Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

A modern, teen-and-up kind of head comic. A lacklustre kid, moving back in with his mom and a grandma who thinks her dead husband is still around to talk to, ends up falling into a caretaker job at some big-shot science company. But when he learns their thing is to shuttle around the multiverse, finding a new home for humans and damaging everything they touch at the same time, it becomes clear he is custodian of a lot more than he predicted. In fact, everything may rest on his shoulders – and I mean, everything…

This is pretty decent fair, even when all the multiple transitions from one universe to another evoking all those "wow, acid, man, colours, man, like groovy" books of the 60s and 70s have an illogical difference between them all. The naff pseudo-swearing aside, the character is equally at home in those books and the ones we read today, as is the entire plot. Oh, and anyone who doesn't see a parallel with the whole Muskian "we must leave Earth, we can't hope to rectify any of it" business model is rather on the blind side. Unexpectedly successful, the grounded family life of this guy helps boost proceedings to the four star status.

Vern moves back in with his mother and grandmother, jobless and burnt out. His grandmother outs in a good word for him at Quasar science facility and Vern gets a job there as a custodian. Before long, Vern is travelling through the multiverse, trying to clean up the ultimate mess.

This was a great graphic novel with a fun yet deep storyline and great graphics. I really enjoyed the visuals.

Thank you to Netgalley for a free electronic copy of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review and the best of luck to the writer in their future career.

Vern is in his twenties (maybe) and already has a burnout from it all. He moves back home to Florida from San Francisco to live with his mom and grandmother. He wants to wallow in his existential crisis, but his grandmother has fixed him a job at Quasar, a company with an interesting mandate. They need to find humanity a new home.

Vern is a custodian and his job is to mop up the messes the scientists make when they open portals to different universes. It’s a fun job, until he plugs in a machine that threatens to bring the end to it all. So, he’s sent to fix things, which means jumping from universe to universe to unplug the machine in each of them.

This was a great story with gorgeous, full-colour illustrations, large panels and full spreads that really made it pop. Vern was unfazed with everything he saw and simply went on fixing things. And his grandmother was a hoot. There were some heavy themes about the meaning of it all and our responsibilities in saving the world, but the story is suitable for middle grade and up.

Thankyou to Netgalley, the writer/artist Tyrell Waiters, and publisher NoBrow Ltd for a free electronic copy of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review.

Vern: Custodian of the Universe is a psychedelic trip into a surreal and abstract multiverse. The titular Vern moves back in with his mother and grandmother, jobless and burnt out, but Granny has a plan for him, after putting in a good word for him at Quasar science facility. Before long Vern is skipping across the multiverse, trying to clean up the ultimate mess.

The visual style and art of this graphic novel is an absolute treat and a dream, blending classic comic with psychedelia and surrealism, and some of the wordless pages were just stunning. I would love to see more from the mind of this artist.

Overall a great read, a fun but deep story, and wonderful imagery. What more can you ask for in a graphic novel?

this was fun! Vern is entrusted with protecting the universe and fixing the problems out there… but when someone who is meant to be his friend ends up not being, and when a surprising face comes along, he’s shocked and can he handle the job?! This is GORGEOUS.

This was a cute and relatable read about a lost young adult in a career break, who goes back to his Florida home to try find himself, and learns a lot about the universe and his family past. With gorgeous art too!

Vern is going on a bigger adventure than he could ever imagine. This is a well conceived, written and drawn fantasy comic. An entertaining read. Thank you to NoBrow Ltd and NetGalley for the comic ARC. The views expressed are all min, freely given.

This is a really cool graphic novel that puts you into the life of Vern - a burnt out young adult who moves home across the US to stay with his Mum & Grandma in Florida after struggling in San Francisco. He wants a bit of time to rest and relax but his grandma has preempted his arrival with the offer of a job! Turning up to a mysterious facility with no clue what the business or job entails, Vern learns what his grandparents used to do and attempts to help fix the multiverse. I loved this! The art style was great, I especially liked the "jump" artwork. The story moved along and didn't have any mysteries that were unsolved leaving plot holes. Vern was relatable as a main character - I'm sure the majority of his generation feel somewhat stuck/out of place/wondering why they're here or what they're supposed to be doing. By the end of the novel Vern has found his place - I really hope there's a follow up to this!