“The Culling” crossover event is coming this May – but what is The Culling? What are Ravagers? What is N.O.W.H.E.R.E., and how will it threaten the heroes and would-be heroes of DC COMICS_THE NEW 52? You’ll find out soon enough, but in the meantime THE RAVAGERS writer Howard Mackie discusses how the DC COMICS-THE NEW 52 “Second Wave” series was born from the game-changing events of the crossover.

Nine o’clock on a Monday morning. The phone rings. I answer.

A voice on the other end of the line says,“Hey, Howard, how would feel about a group of teens that are snatched from their real lives, tortured and experimented on, forced to fight every day for food, water, and shelter—“

“Er…I…who IS this?” I ask, while pouring myself a second cup of coffee.

“Wait! It gets better! Periodically the kids are all thrown into this huge pit, and have to use their Metahuman powers to fight to the death… to thin the heard… it’s called THE CULLING.”

“You know… I just woke up… and yeah my refrigerator is running, and I will let Prince Albert out of the can. I’m going to get back to my cereal, so…”, I said while assuming that someone was trying to punk me.

“It’ll be part of the SECOND WAVE of the NEW 52. You’ll have to coordinate things with Scott Lobdell and Tom DeFalco. We’re thinking Ian Churchill is going to be the artist, and—“

“I’ll do it!” I screamed into the phone, and hung up.

Which turned out to a small mistake, because I was never sure who called me—maybe I was punked, but I am getting the last word, because I got to work with two of the top creative minds in comic books today-- well, actually Scott Lobdell has two of the top creative minds in comic books today, but Tom DeFalco was involved too—in fine tuning the CULLING from which THE RAVAGERS springs.
 
Ian Churchill was the icing on the cake.  The energy, and excitement his artwork(and story insight) bring to this book is extremely motivating to me as a writer. We, and the kids in the group, hit the ground running… and THEY are going to have keep running N.O.W.H.E.R.E. is on their tails, and they have NOWHERE to turn.  

The nightmare scenarios that sprung out of the creative back and forth between Scott, Tom and myself is the foundation of all that Ian and Churchill and I will be exploring in the pages of THE RAVAGERS. Things done to the kids to prepare them to survive the Culling will have long term ramifications in the pages of our book and far beyond. That’s right, Beast Boy, I am looking at YOU!

Take a first look at the cover for THE RAVAGERS #3!

(Not final cover)

THE RAVAGERS #1

Written by HOWARD MACKIE

Art and cover by IAN CHURCHILL

1:25 Variant cover by TK TK

On sale MAY 30 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

• First issue of a new series spinning directly out of “THE CULLING!”

• FAIRCHILD, brother and sister THUNDER and LIGHTNING, the monstrous RIDGE, BEAST BOY and TERRA are being pursued by ROSE WILSON and WARBLADE, who want them dead at any cost!

• No one’s survival is certain each month in THE RAVAGERS!

TEEN TITANS #9

Written by SCOTT LOBDELL

Art by IG GUARA and J.P. MAYER

Cover by BRETT BOOTH and NORM RAPMUND

1:25 B&W Variant cover by BRETT BOOTH and NORM RAPMUND

On sale MAY 23 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

• “THE CULLING” finale!

• THE TEEN TITANS and THE LEGION LOST duke it out with N.O.W.H.E.R.E. and the madman known as Harvest to stop the slaughter of

innocent children.

• This issue leads directly into this month’s RAVAGERS #1!

• Continued from TEEN TITANS ANNUAL #1 SUPERBOY #9 and LEGION LOST #9!

TEEN TITANS ANNUAL #1

Written by SCOTT LOBDELL and TOM DeFALCO

Art and cover by BRETT BOOTH and NORM RAPMUND

On sale MAY 2 • 48 pg, FC, $4.99 US • RATED T

• “THE CULLING” begins here!

• It’s the TEEN TITANS vs. THE LEGION LOST one mile beneath the Antarctic in the chamber of horrors known as the Crucible!

• Continued in this month’s SUPERBOY #9, LEGION LOST #9 and TEEN TITANS #9!

BLUE BEETLE #9

Written by TONY BEDARD

Art by MARCIO TAKARA

Cover by PAUL RENAUD

On sale MAY 16 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

• BLUE BEETLE squares off against GREEN LANTERN KYLE RAYNER and THE NEW GUARDIANS!

• If Beetle and the Lanterns don’t kill each other, the bounty hunter packing Oan technology will be happy to do it for them. Wait…OAN technology?!

• Continued this month in GREEN LANTERN: NEW GUARDIANS #9!

LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #9

Written by PAUL LEVITZ

Art by FRANCIS PORTELA

Cover by STEVE LIGHTLE

On sale MAY 16 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

• Kicking off an all-new storyline!

• BRAINIAC 5 and DREAM GIRL have been abducted by the DOMINATORS...so why is the Legion refusing to rescue them?

• One of the greatest LEGIONNAIRES quits!

LEGION LOST #9

Written by TOM DeFALCO

Art and cover by PETE WOODS

On sale MAY 9 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

• “THE CULLING” continues from this month’s SUPERBOY #9!

• Even the combined powers of LEGION LOST and the TEEN TITANS won’t be enough to stop DARK HARVEST and his minions from committing mass murder!

• Continues in this month’s TEEN TITANS #9.

Last week, we announced DC COMICS-THE NEW 52 “Second Wave,” featuring six new series coming in May. I had the opportunity to speak with THE RAVAGERS writer Howard Mackie about the upcoming series, his enthusiasm for DC COMICS-THE NEW 52 – and how his first project for DC Comics came about.

First off, what’s a Ravager and what’s THE RAVAGERS all about?

This is the story about a group of powerful Metahuman teens who have escaped from an underground hell they know only as The Colony-- where they have been tortured, experimented on, tortured again and forced to fight for survival in a nefarious program designed to produce the ultimate killing machines. They band together in search of anything that might pass as “real life” for each of them, and knowing that the dark forces behind N.O.W.H.E.R.E. will never let them achieve it.

The series is spun off from TEEN TITANS and SUPERBOY,­ both of which deal with heightened versions of the teenage experience. Will THE RAVAGERS expand on that theme?

Absolutely. I am a HUGE fan of all that Scott Lobdell has done in those titles – have been a big fan of his ever since I was a young lad – and his work on TEEN TITANS and SUPERBOY is a big part of what got me interested in this series to begin with. The thing is that these kids were all snatched from their varied lives several years back, and their experiences inside The Colony have scarred them both physically and emotionally. For years, their lives have been about surviving at any cost and trusting no one, When they escape – due to events in the TEEN TITANS/SUPERBOY/LEGION LOST crossover – their first temptation will be to scatter to the wind and try to get back to their previous lives and a sense of normalcy. It doesn't take them too long to figure out that with their powers, their experiences inside the Colony and what was done to them, N.O.W.H.E.R.E. isn’t going to let that happen.

That doesn't mean that they are not going to try and experience the things that were taken from them inside the Colony. You could say that these kids have been through hell, and now it’s time for them to raise a little of their own.

It won’t all be teen angst, though, will it? What can we expect in terms of action?

These are teens. Teens with more power than even they know. Teens whose survival instincts have been honed to a razor's edge. They quickly learn that N.O.W.H.E.R.E. is EVERYWHERE, and that they cannot spend the remnants of their lives hiding in fear of being captured again and returned to the hellish existence they survived. Their journey takes them to every corner of the planet as they have encounters with  N.O.W.H.E.R.E.'s agents, former jailers, search for other survivors of The Colony, and run into other heroes and villains in the DC Universe. They will learn truths about themselves, about their powers, and about their role in a march larger plan.

Are there any hints in those series that indicate what we can expect from THE RAVAGERS?

Scott Lobdell has laid out much of the groundwork in the awesome (Scott's favorite word!) issues of TEEN TITANS and SUPERBOY leading to the crossover. Caitlin Fairchild, Rose Wilson, N.O.W.H.E.R.E., their various agents...it will all play into the crossover and the Ravagers will spring out of the other side.

Based on your own reaction to DC COMICS-THE NEW 52, you sought out DC editorial wanting to participate. What inspired you?

I like to think that THE NEW 52 was designed for me – then again I like to think that someday Sofia Vergara will present me with my winning Powerball Lottery ticket, so it may be DC had a few more people in mind when they conceived of it all!

I have always been a fan of the characters in DC Comics (who ISN'T?), and was curious about the opportunity to jump on board to a new beginning. I picked up LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #1 and was hooked. I then than went on to grab as many of THE NEW 52 as possible. From OMAC to BATMAN to ANIMAL MAN to RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS I kept getting pulled further and further into this wild ride. I started doing something that I haven't done in a LONG time – I started recommending comic books to friends. I am proud to say that I have brought a few new readers into the ranks of THE NEW 52 fandom.  Right away it seemed like something in which I wanted to be involved. The newness was wrapped in the familiarity and presented with an overwhelming sense of wonder made me determined to be part of it all. I am thrilled to be given this opportunity.

What excites you most about this series?

Weren't you listening to my previous answers?

In 52 words or less, why should every fan pick up THE RAVAGERS #1 in May.

It is going to be AWESOME. (Sorry, Scott...can I borrow the word for this interview?)