Comicbook Legend Liefeld announces new projects for his multi-million best-selling comic book Youngblood
Youngblood, the comic book that launched the Image Revolution and established Image Comics as a new force in comic book publishing, is returning with its creator, Rob Liefeld, at the helm.
After seven years away from Youngblood, THE multi-million best-selling comic book, Liefeld is reunited with not only his most high-profile creator-owned characters but also with Scott Mitchell Rosenberg, who first teamed with the prolific creator during the formation of Image Comics in April 1992. Rosenberg is CEO of Platinum Studios Inc., which manages Youngblood for the property’s owner, Rip Media Inc.
Youngblood followed Liefeld’s break-out success at Marvel, where he created and established Deadpool, Cable, and X-Force as top-selling characters, reflecting his unique brand of graphic storytelling and dynamic character design. It smashed sales records, becoming the first independent non-Marvel, non-DC Comic title to chart at #1 and sell over one million copies. The original Youngblood miniseries sold over 25 million copies worldwide, and its publication history spans over 100 issues with featured contributions throughout its run from celebrated top comic talents such as Robert Kirkman (Invincible, The Walking Dead) Alan Moore (Watchmen, Supreme), and Mark Millar (Kick-Ass, The Kingsmen).
For his part, Liefeld is eager to embrace the legacy of the comic, characters and company: “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 passion.”
Rosenberg added: “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.”
Rosenberg and Liefeld are combining to create new Youngblood media and merchandise, kicking off with a brand-new title written and illustrated by Liefeld himself, set to launch from Image Comics in 2025.
“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,” said Image Comics Publisher and Chief Creative Officer Eric Stephenson. “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!”
Liefeld and Rosenberg promise more details in the weeks ahead, but initial plans include a Youngblood Vault Edition representing high resolution scans of the original art from the first Youngblood series in a deluxe oversized hardcover, as well as a Facsimile Edition of Youngblood #1 to mark the title’s 33rd anniversary in April 2025, both to be published by Image Comics.
About Rob Liefeld: Rob Liefeld is a legend name in the comic book and entertainment business world. Scouted by the late Stan Lee and Marvel at age 16, Liefeld worked on several top Marvel titles helping the company’s stratospheric rise not just within the comics space but within the film and television business. His sales figures for X-Force #1 topped 5 million sales and still stands at the #2 selling comic book of all time. It was Liefeld’s own original titles and characters which garnered him the most acclaim with comic book fans, with his deconstructive audacious tone evident in such original titles as “Deadpool”, “Cable,” “X-Force,” “Youngblood,” and “Prophet” among his most revered work. 20th Century Fox film division greenlit his DEADPOOL film franchise in 2010 to great fanfare, releasing two movies starring Ryan Reynolds, as the title character that has grossed over $1.5B globally in Box Office Revenue. A third movie, Deadpool and Wolverine, launched July 26th, 2024, from Walt Disney Studios and has broken all records and become the largest-grossing R-rated movie of all time