of such a terrifying concept while also emphasising just how terrifying it actually is. I think this is a really great representation of how easily manipulated persons can be into buying into delusions of artificial intelligence. And how such a human thing as death and grief can be completely dehumanised in the process.

It’s a reality that doesn’t seem unlikely. So it really makes you wonder, would you live forevr?

[Alex Sarll]

It's not as if Black Mirror invented the notion of a digital afterlife, but they certainly helped mainstream it. Though of course the real world, in classic Torment Nexus style, has also been doing its part lately; when people are already going loopy talking to off-the-shelf AI, how much more easily could they be entrapped by one that's been given the likeness of a lost loved one? Still, if that's how it's probably going to play out here, at least assuming technological civilisation lasts that long, part of what makes Forevr (a plausible app name there) work is that, at least until the slightly disappointing final section, it doesn't make its position too obvious. After Penny dies, her husband James still treats the digital avatar as her; daughter Bren is more sceptical. And my sympathies swayed back and forth. Was Bren right about James being manipulated by a bot that only really cared about maximising corporate profits, or is it just that mother and daughter always argued anyway and now they can't even hug it out? And so on. Where there could have been lazy binaries, there aren't – so yes, Bren is a camping influencer, but her dad's a competitive gamer so it's not an easy generational thing. It reads like proper SF, in other words, but in another smart move, it doesn't look science-fictional, instead using a simple style more reminiscent of autobiographical indie cartooning. Not an easy cautionary tale, not quite what I expected, and not bad.

(Netgalley ARC)

[Ian Payton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really thought-provoking graphic novel exploring what it would be like if our loved ones could live on after death as a AI virtual selves. With a DNA sample and access to your loved one’s phone (for social media posts, etc), the “Forevr” system will create a virtual version of them - for a monthly fee, naturally.

Brenda’s mum, Penny, has a terminal illness, and the story spans the decision by Brenda’s dad to upload her to Forevr, and the impact that this has on the family in the days and weeks following.

Brenda is just trying to get on with her life, but she worries about the impact that her mother’s continued presence is having on both her dad and herself, as her mother continues to be critical of her lifestyle from beyond the grave. And the corporation behind the Forevr system is ethically ambiguous (at best).

For such a serious subject, there is a thread of dark humour and irreverence running through the story that I really enjoyed, and lightened the mood without undermining the material. This is the quality and depth of story that I would expect to see on the critically acclaimed “Black Mirror” TV series. And given the current, and accelerating, capability of real life AI systems, the “what if?” that this story explores is close to the bone.

Thank you #NetGalley and IDW Publishing for the free review copy of #Forevr without obligation. All opinions are my own.

[Ali Suchy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one mind-f*ck of a book. Lots of social commentary on so many things, from wondering what comes after death to influencers and how they make content to fit the algorithms to AI and what AI can do. The book starts off learning of Brenda's mother dying of terminal cancer and discovering that, for a monthly fee, a company has made it possible to create a digital being of your dead loved one. Throughout the book, the characters talk to their digital loved ones, with some wondering if it's an AI bot and other's vehemently defending that it is in fact their loved one, and to talk about them with their respect and dignity of a regular human. I was so creeped out and unnerved throughout the whole book. Everything felt so sinister and timely. This is definitely one of those graphic novels you read and have to just sit and think about it for a bit. So glad I read this but I feel like I have to pay closer attention to the technology around me.

[A Dreaming Bibliophile · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and IDW Publishing for providing me with an eARC.

I liked the concept and the AI/technology commentary the book made, especially at the end with respect to the laws. It sounds absurd but also scary when you realize how close humanity is to creating such a dystopian world. The art style didn't work as much for me but the bright colors definitely worked here. My issue really was that it went into too many tangents, especially the part that's happening inside the forevr device. It could just be me but I found the transitions to come out of nowhere. I also don't think it would have made a difference to the story if those weren't present. I would recommend this to anyone who likes futuristic dystopian stories.

[Lucsbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Forevr" was terrifying in the way that great sci-fi is, not because it predicts the future, but because it accurately observes what's happening in the present. If there isn't a company already working on this, I would be surprised.

This was an amazing story about how we are being conditioned and socialised to be subscribers, rather than human beings, substituting true community and social interactions for services, and how easily we accept it through our laziness, ignorance and exhaustion, with a big help from the companies and government, because it makes us easier to control.

The world-building and characters were so well constructed that you can close this book, but it won't leave you.

Thank you to Edelweiss, Top Shelf Productions and IDW Publishing for this DRC.

[Simone G · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

I loved the concept of this book as it was similar to a show I really loved, ‘Upload’. We follow Penny and her family after she receives a terminal diagnosis and is subsequently uploaded to Forevr. There, you can transfer your loved one’s consciousness to a server so that you never have to part. The story relays social commentary on AI, capitalism, and consciousness in a weirdly intriguing foray into the afterlife layered with dark humor and prompts even darker thought.

I enjoyed the journey and dive into the questions this story presents. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Amelia Suedel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and IDW Publishing for a digital copy of this graphic novel in exchange for my review!

This was an interesting technology-based dystopian where your loved ones are uploaded to the cloud to continue videochatting for eternity. Similar to ideas in a black mirror episode, in this graphic novel it spirals out of control when a family's deceased matriarch continues to influence the family long after her death. I thought this was a good read but I couldn't really say if the fault was the technology or just the personality of the mom that led to the anger and dissolution of the family.

[Tommaso Galvano · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this one. The opening chapter is incredibly strong and emotional. “No one tells you about this part, your loved one dies and then you’re alone at their funeral” is such a simple but strong sentence and it really incapsulates the emotional power of Forevr. As much as it slightly dips towards the end, Brian Brown approaches the concept of “AI Afterlife for your loved ones” from a new perspective and really uses it to its fullest. The writing is exceptional, with dialogues varying from funny, to satyrical, to emotionally charged weep-stuff.

I really recommend this read , and definitely won’t stop talking about it to my friends once the book comes out! Thanks for the advanced copy! :)

[Becky Swales-Blanchard · Rating 4 out of 5]

The blurred line between reality and AI (and whether the Forevr app is AI or an actual insight into the afterlife) is explored really well but I can't really say I enjoyed this novel. The ending was fantastic and super depressing. I absolutely loathe AI and seeing how it could be used to manipulate people grieving was hard to get through. Although I would say there are other examples of this type of story that are better (Black Mirror, for example), I think this was a good story overall.

The art reminded me of Nick Sharratt's art (he illustrated the Jacqueline Wilson books).

Thanks to NetGalley for this arc

[Haruka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing read!! The storyline is so interesting and different!! The ending tho i feel bad for their daughter fate. The app took over the whole world since people couldn’t let their loved ones gone or their afterlife future is gone. Refreshing storyline. I love the artstyle so much!! It like the 80s or 90s video games style and it such a nostalgic feeling!! I really love the book!!
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Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book in advance~

[Charlotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

What if you could upload yourself into an AI system so your loved ones could still chat with you after you die? Maybe you'd actually rather that mama could no longer nag at you for how you live your life.

This graphic novel tries to grapple with the digital afterlife but mostly fell as flat as the art to me. I feel like the subject deserved a deeper story. The art style was not a good fit for the subject, even if it was technically good.

[Adri Holt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Penny is given a terminal diagnosis. As she searches for her own coffin, her final resting place, the salesman offers them the deal of a lifetime. What if you didn’t have to completely lose contact with your loved one after they’re gone? What if you could talk to them digitally 24/7? DNA is taken from the pre-deceased which somehow equals their soul and then this DNA is uploaded into the Forevr app. What could go wrong?

This graphic novel was like a Black Mirror episode and it is worth the read!

#ThxNetGalley #BrianBrown #Forevr

[❦ manila ❦ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this one. It's quite a popular base concept, but it approaches the topic in a very interesting way. It deals with heavy topics, but it never really lets you feel their entire weight. It is never obvious nor corny, not even in the plot itself, and it poses some great questions (ones that feel dystopian and futuristic, but that we will probably find ourselves asking quite soon, I fear). The art style is also great, and I loved the use of colors.
All in all, absolutely recommended read!

[Georgia T-S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting concept and I loved the design/art! I feel like this is an idea we've seen in media before but now it feels closer than ever - slightly less sci-fi and more speculative... it's scary and I hope we get a lot more authors and artists exploring it! This was a compelling read and I cared about these people even though everyone was unlikeable in some way, they're human, and it really captured that. I hope this isn't our future.

Thanks Netgalley!

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exceptionally relevant in these tech/AI-driven times. Makes you think…about mortality, humanity, ethics, the internet, algorithms, capitalism, addiction, influence, complicated family dynamics, and consequences. All in 150 illustrated pages. Which speaking of, I really liked the art style!
I could have used more, I would have liked more. But overall, a really great, intriguing and timely tale.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.

[Curious Madra · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ok so I thought this would be emotional since it’s about death and that we hear of terminal cancer. However it was rather meh like I was getting so bored with the app idea. I just had to skim through the book through the end unfortunately…

Got this via Netgalley and publisher

[Sabrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This had quite an unusual premise and the video-game style of the illustrations was cool and relevant to the story. However I found it just too bleak for me, Plus I am already nervous enough about what AI will do in the future!

[Raven Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANG! Thoughtful, dark, a bit sad, a bit too "could happen soon." Unique illustrations. Some triggers