Youngblood #8 Review

Blood on the tracks

Written by: Chad Bowers
Art by: Jim Towe
Colors: Juan Manuel Rodríguez
Letters: Rus Wooton
Publisher: Image
Release Date: 10 January 2018
Reviewed by: Andrew McAvoy

This issue of Youngblood welcomes in 2018 with a new recruit and an all-new mission. It's been described in Image Comic's trailer for the issue as "the perfect jumping-on point for new readers!". Is it? Let's find out.

Well, it isn't quite the perfect jumping on point. Firstly I should state that the Vol. 1 TPB for this new series of Youngblood was a pretty strong book (issues 1-6), that I thoroughly enjoyed. The last issue of this title had a little hiatus as the team established itself in a Japanese base. If I was to pick up this issue as a starting point I might be pretty confused. As my man Chuck D stated a few years back 'don't believe the hype' about jumping on points - do your homework, go away and read the very enjoyable preceding issues and then come back to this - you'll get more out of it that way.

The strong work that we have seen in this series continues in this issue with a pretty well-developed story that starts to look a little more at the interaction between the members of this new team and the relationships that exist between them at the moment. Although the opening scenes are pretty awesome and action-packed, it is, as is often the case with team titles, the quieter more personal moments between characters away from the action during which we really get to know our heroes. This issue balances up the big action sequences with the personal detail well.

Bits and pieces

Although I didn't think this issue worked as a potential jumping on point for new readers it was still a pretty good issue. Towe's art was also consistently crisp as always. I enjoyed this but its one for readers who have stuck with the series so far. Also, I miss Badrock. Special mention is required for Juan Manuel Rodríguez's coloring work which lifts this series tremendously each issue.

7.5/10