“The Culling” crossover event is coming this May – but what is The Culling? 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 in next month’s crossover, but in the meantime – stay tuned to THE SOURCE all this week for Culling insights from the creators.

Today, LEGION LOST writer Tom DeFalco discusses the collaborative creative process, and the challenges and joys of creating a new villain:

“When Scott Lobdell, Howard Mackie and I first began to discuss the crossover that ultimately became ‘The Culling,’ we had one goal—we wanted to tell an exciting story that actually meant something to TEEN TITANS, RAVAGERS, SUPERBOY and LEGION LOST,” said Tom DeFalco, writer of LEGION LOST. “Since every great story needs a great villain, we set about constructing one that would be powerful enough to take on all three teams. We wanted this villain to be a major player. An A-list villain who could proudly join the likes of Darkseid, Luthor, the Joker and so many great DC villains. A living powerhouse who could eventually challenge Superman and the Justice League! The more we worked on him, the more we also saw how we could intimately connect him to the origins of our three, wildly diverse teams. Yes, our journey discovered hidden links between the TEEN TITANS, RAVAGERS, SUPERBOY and LEGION LOST!  We writers learned things about our characters and their relationships that surprised us and will, hopefully, thrill our readers. ‘The Culling’ is going to be one wild ride!”

(Art by Pete Woods for LEGION LOST #9)