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Fresh off the announcement of the return of his Youngbloods comic series, Rob Liefeld spoke to Screen Rant about bringing back the original Image Comics series, and more, in this fantastic interview. Liefeld spoke about why the time was right for the series to return, as well as touching on the history of Image, and his decision to say goodbye to Marvel Comics for good with one final Deadpool story.

In 1992, Rob Liefeld had already carved out a place in comic book history with the creations of characters like Cable and Deadpool, and his unmistakable – if somewhat controversial – artistic style. His decision to leave Marvel Comics, alongside several of his colleagues, and found Image Comics, further solidified him as one of the true impact players of the last several decades in the industry.

Liefeld’s Youngbloods was the first Image release, helping to set the foundation for the publisher, and shape its trajectory as the greatest alternative to Marvel and DC.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Screen Rant: Rob, thank you for taking the time to talk to Screen Rant about Youngblood. What can you tell us, for starters, about this latest incarnation of the series?

Rob Liefeld:
Youngblood
is very exciting. As you know, it’s a very personal book to me. I love those characters. At this point I have about a decade of untold stories. I haven’t written or drawn
Youngblood
in almost eighteen years. I was always stewarding it, and continuing to pick the creative teams. The last iteration, which we launched in 2017, I thought was really fun, and I was going to jump in and do this storyline that I had been working up to for the 30th anniversary, and then, you know, the people who controlled
Youngblood
took it in a different direction, and I just parked all those stories. So, those stories have been percolating with me.

SR: What is your goal with your return to Youngblood, and what can readers expect from this new story?

RL: I am out to make this really stand out in the crowd. I’m aware of what’s out there. I’ve been consuming comics – and this new
Youngblood
is going to be the wildest. It’s clearly the wildest my imagination has been running in a long time.

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SR: Tell us a bit more about what makes Youngblood special; as a superhero team, but also as a superhero team book.

RL: They’re a superteam. And there’s a lot of superteams, right? The whole thing about Youngblood is, when they go into action, the whole world watches them. When Youngblood goes into battle, it goes live worldwide. All the cameras go on. And you know what? I know
Youngblood
got to this first, and I know it’s been extended by other people, and by different franchises, but it won’t be in any way, shape, or form the way it’s depicted here. But the most important thing is the characters. In 1994, I introduced body dysmorphia to our lead character Shaft. He had issues with his weight and staying fit in the high profile position he was in. We revealed like, this guy has issues. We gave him phobias and fears. You hadn’t seen that in a comic book character ever before, and I’m not sure you’ve seen it since.

SR: As soon as your return to Youngblood was announced, readers immediately began to speculate whether these might be “aged-up” versions of the Youngblood cast, considering how much time has passed since the original book came out. Can you explain a bit more about how the new series finds these familiar characters?

RL: These are the classic iterations of these characters. Some time will have passed. And there are some new characters filling out old identities. Chapel is dead, but we have Chapel’s son stepping into the role of Chapel, continuing that legacy and that dynamic. Then we’ve got Badrock, who has continued to mature somewhat. But we’re not making old versions of these characters.

Rob Liefeld’s Latest Volume Of “Youngblood” Celebrates The Series That Changed The Comic Book Landscape

Youngblood Returns In 2025 From Image Comics

SR: One of the most pivotal aspects of Youngblood’s legacy is that it was the first Image title ever released. How did the series help define Image as a publisher during the company’s earliest days?

RL: We were the launch book. My butt was hanging out there all along, for three months, when everyone else was deciding “should we do this?”
Youngblood
was the book that everyone else who was deciding to join Image Comics was watching the numbers on. I was perfect, because I wasn’t married. I didn’t have kids. Jim [Lee] was married, kid on the way. Todd McFarlane was married, newborn. Okay? And then there’s young, twentysomething Rob Liefeld, with nothing on the line. I wasn’t engaged, I wasn’t in a relationship, I certainly didn’t have a family – and I’m off to the races. I’m risking it all. And suddenly, the numbers come in. The first issue sold 350,000 copies. The second sold 650,000. And wow, suddenly I got the call. Jim Lee, “I’ve seen your numbers.” Todd, “I’ve seen the numbers.” And the numbers brought everybody.

SR: So, the initial success of Youngblood was very much a “make-or-break” situation for Image at the time. Which is fascinating, because many of our readers will know Image as a stalwart indie publisher, and alternative to Marvel and DC, a reputation that was built on the foundation you laid.

RL: Let me tell you something. Image Comics doesn’t happen if old
Youngbloods
gets numbers of 60,000 back in 1992. But suddenly I was out there. I was first. People responded to that. People have rich memories of that. I mean, look, even Jeff Johns and Robert Kirkman have told me they have vivid memories of being fourteen-years-old and grabbing
Youngblood
and buying it. So, I am really excited to revisit it.

SR: That is awesome. This Youngblood revival comes on the heels of what you’ve said is your final Deadpool story. How does it feel to transition from that ending to this new beginning?

RL: It’s a perfect pivot from saying goodbye to Marvel. It’s the perfect way of saying goodbye. Marvel was great. I had a great time. Couldn’t have had a better experience. But if I have what I believe is five years left doing the work that I’m doing the work at a level I’m satisfied with, then I need to pour it into my Extreme catalog.

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SR: Wanting to focus your attention on your creator-owned properties totally makes sense – did that help with the decision to say goodbye to Deadpool and Marvel Comics?

RL: I really don’t have another
Deadpool
story in me. I truly feel like I have had a blast with that character, but it’s time But it’s time to finish up with these Extreme characters. People always say [Jack] Kirby hit his stride in his 40s. In my 50s, I feel like I really hit a stride. You can’t ever take for granted that your hand-eye coordination is going to last. I started wearing glasses in the last six years – I didn’t wear glasses before. The eyes change. The hands change. So I figure I’ll re-evaluate where I’m at when I’m 62. I’m 57 as I’m talking to you right now. I like where my work is now, so I can only hope that I continue to perform strong. You know, I’m an artist. I tell people all the time on my live stream: “Why does a singer take the stage and want to sing for people?” It goes beyond money, right? They want to perform. We want to share our art with you and get feedback. And nothing is richer than these Extreme characters. I am so invested in making that my entire future. Look, Marvel tempted me. They offered me a Cable series.

SR: Oh, really?

RL: They said, “Rob, the 35th anniversary of Cable is in 2025. We’re going to celebrate. Will you do some covers?” And I said…”No.” At some point, you just got to walk away. If I keep saying yes, I’ll never leave. God, just telling you that hurt me. I’m going to watch other people do Cable 35th anniversary covers, right? And I’m not one of them. They’ll repurpose some art of mine. I’m certain of it. I already saw, in solicitations, there’s some old art, and I dig that. I love that. I have nothing against that, but you just gotta walk away and say, “my time here is done.” I feel like I did a good job. I left Marvel Comics better than I entered it, okay? Whether it’s sports, or entertainment, did you leave the field richer than when you came in? I feel like I did that with Marvel. And now, Image Comics is a giant legacy for me.
Youngblood
is a giant legacy. And so I’m gonna tie those up.

Rob Liefeld Promises An “Extended” Run For The Latest Incarnation Of “Youngblood”

The Writer Teases “Multiple Story Arcs” And A “New Big Bad”

SR: One question that is at the forefront of Youngblood fans minds right now is what this new series will look like. That is, is this an ongoing series, or a miniseries? How are you approaching this new era of the book?

RL: It’s not a one-off. I’m gonna be doing an extended
Youngblood
series. These characters have a lot of juice left in them. It’s exciting. We’ve done nearly 100-issues of
Youngblood
stuff, between all the spin-offs. And we’re going to continue to put that out there, because there’s a giant fanbase. If you fell in love with
Youngblood
at fourteen, it holds a special place in your heart.

SR: So, there is no concrete plan yet, but readers should expect a decent run out of the revival?

RL: I’m just gonna tell my story arcs. I have multiple story arcs. I have a new Big Bad. I’m not gonna say the name. I’m thinking in story arcs – maybe that’s consecutive miniseries, I don’t know. That’s where my focus is. Now, would I like some legacy numbering thrown on that? Hell yes, for sure. So we’ll be at
Youngblood
#100 fairly quickly, upon my return. And I’ve talked to Eric Stevens, the publisher at Image Comics, about this. He’s kept track of all this for me. And they’re really, they’re really excited about this. This is something that means a lot to them too. In the press release, Eric Stevens went out of his way to tell everybody, this was our first comic published. It’s important. It’s really exciting to be doing
Youngblood
back with Image, and drawing it for the first time in twenty years.

SR: We touched on this a bit earlier, but I was hoping you could elaborate on your expectations for this series. You have some high hopes for Youngblood, is that right?

RL: When I was growing up, Jim Shooter’s
Avengers
was the most exciting kind of superteam I have ever experienced. That’s what I’ve got my sights on. If I’m not trying to make the best superteam book, which thinks bigger, and has more surprises, and twists and turns than anything you’ve seen in the last twenty years, then why am I even putting pen to page? Trust me, this is stuff that I have held onto for
Youngblood
. I just always had a feeling we would be reunited. I saved these stories for that. I don’t know if I can pull it off, but I’m really going to try to redefine comic book superteams. And it’s going to be fun. I mean, you’re going to have a blast. I think I have some clever stuff. I think I have some dynamic stuff. So I am shooting high. I want people to think “…we should be doing this.”

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SR: Assuming you achieve that, and this upcoming volume of Youngblood has a healthy, successful run, where do you see the franchise going from there? Is it something you’d like other writers and artists to take over at a certain point?

RL: Of course, I would love to find someone to hand the baton off to. And trust me, since we announced
Youngblood
coming back, I have received more proposals, more samples, more people knocking on my door…established names as well. I think me not doing
Youngblood
for seven years created a feeling of “we may never get this again,” and now it’s back on the table. And I’ve got people putting dibs on my table. I’ve already got some people I’m talking to about some
Youngblood
solo series, that I won’t draw, but I’ve got some talents who will be coming on and joining me. Maybe we’ll do a Badrock series. If that works out the way I think, with the talent I’ve been wanting to work with, we’ll definitely be leveling up. I think we’re gonna blow people away. I want to build this.

SR: When can fans expect the new Youngblood to hit shelves?

RL: Summer 2025. It’s coming back fast. And there’s also the Vault addition to look forward to. Every page of
Youngblood
#1-10, I have access to. These artist editions have become a really special way to interact with the process, so the
Youngblood
Vault addition from Image is really special. And then I know in April, which will be the 33rd anniversary of Image Comics and
Youngblood
, there will be a brand new facsimile edition.

SR: So much to look forward to from you and Image. Thank you so much for speaking with us, Rob.

RL: This has been a real pleasure. Thank you for taking the time to talk about
Youngblood
.

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