Youngblood: Bloodsport

    (Arcade, 2003, 2005)
™ and © Arcade

In a world of commoditized super–heroes, ineluctable market forces have led to hyper–proliferation of the spandex set. Crime is all but extinct and former members of Youngblood have slid into lifestyles of obscene decadence and hopeless mediocrity. Enter Agent Graves with a high–stakes plot device for revitalizing saturated markets and re–energizing shiftless super–heroes. A new inter–dimensional super–team is forming but there is only enough room for the best of the best. The Youngblood must fight each other to the death in a game of last man standing to find out who’s fit to claim the fame and glory that comes with protecting trillions of lives, and who gets a state funeral.

Employing Rob Liefeld’s singular illustration style and some memorable profanity written by Mark Millar, Bloodsport comments humorously on the ever–escalating exigencies of super–hero life, and effectively parodies the genre by hinting at what happens when one logically follows the narrative conceit to its absurd conclusion.

First billed as a four–issue mini–series, Bloodsport #1 was released in 2003 with variant covers by Andy Park and Frank Quitely. Arcade Comics bypassed traditional distribution channels and sold the book directly through its website and at conventions. At the time of this writing a year and a half later, there is yet to be an issue #2.

— Leland Burrill
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  • 1
    #1
    Quietly cover
    Jul 2003
    Cover: $3.99
    W: Mark Millar  ·  A: Rob Liefeld
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  • 1/B
    #1 Variation B
    Cover B by Rob Liefeld
    Jul 2003
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    W: Mark Millar  ·  A: Rob Liefeld
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  • 1/C
    #1 Variation C
    Max Team Limited Edition with cover C
    Jul 2003
    W: Mark Millar  ·  A: Rob Liefeld
    2 copies from $2.88
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    #1 Variation D
    Jul 2003
    W: Mark Millar  ·  A: Rob Liefeld
    1 copy for $1.99
  • 1/F
    #1 Variation F
    Lady Supreme “Super Snuff” Cover F
    Jul 2003
    Cover: $3.99
    W: Mark Millar  ·  A: Rob Liefeld
    1 copy for $64.98