Comic Book History
Youngblood: Rob Liefeld,
Image Comics & a Revolution
The complete history of Youngblood — Shaft, Badrock, Vogue, Chapel & Die Hard — from the 1992 launch to Youngblood #100.
Created by Rob Liefeld & Hank Kanalz · Image Comics · First issue: April 17, 1992 · Legacy #100: June 10, 2026
Get Youngblood #100 — $4.99Youngblood #100 is out now — 34 years of history, one landmark issue. In stock at Epic Panels Comics.
On April 17, 1992, Rob Liefeld walked into comic book history. Youngblood #1 hit shelves at Golden Apple Comics in Los Angeles. Police helicopters circled overhead. The LA Times ran a front-page story. Thousands of fans queued around the block. The comic sold over one million copies — launching Image Comics and igniting the creator-owned revolution that permanently reshaped the industry.
Now, in 2026, Youngblood #100 has arrived. Pick up your copy at Epic Panels Comics.
1992Debut Year
#1First Image Comics Title
1M+Copies of Issue #1 Sold
100Legacy Issues
13+Variant Covers
$4.99Cover Price
Own a piece of Image Comics historyYoungblood #100 in stock now at Epic Panels Comics. Cover A and the historic McFarlane variant both available.
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01 Rob Liefeld: Before Youngblood
Rob Liefeld — born October 3, 1967, in Anaheim, California — began his career at DC Comics (Hawk & Dove) before becoming a star at Marvel Comics on New Mutants with writer Louise Simonson. His redesign into X-Force with Fabian Nicieza produced a multi-million selling debut in 1991. Liefeld is co-creator of Deadpool, Cable, Domino, and Shatterstar. When he, Todd McFarlane, Jim Lee, Marc Silvestri, Erik Larsen, Jim Valentino, and Whilce Portacio left Marvel to found Image Comics in 1992, the very first comic they published was Youngblood #1. All those founders contribute variant covers to Youngblood #100, in stock now at Epic Panels Comics.
Why #100 Is Special
Youngblood #100 reunites all of Image's founding generation. McFarlane, Silvestri, Larsen, Valentino, and Portacio all contributed variant covers. Get your copy at Epic Panels Comics.
02 Complete Character Roster
Youngblood's central premise: superheroes as government-sanctioned celebrities — press tours, merchandise deals, talk show appearances. The Home Team handles domestic threats; the Away Team runs covert classified missions. This concept predates The Boys, the MCU's Civil War, and Invincible by over a decade.
Shaft
Jeff Terrel · First App: Youngblood #1 (1992)
Team leader. Former FBI agent. Magnetic-propulsion bow. Created by Rob Liefeld.
Badrock
Thomas McCall · First App: Youngblood #1 (1992)
Teenager transformed into living granite. Created by Rob Liefeld. Gets his own solo series July 2026.
Chapel
Bruce Stinson · First App: Youngblood #1 (1992)
Government assassin. The man who killed Al Simmons — who became Spawn. Created by Rob Liefeld.
Vogue
Teo · First App: Youngblood #1 (1992)
Russian fashion model, chalk-white and purple skin. Created by Rob Liefeld.
Die Hard
First App: Youngblood #1 (1992)
Veteran cyborg soldier. Created by Rob Liefeld.
Sentinel
First App: Youngblood #1 (1992)
Away Team leader. Energy powers. His murder of Riptide triggers Alan Moore's Judgment Day. Created by Rob Liefeld.
Riptide
First App: Youngblood #1 (1992)
Away Team member. Water manipulation. Her murder triggers Alan Moore's Judgment Day. Created by Rob Liefeld.
Troll
Rochelle · First App: Youngblood #4 (1993)
Fierce compact powerhouse. Ancient kobold. Cult fan-favorite. Created by Rob Liefeld.
Battlestone
First App: Youngblood #0 (1992)
Original commander before Shaft. Removed after murdering a subordinate. Led Brigade. Created by Rob Liefeld.
Brahma
First App: Youngblood #1 (1992)
Massive Away Team heavy. Original flip-book debut cast. Created by Rob Liefeld.
Cougar
First App: Youngblood #1 (1992)
Away Team field agent. Half-human, half-Jakkaran cat-man. Created by Rob Liefeld.
JP
Johnny Panic
Alan Moore Era
Added by Alan Moore. Planned as son of villain Darius Dax — never published before Awesome collapsed.
34 years later — the blood is still flowingYoungblood #100 written & drawn by Rob Liefeld. In stock now at Epic Panels Comics. Only 3 McFarlane variants remaining.
Buy Youngblood #100 — $4.99
03 Complete Issue Guide — Every Volume with Cover Art
Every Youngblood series, chronologically, with first-issue cover art for each era. The full legacy behind the #100 milestone available now at Epic Panels Comics.
Youngblood #1 (Apr 1992)
Art: Rob Liefeld
The first Image Comics publication ever.
#1 (Legacy #1)
Youngblood #1 — Home Team / Away Team
Plot: Rob Liefeld. Script: Hank Kanalz. Art: Rob Liefeld. Colors: Brian Murray. First app: Shaft, Badrock, Vogue, Chapel, Die Hard, Sentinel, Riptide, Brahma, Photon, Psi-Fire, Cougar. Flip-book. 1,000,000+ copies sold. Golden Apple Exclusive: 1,000 signed copies.
Apr 1992
#2 (Legacy #2)
Youngblood #2
Rob Liefeld. First appearance of Prophet. First Shadowhawk appearance in backup story. Trading cards.
Jul 1992
#3 (Legacy #3)
Youngblood #3
Rob Liefeld. First appearance of Supreme in backup story. Extreme Universe crossovers expand.
Aug 1992
#0 (Legacy #4)
Youngblood #0 — Origins
Rob Liefeld, Dan Fraga, Danny Miki. Battlestone's command revealed. First app of Link. Badrock, Vogue, Link join Chapel and Die Hard under Shaft.
Dec 1992
#4 (Legacy #5)
Youngblood #4
First appearance of Troll (Rochelle). First appearance of Pitt in backup story.
Mar 1993
#5–9 (Legacy #6–9)
Youngblood #5–9
Rob Liefeld. Team-building arcs. Chapel's Spawn connections deepen.
1993–1994
#10 (Legacy #10)
Youngblood #10 — Death of Chapel
Story: Rob Liefeld & Eric Stephenson. Chapel removed. U.S. Military honors Die Hard. Chapel's fate plays out across Spawn crossovers.
1994
Youngblood: Strikefile #1 (1993)
Anthology companion; 10 issues.
Strikefile #1–10
Youngblood: Strikefile #1–10
Anthology companion. Character spotlights, pinups, creator profiles. Various artists. Counted in legacy numbering.
1993–1995
Team YB #1–22
Team Youngblood #1–22
Away Team spin-off. Expanded cast: Masada, Psilence, Task, Dutch, Doc Rocket, Scion. Counted in legacy numbering toward #100.
1993–1996
Youngblood Vol. 2 #1 (1995)
Wrap-around cover by Rob Liefeld.
#1–10 (Legacy #48–57)
Youngblood Vol. 2 #1–10
Rob Liefeld & Eric Stephenson. Art: Roger Cruz. Sentinel vs Battlestone for leadership. Diehard appointed field leader. Villains: Greenscape, Diabolique. Crossovers: Extreme Destroyer, Rage of Angels.
1995–1996
#11–14 (Legacy ~58)
Youngblood Vol. 2 #11–14
Published by Maximum Press. Four concluding issues. Series ends at #14.
1996
Youngblood: Judgment Day #1 (1997)
Written by Alan Moore.
Most critically praised story ever.
JD #1–3 + Aftermath
Youngblood: Judgment Day #1–3 & Aftermath
Written by Alan Moore. Riptide murdered. Knightsabre prime suspect. Supreme, Glory, Suprema, Savage Dragon drawn into a superhero murder trial.
1997–1998
Youngblood Vol. 3 #1 (1998)
Written by Alan Moore.
Best reviewed issue of the series.
#1 (Legacy #59)
Youngblood Vol. 3 #1
Written by Alan Moore. New team: Shaft, Big Brother, Johnny Panic, Suprema, Knightsabre, Twilight. Cosmic narrative setup.
1998
#2 (Legacy #60)
Youngblood Vol. 3 #2
Alan Moore. Builds toward cosmic threat The Goat. Romance: Big Brother and Suprema.
1998
Awesome Adventures #1 (Legacy #61)
Awesome Adventures #1 (= Youngblood Vol. 3 #3)
Alan Moore's final issue. Published under renamed title as Awesome Entertainment collapsed. Full 12-issue plan — including Johnny Panic as son of Darius Dax — never realized.
1999
Youngblood: Imperial #1 (2004)
Written by Robert Kirkman.
Left after one issue.
Imperial #1
Youngblood: Imperial #1 (2004)
Written by Robert Kirkman (The Walking Dead, Invincible). Art by Marat Mychaels. Left after one issue. Issues #2–3 solicited, never published.
2004
Bloodsport #1
Youngblood: Bloodsport #1 (2008)
Written by Mark Millar (Kick-Ass, Civil War). Art by Rob Liefeld. Issue #2 exists only as a Wizard World LA convention bootleg.
2008
Youngblood Vol. 4 #1 (Jan 2008)
Written by Joe Casey. Art: Derec Donovan.
#1–9 (Legacy #62–70)
Youngblood Vol. 4 #1–9
Written by Joe Casey (Wildcats). Art by Derec Donovan. Covers by Rob Liefeld. Grounded celebrity-hero premise. 9 issues, 2008–2009.
2008–2009
Youngblood #71 (2012)
Written by John McLaughlin. Art: Jon Malin.
First formal legacy numbering.
#71–78
Youngblood Vol. 5 #71–78
Written by John McLaughlin. Art by Jon Malin. Original continuity 25 years on. Not collected in trade. Difficult to find.
2012–2013
Youngblood Vol. 6 #1 (2017)
Written by Chad Bowers. Art: Jim Towe.
11 issues. Social media era.
#1–11 (Legacy #79–89)
Youngblood Vol. 6 #1–11
Written by Chad Bowers. Art by Jim Towe. Celebrity-hero concept updated for the social media era. Rights dispute with Terrific Productions LLC follows this run.
2017–2018
#1 (Legacy #95)
Youngblood (2025) #1
Written & drawn by Rob Liefeld. Pacific crisis. New nemesis. Polybagged with collectible card. Sold out; 3rd printing.
Nov 2025
#2–4 (Legacy #96–98)
Youngblood (2025) #2–4
Rob Liefeld. Escalating consequences. Team pushed to its limit.
2026
#5 (Legacy #99)
Youngblood (2025) #5
Rob Liefeld. Maximage arrives. Road to #100.
Apr 2026
Legacy #100
Written & drawn by Rob Liefeld. 13+ variant covers: McFarlane, Silvestri, Larsen, Valentino, Portacio, Kirkman, Perez, Cates. Accompanied by Badrock #1 solo (Jul 15) and Giant-Size Youngblood one-shot.
Jun 10, 2026
Youngblood #100 in stock now — Cover A and McFarlane variant at Epic Panels Comics
Choose Your Cover — Available Now at Epic Panels Comics
Two covers in stock. Both $4.99. Only 3 McFarlane variants left.
Cover A — Rob Liefeld
Standard cover. 20 copies in stock.
$4.99
Add to Cart
Cover G — Liefeld & McFarlane
Only 3 copies left. Homages New Mutants #87. Chapel vs. Spawn, Savage Dragon, Witchblade & Shadowhawk.
$4.99
Add to Cart
Why the McFarlane Variant is a Must-Have
Cover G homages New Mutants #87 — the Liefeld & McFarlane cover from 1990 that introduced Cable. Here Chapel takes Cable's role, with Spawn, Savage Dragon, Witchblade, and Shadowhawk in his sights. A triple-layered piece of comics history. Only 3 copies left. Grab it before it's gone.
04 The Alan Moore Era
After leaving Image in 1996, Liefeld founded Awesome Entertainment and recruited Alan Moore — writer of Watchmen, V for Vendetta, From Hell. Moore's Youngblood: Judgment Day (1997–1998) is the most critically praised story in the series: a 3-issue murder mystery plus Aftermath one-shot drawing the full Awesome universe into a superhero trial. His planned 12-issue ongoing — featuring cosmic threat The Goat, a romance between Big Brother and Suprema, and the revelation that Johnny Panic was the son of Supreme villain Darius Dax — was cut to three issues before Awesome Entertainment collapsed.
Youngblood is one of the most important independent comics ever published. It started the Image revolution and paved the way for everything that followed.— Robert Kirkman, on Youngblood #100
05 Controversies
Chronic Lateness
Intended as monthly, Vol. 1 produced 10 issues across nearly three years. Every subsequent volume shipped inconsistently. DC editor Paul Levitz cited Youngblood's scheduling chaos as damaging to the direct market.
Firing Hank Kanalz
After Youngblood #1 was savaged by critics, Rob Liefeld publicly blamed co-writer Hank Kanalz and fired him. Peter David and others called this deflection.
Departure from Image (1996)
Liefeld's exit was bitter and public. Allegations of financial improprieties alongside acknowledged mismanagement of Extreme Studios made the split one of the most dramatic events in 1990s comics publishing.
The Anatomy Debate
Impossible musculature, characters without visible feet, weapons larger than people — Liefeld's style generated decades of parody. His defenders argue visual dynamism and design instinct outweigh technical flaws.
The Lost Rights Saga (2019–2024)
In 2019, Liefeld revealed he had not owned Youngblood's IP for years. Rights had passed to Terrific Productions LLC under Andrew Rev. Planned relaunches announced and never published. Characters frozen until Liefeld returned to Image in 2025.
Alan Moore's Unrealized Vision
Awesome Entertainment's collapse cut short the most creatively significant Youngblood era. Moore's full 12-issue plan was never published.
06 Legacy & Why Youngblood #100 Matters
Youngblood is the opening shot of the creator-owned revolution. Without that million-copy debut on April 17, 1992, there may have been no Image Comics, no Spawn, no WildC.A.T.s. Its concept of celebrity superheroes as a government-managed media franchise predated The Boys, the MCU's political storylines, and Invincible by years. Rob Liefeld is the co-creator of Deadpool and Cable. And there is something genuinely remarkable about a comic that survived seven volume relaunches, a founder exodus, a corporate collapse, an unrealized Alan Moore reinvention, a lost rights saga, and 34 years of criticism — and still reached issue #100 with its original creator writing and drawing it.
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.— Rob Liefeld, 2024
Get Youngblood #100 — In Stock Now at Epic Panels ComicsWritten & drawn by Rob Liefeld. Cover A and the McFarlane variant both available. Only 3 McFarlane variants remaining.
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