Image Comics’ “Moon Man,” a collaboration between celebrated rapper Kid Cudi and Eisner award-nominated writer Kyle Higgins, introduces abstract sci-fi concepts and economic politics, yet the comic’s poor panel composition and absurd pace make it a bafflingly uninspired read.

Ramon, a young astronaut who experienced a bizarre space anomaly only two months before returning home, attempts to come to terms with his new life and younger brother, who despises the man Ramon has become. 

Will Ramon be able to settle down and reconnect with his brother, or did the galactic event leave him with a purpose far more important than himself?

First impressions are everything, and that rings just as true in the world of comic books. 

If a series’ first issue falls flat, then you might as well wave your white flag. Who would want to purchase the second comic issue when the first offered little value? Sadly, this may be the case with Kid Cudi’s comic debut “Moon Man.”

It’s clear from the first image that Cudi has a multitude of ideas he’s begging to spill out of the comic’s pages, but it’s also clear that he has no idea where to begin.

Calling “Moon Man” messy would be an understatement.

Described on Image Comics’ website as an “extra-length first issue,” it’s jolting to discover what little happens in Cudi’s first outing on the comic scene.

Even with the extra page count, Cudi and Higgins can’t effectively convey what “Moon Man” is supposed to be about. 

Ramon’s relationship with his coworkers and his brother, his newfound abilities, his past, his place of work and its effects on his city, it’s far too much material to cover in a single issue, so much so that none of it lands how the writing duo hoped it would.

Audiences can’t attach themselves to a story’s characters when it slings them from location to location, not allowing any aspect of the story to become interesting or satisfying. 

“Moon Man’s” visual style of the horrors of space is beautifully displayed in multiple-page spreads, but its narrative importance isn’t given the attention it deserves, becoming merely just a splash of mysterious colors.

Taking notes from Kid Cudi’s 2022 animated film “Entergalatic,” Moon Man adopts a sketchy quality to its art, allowing artist Marco Locati to play with a variety of sharp, hard-hitting shapes and extravagant whole-page spreads, especially near the end of the issue. 

Every wispy line has a purpose, and Locati’s use of watercolor is reminiscent of Federico Vicentini’s work on “Miles Morales: Spider-Man.”

Locati’s art is easily the standout of “Moon Man,” yet it feels sidelined throughout because of the poor panel composition in several key moments. 

Whether it be Ramon discovering his powers or the issue’s color-splashed final fight sequence, the composition handicaps the comic from portraying its storyline in an engrossing way. 

It forces the issue to travel at such a breakneck speed that certain elements of the story become confusing or immensely undercooked.

Although Locati’s art may keep some readers invested, Cudi and Higgins will need to find a way to course-correct their muddled storyline before the series finds itself floating in $1 comic bins.

“Moon Man” was released Jan. 31 and is available online and in comic shops near you.