The Moon Is Following Us, Volume 1
Writer: Daniel Warren Johnson
Artists: Riley Rossmo and Daniel Warren Johnson
Colorist: Mike Spicer
Letterer: Shawn Lee
Publisher: Image Comics
Collects: #1 – #5
Publication Date: April 2025
Daniel Warren Johnson, acclaimed writer/artist of series such as Beta Ray Bill and Murder Falcon, as well as a winner for The Beat’s Comic Book Industry Person of the Year, returns with a brand new creator owned-series alongside the fantastic artist Riley Rossmo, himself perhaps best known for the series Proof (which is getting a new full series compendium in June). Together, the two have crafted an excellent fantasy adventure story with The Moon Is Following Us, which sees parents Sam and Duncan attempting to aid their daughter Penny, who has been afflicted with a sleeping sickness.
Our two protagonists venture into the world of Penny’s dreams to wage war against the mysterious Cascade, in order to find and save their child. Whilst the premise is deceptively simple, like much of Johnson’s other work it is elevated and pushed into interesting and unexpected places as it goes on. The first volume, collecting the first five issues of the series, lays the groundwork for the story and proceeds to emotionally move you in ways you might not have prepared for.
The story premise is relatively straightforward. The mechanics of how Sam and Duncan enter the dreamworld are left relatively unexplained, and Rossmo illustrates the sections within the dream whilst Johnson illustrates the ‘real world’ sections. Over the course of the first volume, Sam and Duncan fight in battles, sieges, and duels against the forces of the unknowable terror Cascade, searching for their daughter Penny in order to rescue her. They are aided by Penny’s favorite toys and imaginary friends including the badass, awesome frog Brio as well as the wise and benevolent Tash, and the mysterious and manipulative Pigface. The latter is probably my favorite design in the series; I mean, just look at him. So ugly, so cute, so cool. Their journey takes them across the dream world, as they find out just how deep the conflict over Penny goes, permanently changing the dynamics of their little family and how they see the world. All the while, the series still manages to be an exciting and interesting fantasy adventure, sure to please even the most well travelled of genre fans.
This comic is ultimately a story about parenthood, specifically about the lengths parents will go to for their child. This is hardly Johnson’s first exploration of this theme, but it feels like a worthwhile new take on it given that its from the perspective of the parents as opposed to the child. Duncan and Sam’s relationship is incredibly realistic and well-rounded, and so you connect with them and their plight to save Penny, particularly Sam, whose strongminded determination and focus is understandable and sympathetic even when it causes tension with other characters. Much of the series is based around notions of fear and comfort, given that Sam and Duncan are aided by Penny’s favorite toys, as well as her nightmares playing a role in the story as well. Johnson and Rossmo are very much exploring the boundaries between areas of fear and comfort, where they overlap, and how our fears can actually tell us more about ourselves than our comforts. It’s interesting stuff, and makes the series’ take on dreams and nightmares feel more unique than the huge amount of other media that explore similar ideas. It all comes back to the idea of what a parent should be providing for a child; do they help us face our fears, or swaddle us with comfort instead? It’s an interesting thematic core to explore and the series takes it on without hesitation.
As one of the first series where Daniel Warren Johnson is primarily on writing duties (the other being Transformers), it’s been an interesting and exciting evolution for him as an artist. He consistently utilises artists incredibly well, no doubt due to his own skill in that field, and so his work feels seamlessly crafted even when he’s not illustrating it. His dialogue here is some of the strongest he’s ever delivered, really honing in on the character building and dynamics that he’s been so good at exploring previously. Every character, from Sam and Duncan to Brio and Tash, feel well realised and nuanced, with layers of surprising depth that get explored over the course of the first volume and beyond. When combined with solid, impactful plotting that consistently feels well-paced, exciting and interesting, it makes for a great reading experience all around. In general, I am a fan of how Johnson uses simple premise stories to explore themes in greater depth, cutting out uneccesary clutter such as needlessly complex lore that often bogs down fantasy series. He keeps the stories short, effective, and impactful. He’s also got a great knack for making me cry, admittedly, this series is no exception. Bring tissues.
The artwork by Riley Rossmo is phenomenal throughout. He utilises a bombastic, energetic style that doesn’t feel the need to be hyper-realistic when it doesn’t need to be. He has a phenomenal understanding of paneling, pacing and page layouts, knowing exactly when a moment should be focused on and made important. His character design sensibility is top-notch as well, infusing the dream world with a vibrant sense of personality that makes it stand out. It’s very much a 1990s, JRPG or science fantasy style approach to character design, which will have its opponents, but I’ve gone on record extensively to voice my appreciation of that aesthetic and how it’s utilised here. Big, flashy weapons, bright colours, armor that doesn’t obey the laws of physics. It works to give the story a unique visual style all of its own, and Rossmo’s artwork just gets better as the series goes on and he gets the chance to experiment with the style precadent he sets in the first issues. Johnson’s artwork, whilst less present than his usual creator-owned fair, is some of his best yet, and every page he draws across the series has an intimate, quiet devastation that shows off just how good he is at crafting moments of palpable emotions. Together, the team makes this consistently one of the best looking and most striking comics on the shelves and a delight for anyone who enjoys energetic, vibrant comic art.
Overall, The Moon is Following Us Volume 1 is brilliant. One of the best looking and most exciting comics on the shelves, it sees two incredible creatives working at their best to craft a story that’s riveting, emotional, and impactful. It takes you on a brilliant adventure into the world of dreams, as two parents try to look after their daughter no matter the cost. With vibrant, interesting fantasy worldbuilding matched with an interesting and unique aesthetic, this series is undoubtedly one that’s worth checking out. Equally intimate and personal whilst being bombastic and whimsical, it’s a feat from the creative team and one of the best books coming out right now. Whilst it might seem to be covering familiar territory, it does so in a new and interesting way, ensuring that the book stands out at every turn, including its most unexpected and surprising ones. Comics are meant for telling stories like this, ones that can only work in comics, whose depth and nuance come from the form of comics itself.
The Moon is Following Us, Vol. 1 is available now
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