Liefeld's work on Youngblood is widely considered some of his best, and now he is returning to his roots more than thirty years after the birth of the franchise.
In the press release announcing Liefeld's new Youngblood run, the author described the characters as his "absolute ion," suggesting that the reunion will be an emotional one. Since its inception in 1992, the Youngblood franchise has had a major impact on the comic industry, running off-and-on at Image Comics, with the last incarnation of the series concluding in 2018.
With Liefeld penning one final Deadpool story for Marvel, the resurrection of Youngblood is the latest installment on a grand culmination of the artist's influential career in comics.
Rob Liefeld Returns To Image Comics For Another Run On YOUNGBLOOD, His Legendary Superhero Team Book
The Youngblood Revival, Coming In 2025
The founding of Image Comics in 1992 was a pivotal moment in the history of comics, which for decades up to that point had been dominated by Marvel and DC; Image offered a third choice for superhero comics, revolutionizing the industry for both creators and readers alike. Though Rob Liefeld's Youngblood was the series that launched Image, and in many ways, defined what was possible for the publisher.
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Image has grown tremendously in the decades since, but it is still a monumental moment for Rob Liefeld to be returning to Youngblood yet again. As he said of the revival:
It’s so great that I can run into the comfort of characters that I created, that launched a movement. They carry such history. I love Youngblood so much. These characters are my absolute ion.
Writing Youngblood clearly retains a special place in the author's heart, and readers can expect that "ion" to saturate the pages of the series. As a writer and an artist, Rob Liefeld has always given his stories everything he has, but he will certainly seek to craft his most memorable Youngblood story ever with this incarnation of the book.
Youngblood Comes Back To A Vastly Different Comic Book Landscape –One It Helped Set The Foundation For
Youngblood #1 – Written By Hank Kanalz & Rob Liefeld; Art By Liefeld; Released In 1992
Image Comics' latest Youngblood revival promises a new series from Rob Liefeld, as well as additional "merchandise and media," hinting that their is much more to come on the heels of the latest comic. Liefeld's return also pairs him once more with Scott Mitchell Rosenberg, who was integral to the early success of Image. As Rosenberg elaborated in the press release for the book:
Rob and I are a fantastic team, and I’m as excited now for Youngblood’s relaunch as I was in 1992 for its initial launch. The team’s awesome characters have not only been in their own Youngblood comics, but also appeared in more than 100 million comic publications worldwide, including crossovers with Marvel and other Image comics. I'm excited to bring them to audiences old and new with their original creator, Rob Liefeld.
Across the board, the people involved with this Youngblood return seem excited to bring the iconic characters back to a different comic book landscape than when they left.
With much more to be revealed about this next era of Youngblood, fan anticipation has only just begun – and can be expected to ratchet up exponentially over the next few months.
Premiering in 2025, the new Youngblood comes seven years after Rob Liefeld's last volume – yet popular culture, and comics' role in it, have drastically evolved in that relatively short span of time. Youngblood has the opportunity to captivate an entirely new generation of fans, including many existing comic book fans who do not realize the extent of Liefeld's influence on their favorite contemporary creators. With much more to be revealed about this next era of Youngblood, fan anticipation has only just begun – and can be expected to ratchet up exponentially over the next few months.
Youngblood's Resurgence Will Spotlight All The Influential Image Comics Series Of The 1990s
The Start Of An Image Rennaissance
As Image Comics' Chief Creative Officer Eric Stephenson said of Youngblood's return:
As our company’s very first comic, Youngblood set the course not just for Image Comics, but for creator-owned comics, so we couldn’t be more thrilled that Rob is returning to his signature creation. Rob’s vision for these characters and this concept is what originally attracted me to Image Comics way back in the 1990s, so it’s especially exciting that the series that started it all is finally coming home!
The resurgence of the series will do more than just give Rob Liefeld a chance to deliver a completely uninhibited new take on his fan-favorite series; it will open the door to a renaissance for the early era Image books, and lead many new fans to discover these groundbreaking titles for the first time. For long-time comic readers with 1990s nostalgia, or anyone with an interest in comic book history, this is the perfect reason to explore the Youngblood franchise and other Image titles in more depth.
So far, Image has announced "a Youngblood Vault Edition representing high resolution scans of the original art from the first Youngblood series in a deluxe oversized hardcover" and "a Facsimile Edition of Youngblood #1 to mark the title’s 33rd anniversary in April 2025," with much more exciting Youngblood content to come over the course of next year.
Beyond the initial announcement, everything else about the latest Youngblood relaunch remains under wraps, but according to Image's announcement of the series, "Liefeld and Rosenberg promise more details in the weeks ahead." More than just a new series, fans can expect Image Comics to invest in celebrating the legacy that Youngblood has carved out in the superhero genre over the past thirty-plus years, as Rob Liefeld's return to the iconic series reminds readers of what made the book so vital to the industry in the first place.
