Daniel Warren Johnson Reveals End Date for His Image Comics Series

Daniel Warren Johnson has been a significant contributor to the success of Skybound’s Energon Universe, ushering in a new era of Transformers stories that have clearly resonated with fans. The good news is that Johnson isn’t leaving the universe in the near future, but he does have an exit plan. In a recent Reddit AMA, Johnson discussed his current projects and the upcoming series “The Moon Is Following Us” from Image. During the conversation, a few fans inquired about his tenure with the Transformers series and how long he intends to keep writing it. Johnson revealed he will be writing a total of 24 issues before he departs, and when asked about the possibility of extending that run, he clarified that 24 issues is his choice and his ultimate goal for a reason.

Reddit users Strange-Shock5466 and Danielle_Roe expressed their admiration for the Transformers series in the comments, leading to the question about the duration of his involvement. Johnson responded, “Thanks so much to you both! I’m having a blast writing it now and Jorge and Mike are absolutely slaying the art. I am going to be writing for a total of 24 issues. Thanks again!”

Another Reddit user, ThatDarnCabbage, echoed the praise for the series, describing it as one of the best in comics, and asked if Johnson could extend his run to 50 or even 100 issues. Johnson appreciated the feedback but explained why that wouldn’t be feasible.

“Honestly, I’m having so much fun I would love to,” he wrote. “But when I create something, whether writing, drawing, or both, I only know how to go 110 percent. So all that to say, I’m killing myself and can only go for so long. My choice to leave at 24 is more of a choice for my mental health and for my family than however I may feel about my wonderful Cybertronians. Thank you for your support!”

During an interview with ComicBook at San Diego Comic-Con, Johnson discussed how he felt about the response from Transformers fans so far. He couldn’t be happier with how the community has reacted, even though some fans may not love every decision, such as certain characters’ deaths.

“It feels awesome. I mean, I’m trying to think of something cool to say. I don’t have anything. It’s really very flattering,” Johnson said. “I’ve had a few fans be really upset that I killed Bumblebee. Some old-school fans, they’re like, ‘What the heck?’ And I’m like, deal with it, in a nice way. I’ve also got a lot of kids into the Transformers series, pretty young, which is awesome. I’m like, ‘Whoa, Starscream kills a guy in issue #1, how did you deal with that?’ And the Dad’s like, ‘It’s cool, it’s fine.’ So getting a new generation in is really sweet. And getting them in at comic level? As opposed to a cartoon level? Super cool.”

“It’s intense. Thanks, guys, love you. The response has been overwhelming,” Johnson added. “I just took the book because I wanted to do it. I wanted to have fun, and here we are. It’s blown up, and it’s an honor. I mean, come on. I’ve been drawing this stuff since I was a little kid. So, the fact that I get to do it and pay my mortgage? It’s pretty cool. Thanks, Optimus!”

Source: ComicBook, Reddit