Image doesn't own the rights to Youngblood (they're being squatted on by an entity known as Awesome Entertainment), so they can't really do a meta-comic discussing what it would be like if Youngblood were rebooted a new team in the current day. However, writer Joe Casey and artist Paul Fry can create a new, "Old," team and do some retroactive continuity. Hence, we've got Blood Squad Seven. A team that existed 30 years ago within Image's heroic Universe (just go with it), fell apart, and now it is being reassembled to appeal to the populace. Joe Casey writes good comics, that's a given. I have enjoyed almost anything by him I've seen and when he has a good artist partnered with him that just makes things all the better. Paul Fry is a superb artist, whether he's illustrating the 90's flashbacks where the team fights the Savage Dragon, Spawn, etc., or when it is the present day. I've really enjoyed these first three issues.
"Blood Squad Seven," riffs on the idea of heroic legacies, our nostalgia for the 1990s, and what exactly some heroes from then might end up doing if they survived the era but aren't out fighting anybody anymore (reality television always works, it seems). Casey and Fry aren't just navel-gazing at the history of comics, however, they are telling an interesting story in its own right while riffing on various concepts. One fun subplot is the team having to take down one of their own members before even publically launching due to his being a serial killer (the psych screen really missed the mark on him, it is discussed). A lot is going on, but Casey juggles it well and Fry draws it wonderfully.
The mix of real past comics, faux nostalgia, and just plain good storytelling results in the first three issues of, "Blood Squad Seven," being a great read. If you're a fan of Casey, Fry, or are intrigued by a look back at the 90's and how that past impacts our present (I feel ancient saying that), check this series out!
5 out of 5 Stars.
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