The Culling Reading Guide

Overview:

The Culling is a crossover story in the Teen Titans and Superboy series, published by DC Comics in 2012. Written by Scott Lobdell and Tom DeFalco, with art primarily by Brett Booth and RB Silva, the story follows the young heroes as they are pitted against each other in a deadly tournament called “The Culling.” The tournament is run by the villainous Harvest, who abducts young metahumans to force them into combat for his own ends. His group of enforcers, the Ravagers, act as the primary antagonists.

The main characters include the Teen Titans, led by Red Robin, alongside Superboy and the Legion Lost team, all of whom find themselves captured and forced to participate in this survival-of-the-fittest battle. The event explores themes of control, power, and resistance against oppression.

At the time of its release, The Culling received mixed reactions. Some readers appreciated the high-energy action and dynamic art, while others found the storyline overly chaotic and lacking in depth. Critics often noted that while the premise had potential, the execution left some plot points underdeveloped, and the numerous characters made it difficult to maintain focus. Overall, it’s a fast-paced, action-heavy story that fits into the larger New 52 universe.

Best Way To Read:

Main Collection

• The Culling: Rise of the Ravagers
  • Collects: Legion Lost #8–9, Superboy #8–9, Teen Titans #8–9 and Teen Titans Annual #1

For crossover and significant events, I typically only read the main story the first time I encounter it. Trying to read all of the tie-ins with the story tends to make them increasingly convoluted and are not crucial to the main narrative. However, I think they are important to read, as many series-shifting plotlines can happen.

For the tie-in issues, I only read them as they come up in the reading guide that I am working through. This can become problematic because the tie-in issues are not always included in collected editions of the event. So you may need to hunt for them.

Reading Order:

References:

• Wikipedia
• Comic Book Reading Orders

Feature Image from Teen Titans Annual #1 cover art by Brett Booth, Andrew Dalhouse, Rob Hunter