YOUNGBLOOD #5 (2025 - IMAGE COMICS)
The Keep have been reigning over the Earth with no remorse.
Youngblood has been hiding in the shadows plotting their comeback. Allies will be needed. Lines will be crossed. There is no turning back now.
Before that starts, one key member has been prisoner for far too long. A dangerous rescue mission begins to save Die-Hard. Can the team pull off the impossible once again or is all hope lost?
YOUNGBLOOD (2025) #5 by Rob Liefeld, Juan Manuel Rodriguez, Chance Wolf, Shelby Robertson & Rus Wooton delivers its’ prelude before the monumental issue #100!
Let’s take a closer look at where things
YOUNGBLOOD (2025) #5 by Rob Liefeld, Juan Manuel Rodriguez, Chance Wolf, Shelby Robertson & Rus Wooton (IMAGE COMICS)
*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***
Liefeld opens with a glimpse of the Keep’s enforcement of Earth. Their demands arrive at the front door of Lord Roman. The dialogue is direct with little shrouded in mystery. Roman’s response is fitting for the leader he is. Even in times of despair, there is no wavering of his will. The same can be said for the extreme fighting force.
Readers watch as Die-Hard’s imprisonment under the Keep has led to exploiting his technology. This allows for a chance to let the escape unleash Die-Hard’s pent-up rage. This sequence gives the story a healthy dose of action before switching gears. The writing throws in a more light-hearted moment involving Shaft and Badrock. There really isn’t more to it other than to extend the bridge to the final pages. Once here, it’s cemented what’s coming next. It might have been the clearest path to walk but never the less, the endgame has arrived!
READ LAST ISSUE’S REVIEW HERE!
As for the art, Liefeld does what he does best. The opening with Roman is led by a strong two page splash. His proclamation comes with much intensity as he sends a message of his own to the Keep. This leads into a full page image of a tortured Die-Hard. Readers can easily connect the manipulations he has suffered since the time jump. Once the escape plan commences, panels hone in on the rage being let out. Die-Hard has always been a force on his own. Motivated by revenge only throws more gas onto an already explosive scenario.
The fighting speeds into place as Die-Hard launches into the escape. Pacing picks up to reflect the high stakes involved. Another fantastic two page spread unleashes the powerhouse onto his guards. Even with the loud action, the story is told by Die-Hard’s eyes. Each panel featured locks in his anger as he blazes forward. This breaks for a fun full page of Shaft and “Indiana Badrock”. Pages tease a break of the norm before going breakneck speed to finish. The final two page spread sends a clear message about what’s coming next. Time to brace for a sensational finish.
FINAL GRADE: 8.6
There is never a true calm before the storm in dealing with Youngblood as they prepare for issue #100. Liefeld’s writing gets his key players staged for the cataclysmic battle. The art flourishes with the proper intensity fitting for what’s coming. There’s no reasonable way not be amped up for what’s coming next!
Let me know your thoughts on YOUNGBLOOD #5 in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
