Summary

• Youngblood #1: The very first comic published by Image Comics in 1992, this issue's cover art is classic Liefeld and surges with explosive hardcore aesthetic.
• Youngblood #2: Lightning strikes twice with this cover, as it not only grabs fans' attention, but keeps it with a new face and a tease of what's to come.
• Youngblood #5: This issue changes the tone from fun adventure to intense action with its dark and intense artwork, making it memorable and iconic - and these are just the first 3 of the 10 most memorable covers!

Youngblood is a series that helped launch Image Comics as a publisher, as it was created by Rob Liefeld, who - along with Todd McFarlane and Jim Lee, just to name a few - founded Image Comics in the early ‘90s. In fact, Liefeld’s Youngblood #1 was the very first comic published by Image Comics in 1992, making the series more than just a book about a team of original, badass heroes, but also a significant point in comic book history.

With an iconic comic series, there must also be eye-catching comic covers for each issue, and Youngblood certainly did not disappoint. While Liefeld’s original covers will always be the classic look of the Youngblood series, there are plenty of other artists who contributed their jaw-dropping talents in later volumes that are equally noteworthy. Out of them all, here are the 10 most unforgettable covers from Image Comics’ pioneering Youngblood series!

10 The First Issue of Youngblood Has the Cover That Started It All

Youngblood #1 by Rob Liefeld

When considering a comic series that launched an entire publisher - especially one as iconic as Image Comics - it’s hard to ignore the very issue that started it all, and the cover that convinced ‘90s comic book fans to give it a chance at a mere glance. The artwork is classic Liefeld, meaning anyone who was a fan of the later New Mutants and the original X-Force was going to love it immediately. Plus, it’s surging with the explosive hardcore aesthetic that has become synonymous with ‘90s comics.

All-in-all, it cannot be denied that this comic was groundbreaking for its time, and this cover art was one of the main reasons why.

9 The Second Issue of Youngblood Carried Over the Energy of the First, Proving It Would Last

Youngblood #2 by Rob Liefeld

The energy of the first Youngblood cover artwork was immediately followed up by the second, which not only introduced a new face to the character roster, but also gave readers a tease as to what was ahead within the book itself. At the bottom of the page, there is text that reads, “A Prophet Cometh!”, indicating that this issue was going to be integral to the wider storyline moving forward.

It’s arguably easy to grab someone’s attention with something that’s new and flashy, but this comic cover proved that lightning can strike twice, as it managed to not just grab fans’ attention, but keep it.

8 The Fifth Issue of Youngblood Brought A Darker Tone To The Series

Youngblood #5 by Rob Liefeld and Chap Yaep

Unlike the covers before it, the artwork on this issue of Youngblood was just the grisly face of one of the main characters, whose features were dark and intense. Gritted teeth, red eyes, and a noseless face are all that greets the reader upon picking up this issue, which is a far cry from the more bright and colorful issues that came before it - and is why it’s so memorable to this day.

This issue changed the immediate tone of the book from fun adventure to intense action, and it does so with something as deceptively simple as an intimidating face seemingly snarling at the reader with anticipated aggression.

7 Youngblood’s Eighth Issue Exceeded The Action-Packed Energy Created By The First

Youngblood #8 by Rob Liefeld

The cover art for this issue is one of the most exciting and action-packed in the entire Youngblood series. Not only does it have most of the main characters in action-ready poses (as most comic book covers tend to do), but it depicts them literally flying into action towards the reader in a rush of surging energy.

These heroes aren’t just ready for battle, they’re actively in one before the reader even opens the book, which is an epic way to start off their comic reading experience.

6 Youngblood Ends Its First Run With Another Iconic Image Comics Character: Spawn

Youngblood #10 by Rob Liefeld

The Spawn comic series was another original Image Comics book created by Todd McFarlane, which means it was only natural that a crossover between Spawn and Youngblood was imminent. And that inevitability came to fruition on the cover of Youngblood #10, where the titular star of the Spawn franchise is prominently featured.

Spawn’s looming presence on the cover of this issue is too intense to ignore, as is the promise this cover art makes for what’s in store once the reader turns the page.

5 The First Issue of Youngblood’s Second Volume Honors the Past With A Sharper Design

Youngblood Vol. 2 #1 by Eric Stephenson and Roger Cruz

This wraparound cover artwork is one large image featuring every major player in Youngblood canon, virtually as they were originally introduced. The costumes are the same, as are the proportions and weaponry, but the entire thing has an unmistakable sharpness to it the original lacked. Everything about this artwork is cleaner, darker, and perhaps even more finely detailed than the original pieces, though all while staying true to the classic tone of the book - if not a shade or two darker.

Honoring the past while sharpening up for the future is the perfect way to usher in a new era for a book as iconic as Youngblood, and the artwork on the cover of Youngblood Vol. 2 #1 did that expertly.

4 The First Issue of Younblood’s Third Volume Is A Striking Change From The Original

Youngblood Vol. 3 #1 by Alan Moore and Steve Skroce

While Youngblood Vol. 2 #1 honored the original by keeping the general tone and aesthetic that was previously established, Vol. 3 changed both dramatically. The heroes featured on the cover were still in battle-ready positions, but there is an unmistakable lack of the iconic hardcore tone that has become so synonymous with the series since its inception.

The artwork itself is well done, to be sure, but it’s simply a bit more reserved than the explosive comic covers of the past. Which is exactly why it stands out as one of the most unforgettable, as it is one of the first to change the tone of the book so dramatically.

3 The First Issue of Youngblood’s Fourth Volume Brings Back The Original Covers (Literally)

Youngblood Vol. 4 #1 by Joe Casey and Derec Donovan

Not only does this issue completely correct the vibe-change brought on by the first issue of the previous volume, but it does so in the most meta way possible. Youngblood Vol. 4 #1 puts the main cast of characters right in the middle of two walls lined with original Youngblood comics from volume one, all while they, themselves, are rushing into an all-new adventure.

This cover immediately tells the reader that everything they loved about the original Youngblood run will be present in this issue, meaning this cover art isn’t just badass to look at, it’s also brilliant marketing.

2 Youngblood Vol. 5 Started The Series Off With A Revitalized, Modern Aesthetic

Youngblood Vol. 5 #1 by Chad Bowers and Jim Towe

Some of the characters may be the same, but their appearances are totally revitalized and modernized from what they were in the ‘90s. The hardcore edge of the era is all but completely washed away, and is replaced by a sleekness brought to the artwork that makes the iconic characters look younger, and even somehow more heroic than they did before.

A lot of what made Youngblood initially appealing is missing from this artwork, but that’s primarily because the original run is so rooted in the ‘90s, making the very name ‘Youngblood’ almost synonymous with the hardcore aesthetic that era was known for. However, this cover brings these characters into the modern age perfectly, with a style that is noticeably different from the original, but in the best possible way.

1 The Cover of Youngblood’s Last Issue Is A Touching Send Off For The Series

Youngblood Vol. 5 #11 by Chad Bowers and Jim Towe

This is the final issue of Youngblood, and while one might expect the cover art to be a flashy splash page of battle-ready action and muscle-bound heroes, it’s actually something much more subtle, and infinitely more touching. The cover simply features one of the most iconic Youngblood characters, Doc Rocket, giving a ‘peace’ sign while seemingly sprinting towards the reader with her signature super speed.

Though this issue wasn’t intended to be the last (as the 12th was teased, but never published), it’s almost better that it did end with this artwork featured on its final cover, as it is quite literally the Youngblood book ‘peacing-out’, as if to say goodbye to the loyal readers that made this series the iconic comic book it is today. And that is why this is one of the 10 most unforgettable covers from Image Comics’ pioneering Youngblood series.