Liefeld Brings Back Youngblood in a Big Way

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Rob Liefeld is undeniably one of the most well-known figures in the comics world, gaining fame through his Marvel creations like Deadpool, Cable, and Domino. He later co-founded Image Comics, which became incredibly successful. After a stint with Marvel Comics, Liefeld is now revisiting his Image roots by reviving the iconic supergroup – Youngblood. For the first time in sixteen years, he will be penning and illustrating characters such as Shaft, Badrock, and Diehard himself. In an exciting move, Liefeld plans to directly distribute the comic to fans, expressing his thoughts on the much-anticipated comeback of these characters.

As a die-hard comic book enthusiast, I couldn’t be more excited that the iconic team Youngblood is making their grand return, perfectly timed for Image Comics’ 33rd anniversary. You see, I was instrumental in kickstarting this series way back when, and if not for my initial push, it might never have seen the light of day. The groundbreaking work that Image Comics did in terms of creators’ rights is a big part of what makes me so passionate about these characters. Last April, I had the pleasure of discussing with Image Comics and Scott Rosenberg about reviving Youngblood once again, as Scott holds the rights to those specific characters. We managed to negotiate a fantastic deal to bring me back into the fold, and while media like TV and movies are captivating, nothing quite compares to the joy of publishing these cherished characters.

When discussing aligning the release with Image Comics’ anniversary, Rob found it necessary to follow a “very specific timeline”, meaning he had to submit the book to the printer last week so it could be ready this week and then made available for purchase. Ultimately, he is delighted to be working again with Shaft, Badrock, Diehard, and Chapel. He believes that the book will come as a surprise to many and considers it a tribute to his team. It reminds him of classic team books like the Titans, which are hard to find nowadays on store shelves. Unfortunately, he can’t reveal more details as it would spoil the experience.

To ensure that our comic series, “Youngblood,” reaches its dedicated fans as soon as possible, Rob has decided to take charge of the situation by making the upcoming issues available on his personal website. (You can visit the site by clicking here.) This move not only marks the commencement and legacy of Youngblood but also guarantees that our readers will be the first to access these issues. I understand that the comics may eventually surface online with spoilers, however, I believe this approach will provide a more immersive experience for the fans.

Liefeld has communicated with his readers before, through his story “Last Blood” in the past. Rob was delighted to share that this approach represents a fresh avenue for the Extreme Universe to prosper. He stated, “I’ve been selling a product directly to consumers, Last Blood, and it’s the future of the Extreme Universe. The book features Battlestone, who is older with a beard, but rest assured, Youngblood characters aren’t aged. They are roughly the same age as Peter Parker and remain in their last known states. They serve as a government-authorized super team that tackles missions endangering the community. I believe a reset every ten years is necessary to reintroduce ourselves, and this method fits perfectly for that purpose. If you’re not familiar with Youngblood, don’t worry! We will present them again, explain who they are, and immediately establish their identities before moving forward at full speed.

Rob is not holding back on the harsh treatment of his Extreme characters in this latest series. During our interview, he admitted, “I’ve never been so ruthless with a few characters; they’re really going to suffer. If you’ve followed my work for a while, you might be surprised by how far I’m pushing things this time. We have three cliffhangers. Our comics are usually twenty-two pages long, but ours is thirty-two – we wanted to go all out and challenge the characters. In some aspects, it’s like they never left, and there are some unexpected turns. I believe it’s an exciting journey. If I’m going to criticize comics, I should create one that stands out from the rest.

As a die-hard comics fan, I’m thrilled to share that while the first issue isn’t our last with Image’s superhero squad, there’s more to come! Rob’s already busy crafting future installments. We’ve got approximately eight issues lined up initially, designed to captivate readers before we delve into numbered continuity at issue #100.

But that’s not all! I’ve also got a clandestine Youngblood project in the works – a tribute I like to call ‘Giant Size Youngblood’, reminiscent of Giant Size X-Men. It’s like being a kid in a candy store, revisiting my cherished creations once more, and I couldn’t be happier to be back!

You can grab a copy of Youngblood #1 starting from this coming Wednesday, April 16th. Just click here to make your reservation now.

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2025-04-15 00:13