Forevr

by Brian Brown

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels

148 pages, Paperback

Expected publication September 8, 2026

Reviews

[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.

[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.

[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)

[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.

[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! :)

[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

[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