Youngblood is back!
Rob Liefeld has returned to his flagship title that helped launch Image Comics 33 years ago. As someone who grew up in the 80s and fell in love with comics during the early 90s, I remember the impact Image had on me; its energy, its young passionate creators, and its bold, hyper-stylized art. Image was a revolution, inspiring a generation of readers and artists. Liefeld, in particular, was known for hiring top talent, pushing for better production values, and challenging the industry’s status quo. Decades later, he’s one of the few Image founders still producing regular page work, alongside Erik Larsen. McFarlane, Silvestri, and Lee are still at it, but contributing moreso with consistent cover work.
Now, with Youngblood’s return and Leifeld at the helm, the comic landscape has changed quite a bit from the 90s, and to be honest so have I. While I still love comics, I’m also far more critical, especially after living through Image’s decline, when deadlines slipped and artistic consistency vanished. Still, nostalgia compelled me to pick up the new Youngblood #1, hoping to recapture some of that old magic.
Publishing and Price
Although the Image Comics logo appears on the cover, Liefeld is self-publishing the first batch and selling them through his Whatnot channel before wider distribution. The digital printing and paper quality feel similar to many indie comics. Prices are steep: $15 for a regular cover, $25 with a certificate of authenticity, and up to $100 for rare foil covers with Liefeld’s signature. My copy ended up costing $36 after shipping – comparable to many crowdfunded indie books.
Liefeld is also relaunching the original Youngblood #1 “Deluxe,” as a remastered version with new script, colors, and lettering. But the focus here is on the new material.
Creative Team and Art
Liefeld handles writing, penciling, and inking, with Juan Manuel Rodriguez on colors, Chance Wolf on additional inks, and Rus Wooton lettering. It’s a small team, and it shows. Liefeld isn’t pushing boundaries or assembling a dream team of inkers as he once did. The art is passable for a veteran, but lacks the polish and energy of his earlier work. While Liefeld’s inks are passable; the visuals would have benefited from a collaborator to elevate the linework.
Story and Structure
The plot is barebones. The Youngblood team is reintroduced, then sent to fight generic henchmen with little explanation. There’s a new villain, Xerxes, and his sidekick Vandel, but they lack depth or motivation. I would have preferred the return of classic villains, but instead we get a mysterious antagonist on a yacht that “literally appeared out of thin air.”
The storytelling is similarly thin. Of the 32 pages and 116 panels, there’s only one real establishing shot and very few backgrounds – most are just minimal lines or color fills. The colorist does a lot of heavy lifting, even finishing costume details that Liefeld’s lines leave incomplete. In the 90s, even Liefeld’s work was full of more detailed backgrounds, but here, the shortcuts are obvious.
Artistic Flaws and Continuity
Artistic continuity is another issue. For example, Shaft’s bow transforms into swords, then disappears, only to reappear later, along with his swords on this back and his arrows. His proportions fluctuate wildly, sometimes shaft looks like a teenager with a huge head and tiny limbs. The anatomy is inconsistent, and abs are reduced to squiggles and rough shading.
Comparing this to Jim Lee’s recent work on Hush 2, which maintains the high standard set decades ago, the difference is stark. Lee’s art is still dynamic and detailed, while Liefeld’s feels rushed and uninspired. The “extreme” quality that once defined Youngblood is noticeable missing.
Community and Criticism
Raising concerns about these issues on Liefeld’s social media is pointless – his pages are tightly moderated, and dissent is quickly silenced. Even asking about delays is met with hostility from die-hard fans. After Liefeld’s unfulfilled Brigade crowdfunding campaign, it’s understandable he wants to control the narrative, but it creates an echo chamber where honest feedback is unwelcome.
Final Thoughts
It pains me to say it, but this new Youngblood feels like an indie comic hastily assembled by someone in their basement – except that someone happens to be Rob Liefeld. The book is self-published, digitally printed, and the plot is basic with decent writing, but the art is average at best and suffers from continuity errors. While Liefeld’s appeal to diehard fans and sales tactics might keep the numbers up, the quality simply isn’t there.
If I had to grade it, I’d place it in the mid-tier of indie comics. I’ve read better indie books than this! There’s a difference between a newcomer giving 110% and a veteran phoning it in for a quick buck. This book is mediocre. I wanted to love it, but it doesn’t deliver. The remastered “Deluxe” version of the original Youngblood is closer to what I hoped for. Sadly, I don’t think we’ll ever see another run like the 90s-not even from the creators who started it all.
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English (US) · 