Okay, I am a sucker for anything post-apocalyptic and these days, I am a sucker for anything written by Christian Ward, so The Forever Home quickly became a must-read. Toss in artwork from Sami Kivelä and we are already off to a grand start. This creative team delivered on a uniquely terrifying premiere issue that had me eagerly awaiting more.
They have all the time in the world… will it be enough to save them?
Famed scientist Henry D’mour tried to save the world. He failed. But, in a desperate bid to save himself, his wife, and their two children, he constructed The Forever Home — an ark of luxury and ultramodern convenience insulated from the agony of the planet’s death throes outside its walls… and even time itself. Inside The Forever Home, only 20 minutes pass for every year on the outside… allowing the D’mour family to slowly enact their plans for a new world as their automated environment and robotic companions keep them safe. Safe on the inside. Always inside. Until a childish misstep accidentally breaks The Forever Home’s barrier… and what’s outside decides it wants back in…
The concept of time moving slower in one part and faster in another is something we have seen from time-to-time in various television shows or films. However, what Ward does with The Forever Home is fresh and ultimately terrifying at the same time. A plan to create a home for your family to protect them from the events of the end of civilization, but unknowingly crafting a fortress of time is fascinating on its own, but Ward raises the stakes as the first issue progresses, in ways that surprised me and pulled me even further in.
The Forever Home is crafted in a way that makes you think about life within the walls of this futuristic house, but also what horrors may lie around the corner on the outside. Only to have one of the worst things happen and end on a cliffhanger of a first issue that leads to wanting to know so much more. Ward lays out the issue in a way that jumps from the future and present timelines to give us a possible idea of where things are headed, but still leaving more answers than questions along the way.
In a world full of post-apocalyptic tales, The Forever Home is a different style of said stories that really stands out for me. Adding a level of a shifting of time from inside to outside brings this story to new places that I never thought of going. Not to mention a father just wanting what’s best, but maybe thinking too twisted and not emotionally enough to make do in a new world. A comic that will make you think, not just entertain.
The Forever Home hits even harder with Kivelä at the pencil. The illustrations are stunning, but how the pages are laid out are even better. Kivelä gives us a glimpse of the entire house in a way that is both logical and stunning. Jason Wordie adds perfectly timed darker tones and pops of colors when needed. The letters from Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou are easy to follow, even in times where the artwork spreads across two-pages and characters are on the move. This look into the house gives us an idea of where the D’mour is surviving the end of the world and how things could possibly go wrong.
The Forever Home is a fresh and unsettling post-apocalyptic tale that is equal parts thrilling and thought-provoking. The end of the world is not a new concept, but where Christian Ward and Sami Kivelä take it is just something else. The Forever Home‘s debut issue is truly haunting, but also left me eagerly awaiting more.
The Forever Home #1 hits local comic shops on September 9, 2026 from Oni Press.
The Forever Home #1 Preview
