Vern, Custodian of the Universe

by Tyrell Waiters

A thought-provoking and hilarious romp through time and space from debut creator, Tyrell Waiters that explores what it means to be human in a world fraught with uncertainty.

"This is more than a graphic novel; it's an experience. Imagination, science and adventure weave together into a visual journey that's so fun you won't want it to end." — Femi Fadugba, author of The Upper World

On the edge of burnout, Vern decides to return to his family in the Sunshine State to start over. Starting a new dead-end job as a custodian at Quasar—a local science facility with a shady motive—he shrugs on his uniform, grabs a mop and bucket, and trudges off to clean up… Black holes? Space-time anomalies? Galactic ooze?

Things aren’t entirely what they seem at Quasar, and when Vern accidentally plugs in a mysterious machine and finds himself standing on the brink of the destruction of every planet in the Multiverse, he's presented with the greatest question of what is the point? Fans of Ben Passmore's personal and political comics—as well as classic sci-fi comedies like Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure and Rick and Morty —will enjoy this world of hyper fantasy with a touch of humor, as told by a Black creator.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Comics, Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics

168 pages, Paperback

Published June 6, 2023

Reviews

[Jay Lowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This great graphic novel captures ecopessimism and career anxiety and breathes hope into every [age. thought provoking and wonderful. Can't wait to share this with everyone when it comes out!

[lostcupofstars · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a bit of a mixed bag for me. I loved the full spreads, they had so much detail. I think the plot is where this struggled a bit; multiverse storylines are so common now that this was always gonna be a challenge. There were elements of the story I liked but ultimately the illustrations carried this book for me.

[Richard Howlett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great artwork in this debut graphic novel from Tyrell Waiters. The colours and designs make this a really enjoyable read, regardless of the story.

Speaking of the story, I thought it was fine. The idea of a multiverse is a little tired at this point, and, even though this was a really fun twist on it, it didn't excite me like it might have done 10 years ago.

There's a message in the story that I thought got a bit lost, but it was welcome nonetheless, and didn't feel forced.

Overall, I had a great time with the characters and the art, but I just felt that the story was lacking that special something to make it really memorable.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bright colours, nice artwork, but probably more suitable for young adult readers.
Thank you Nobrow for the ARC.

[Rod Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

A nice little parable about environmentalism, but despite all the quirky little sci-fi adventures Vern has I just felt a little too detached from the characters and bored by the pacing.

[Tom Mooney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was lovely. Positive, generous and loved the artwork.

[Katenaps · Rating 5 out of 5]

Petition to make this an animated series

[J MaK · Rating 4 out of 5]

The artwork is a psychedelic fusion coupled with a story that is the right amount of relatable oddball fun.

[Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé]

"To be a custodian is to be a protector of the universe." This was a really lovely story, the art was great too

[Amanda Wilkerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vern, feeling a little lost after failing to secure permanent employment, moved back home to Florida. Imagine his surprise when his grandmother reveals she’s lined him up a custodian job at a very strange company…where he makes a big mistake, meets the void, and sets off on an adventure.

This was utterly delightful from start to finish. The story has weight, the art is dramatic but somehow soothing, and even though the plot isn’t safe the whole thing feels super cozy.

[Rhea Nathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the art style, some of the pages were so beautiful I wanted to cut them out and stick them on my wall. Reading this felt like the best sort of fever dream where everything flows like a lazy river, and you know it’s crazy but you’re having a good time.

I really loved the overall message of cleaning up the mess we’re already in instead of running away and wasting resources on ‘solutions’ and making bigger messes, and trying our best in the face of adversity.

[Devin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the art style of this fun graphic novel that focuses on the need for people who want to clean up the world around them.

[mj larrazabal]

DNF

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so refreshing and relatable and fun and wholesome. Really enjoyed the story, the travel through universes, and the family threads.

[Zay · Rating 3 out of 5]

The illustrations is what made me keep turning the page

[Raven Black · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some complex ideas about the multiverse, but also straight forward. Fun illustrious and a terribly modern teen mixes things altogether in a wacky adventure.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

With stunning, sometimes trippy artwork, this was a treat to pick up in my local library. While some of the dialogue felt a bit stiff, and the narrative felt overly simplified when contrasting the grand, multiversal themes of the book, it was still a great read and the character dynamics resolved nicely in the end. A nice little read, worth it for the art alone, but with some nice insights into life's mysteries.

[Genesee Rickel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read if you want a fun dip into a scifi multiverse through the eyes of a regular dude and you want overt commentary on climate change and how to address it. Full-color art that's pleasant and the color pallet changes depending on which universe you are in. A fast read in which the main character is pulled along by the adventure.

[LC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very funky art, great colours and solid story! I like the message of everyone chipping in to help clean up the mess made by technocrats- can't imagine where that came from! Feels very influenced by Adventure Time.

[Susanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 all ages.

I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Vail Chester · Rating 3 out of 5]

That's the funny thing about the multiverse: when it's revealed that there are billions of you living their lives in new & exciting ways, do you feel small or unique?
Simple everyman Vern's got a job to do after a long stint of burnout, and that's cleaning up the mess a mad science lab's made muddling with the multiverse. He discovers more about himself, his family, humanity (gator-anity?), and how sometimes purpose&discovery is fine and dandy, but don't forget that there's no place like home.

[Stephanie Tournas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vern is newly unemployed and decides to drive home to Florida to stay with his mother and grandmother. When his grandmother immediately sets him up with a job at Quasar, he really has no choice but to start work the next day at the place where his grandparents worked and met. Quasar invented a way to travel throughout the multiverse and its scientists are looking for other universes for humans to live in, but Vern’s job is custodian. When he accidentally plugs in an odd looking machine, he is catapulted to other universes and comes into contact with The Void, who asks him, “What is the point?” That’s a question that Vern has trouble answering until he begins to understand how Quasar works.

Vern is a laid back, likable Black dude with locs who seems to be in his early twenties. Despite his inexperience, he ends up tackling some pretty esoteric problems about the earth and the multiverse. At first he seems like a bit of a slacker, but clearly cares about his family and the future of humanity, so we see him grow in depth quite a bit. Waiters’s fantastic matte color palette brings lots of excitement to Vern’s trips to different planets and universes, although we don’t get much detail. Still, the images of the Gator people in Gator-Land and the eye blobs of another planet are visually interesting. The technology in this sci-fi adventure seems simple enough: take a weird pill and plug in a machine, and you’re off.

The author was focused on Vern’s experience, leaving the world building a bit slim.

[Theediscerning · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Eilonwy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3-1/2 stars

When Vern moves back in with his mom and grandma after losing his job, his grandmother signs him up for a new one, and he can't say no -- it's at her old workplace. When he's handed a mop and a bucket, he has no idea what he'll be cleaning up ... or what he'll discover.

This was quick and cute. Vern is a full-grown adult, but I think this book could easily be read by anyone 11 and up. The story was interesting and kept me flipping the pages.

The biggest problem for me is, it's a little too short, so it felt kind of rushed. It lacks buildup and the ending is just reveal-reveal-reveal-DONE. I barely had time to wonder what was going on before it was over. And while all the connections made sense and were satisfying, I would rather have had just a little more chance to try to figure things out on my own, with Vern. Because of that, I've rounded my rating down instead of up.

Overall, I enjoyed this, but it wasn't particularly memorable -- I forgot I read it already, until I saw a copy on display at the library and thought "Maybe I should write a review for that."

[Ellyn → Allonsythornraxx · Rating 3 out of 5]

25/02/2025
3 ⭐️
I never read blurbs because half the time they spoil most of the story, but this is one of those rare times when I wish I'd at least looked at the back of the book 🤦‍♀️. Not everything with Vern in the title is about Jules Verne...duh! But aside from my silliness this is a good story but I'll probably forget about it pretty quickly.

✨ 25/100 read for 100 Graphics in a Year Reading Challenge ✨ + also read for the graphicsathon 28 in 28 Feb 2025 challenge!

Letterboxd | Instagram | Bookstagram | Tumblr | Twitter | StoryGraph | Hoemance Book Club | Graphicsathon | Scoobathon

[Toby Shepherd · Rating 4 out of 5]

The art in this book is a solid 5 stars; there are pages that are so beautiful I want to tear them out and hang them on the wall, and the art is only complimented by the wonderful paper stock that has been used for printing. The writing, however, is only worth 3 stars, hence the rating averaging out at 4 stars. When it comes the writing, the tone of voice is excellent, slang is used in a way that feels effortless and natural, and the points of humour are genuinely funny, but the pacing is way off. The story moves at a lightning pace, hardly giving room to breathe and explore the depth of the narrative, resulting in a tale without antagonisation or defeat, and a somewhat undeserved third-act reveal. The most enrapturing section of the narrative is on a world called neuron, unsurprisingly because the protagonist takes the time to linger and converse, and we the reader learn along with him. If this book was 4 or 5 times the length, giving detail and conflict to the protagonist's otherwise very pleasant journey, it would be a banger.

P.S. keep an eye out for the void.

[Joseph Shaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book better than the average of it's stars. It was a very quick read, but contained a lot of commentary. Vern goes back to live with his grandparents, and finds out that they already found a job for him. This is not as easy as it would seem as many people are out of work, or working multiple jobs just to get by. The world is on it's way to extinction, and the representative from Quasar Industries says that they are working on making a new place to live in space since this world is dying. Vern finds out that things are not what they seem, and finds himself cleaning up way more than he bargained for. Throughout the whole story, I could see the commentary on our own world, and how we are destroying it, and that we are all part of the solution.

[Marc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let’s face it, life’s hard and times are rough. Dead end job after dead end job and Vern still can’t seem to find his purpose. So, he decides to move back in with his mother to do a hard reset on life. Immediately following his return home, Vern’s grandmother informs him that she has recommended him for her former job as a Custodian at the Quasar Science Facility. Vern gets the job and finds himself back into the cycle of working another boring job. But, it’s not until Vern accidentally plugs in a mysterious machine and find himself facing the destruction of the entire multiverse.

My thoughts: I thought this book was a delight. I was very mesmerized by the colorful panels and artwork. It was a lot of fun to read and I recommend!

[Dolores · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. A burned-out Vern leaves San Francisco for his family home in Florida, hoping to recharge and find a new direction for his life. He arrives exhausted and ready to crash for days, only to discover that his granny has already found him a job--that he starts the next morning. Vern is a bit put out, but there is no gainsaying granny, so Vern reports to the Quasar Industries and his new job as Custodian. But Vern soon discovers that what he is cleaning up is not your ordinary mess, and when he accidentally plugs in an old machine, creates a huge mess. So, who is going to clean that up? Vern of course, on a dimension-hopping spin through the multiverse. Sometimes a little confusing, but a fun romp with some thoughtful points to make.