YOUNGBLOOD #1 – New Comic Review

Youngblood #1, by Image Comics on 11/12/25, throws a squad of government-sponsored heroes into Pacific chaos, because nothing says ‘military deterrent’ like a laser-eyed cyborg next to a sentient boulder.

Credits:

• Writer: Rob Liefeld
• Artist: Rob Liefeld, Chance Wolf
• Colorist: Juan Manuel Rodriguez
• Letterer: Rus Wooton
• Cover Artist: Rob Liefeld (cover A)
• Publisher: Image Comics
• Release Date: November 26, 2025
• Comic Rating: Teen
• Cover Price: $4.99
• Page Count: 30
• Format: Single Issue

Covers:

Analysis of YOUNGBLOOD #1:

First Impressions:

Bam! Page one is all alarms, armor, and dramatic acronyms. The team hits the ground running, but already the plot clarity is struggling to keep pace with Liefeld’s kinetic line work. Don’t blink or you might lose the thread before Badrock calls in the boom.

Plot Analysis:

The story kicks off with a national emergency as the Youngblood team is mobilized in response to a mysterious mega-yacht dubbed ‘the Megladon’ (No, that’s not a typo. The script uses an odd mis-spelling.) that’s materialized off the Pacific coast, threatening global stability. The mission brief is brisk: intel is slim, the objective is urgent, and backup is thin with the Supremes off-world and other heroes tied up in galactic diplomacy. We get the roster: Shaft, Badrock, Die-Hard, Vogue, Chapel all suited up and charging headlong into chaos, painted as humanity’s last, state-sponsored hope. Dialogue hammers home their roles, but personal stakes are left to simmer beneath the surface.

The core of the book is the infiltration itself. Badrock busts heads, Die-Hard methodically clears decks, and Shaft slices his way through techno-minions. Meanwhile, Chapel navigates the hull solo, grim and determined. Antagonist Xerxes, king of overwrought evil monologues, commands his cult-like crew to repel the invaders. The sequence stutters as point-of-view jumps, with team banter fighting for oxygen amid a barrage of posed action shots.

Individual clashes escalate into chaos: Badrock squares off against Xerxes, Shaft duels a mysterious, clawed foe named Vandel, all while Die-Hard flexes his machine-human dilemma with mechanical precision. Each fight is fast but oddly weightless, with motives opaque and outcomes determined by who shouts the loudest.

The climax has Chapel discovering something so startling below deck that his comms go silent, escalating the drama just as Vogue calls for reinforcements. Xerxes launches another cryptic threat, and our finale sets up the next issue with the promise of Supreme-level mayhem but little actual resolution, leaving both plot and reader twisting in suspense.

Story

The comic’s pacing is relentless. Scenes leap from crisis to crisis without pausing for context. Dialogue is stiff, often expository; many exchanges feel like tech briefings stapled to character catchphrases. Structural clarity is sacrificed for spectacle, with sudden cuts and muddled motivations making it easy to lose track of who’s fighting whom, and why.

Art

Line work stands tall. There’s energy in every muscle and trench coat, and characters are visually distinct. Yet clarity takes a backseat: backgrounds blur into insignificance, perspectives warp, and most panels lean heavily on stock hero poses. Color is serviceable but does little to set the mood or establish depth, often making action scenes feel flat and settings generic.

Characters

Every squad member talks tough and hits harder, but few have clear motivations beyond ‘smash villain, save day.’ Chapel hints at a tormented past, and Die-Hard’s machine/human tension simmers, but these angles rarely translate to on-page decisions. Character voices blend together, eroding their relatability and making interpersonal drama feel perfunctory.

Originality & Concept Execution

A team of government-sponsored superhumans is not new, and this comic barely tries to update the trope. The ‘celebrity soldier’ angle is often just mentioned, not explored. Conceptually big, the execution is noisy but empty, relying on nostalgia and cameo overload more than real narrative innovation.

Positives

If you crave explosive team action and dynamic line art, Youngblood #1 serves it up by the plateful. Characters are instantly identifiable, leaping off the page in a tangle of clenched fists and power armor. The comic’s non-stop pace ensures you’re rarely bored, even if you’re often confused. The panel compositions, all broad shoulders and classic Liefeld faces, give every showdown a sense of motion. For any reader with a fondness for superhero spectacle, the visual bravado alone provides a solid, if narrow, return.

Negatives

Anyone seeking strong storytelling and immersive world-building will find Youngblood #1 an exercise in frustration. The plot is a murky riddle wrapped in action-figure banter, with dialogue so wooden you can hear it splinter. Backgrounds fade into a beige void, camera angles repeat until déjà vu sets in, and the story’s supposed high stakes fizzle thanks to paper-thin motives and directionless exposition. Even for $4.99, a reader deserves more narrative substance than a highlight reel.

Art Samples:

The Scorecard:

Writing Quality (Clarity & Pacing): [1/4]
Art Quality (Execution & Synergy): [2/4]
Value (Originality & Entertainment): [1/2]

Final Thoughts:

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YOUNGBLOOD #1 delivers on frenetic heroics and loving attention to muscle-bound outlines, but leaves story connoisseurs stranded in a fog of forgettable threats and flavorless talk. If you want your comics loud, fast, and visually busy, it has a (literal) punch, but anyone hoping for emotional stakes or narrative depth can safely skip.

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