by Ryan Higgins and the Your Mom's Basement staff

Villains United. It could change the face of the DCU. But there's a lot of books that may well do that as well. This may have already sold out, but is it really worth the hype? We had a group of slavering fanboys ask Our Favorite Retailer Ryan Higgins 20-odd questions about the soon-to-be released comic book.

Do any of the JLA appear in this?

This book is front to back villains, baby! From the biggest names to the people you never even heard of! Mr. Freeze, Calculator, Shadow Thief, Cheetah, Felix Faust, Fadeaway Man, Black Manta, Multiplex, Gentleman Ghost, Body Doubles, HIVE, Skorpio and more!

Well, there is that bit about Arsenal's kid having a small explosive device injected into her...

Do the villains unite to stop the giant Superman/Batman robot?

Actually, no, because the Composite Superman/Batman Robot was destroyed in Superman/Batman #6. Luthor does, however, get the new Toyman to build them a new secret hideout; the Composite Lex Luthor/Joker Spaceship! Look for the Villains United line from DC Direct this winter to include it as their first ever vehicle.

What does Luthor's Kryptonite Infinity Gauntlet have to do with any of this?

Lex plans on killing half the population of the universe with the K-I Gauntlet, thereby gaining the love and respect of Sandman's sister, Death.

Bling!

Is there any sexing?

That's for Calculator to know and Dr. Psycho to find out!

I wrote a song about Villains United set to the tune of Reunited by Peaches and Herb. Do you want to hear it?

Let me tell you a funny story about Peaches and Herb. I used to work at an indy record store, and this one time this guy came into the store. He looked like the mafia version of Antonio Banderas. He walks up to the counter, one hand in his inside jacket pocket, leans over the counter and asks, "Hola, excuse me. Do you have any..." as he looks around, "Peaches and Herb?"

That, my friends, was the only time we ever sold a Peaches and Herb CD.

So, in short, yes, I'd love to hear it.

Does Jericho appear in any way to aid or hinder Deathstroke?

This guy?

Fro!

No. God no. Thankfully, I think he's finally dead-dead after Johns early issues of Teen Titans.

Is Deathstroke like wickedly awesome or is he only radically cool in it?

Anyone that knows anything about Deathstroke knows that there are three facts about him:

1. Deathstroke is a mammal.
2. Deathstroke fights ALL the time.
3. The purpose of Deathstroke is to flip out and kill people.

Deathstroke can kill anyone he wants! Deathstroke cuts off heads ALL the time and doesn't even think twice about it. This guy is so crazy and awesome that he flips out ALL the time. I heard that Deathstroke who was eating at a diner. And when some dude dropped a spoon the Deathstroke killed the whole town. My friend Mark said that he saw Deathstroke totally uppercut some kid just because the kid opened a window.

Do the priest or Captain Moustache from Azz/Lee's Superman run show up?

Never bring that run up again.

Does Dr. Light show up again?

Nope. He does show up during a meeting with them in Countdown To Infinite Crisis and tells them about how he's had his mind messed with, but that's about it. We'll see what his role in all of this as time goes on, I assume.

Remember me? The kewl mid-90's, improved Dr. Light? DC sure doesn't!!

Why is Dr. Psycho a member of the Society? He's hardly on the same power level as Lex Luthor.

Well, Greg Rucka has been using him a lot these last few years in Wonder Woman, so it was pretty obvious that he'd be in this book. Besides, every team has to have a person who can mess with people's heads. He's the Emma Frost of the Society.

What's the deal with the Parademon?

He's from Apokolips.

Did you know that there is no word for "foliage" in any language on Apokolips?

Why is Luthor working with Talia after she bled his company dry?

...um, well, you see. Remember that book where Lex Lu-OH MY GOD IS THAT BENDIS WRITING A BOOK WITHOUT SPIDER-MAN, WOLVERINE, LUKE CAGE OR SPIDER-WOMAN IN IT?!?

*runs out the door*

What's Catman all about? Is he the same Catman who appeared in Metzler's Green Arrow?

It is indeed the same Catman from Metzler's run. Not unlike Animal Man in Morrison's run on the title, Catman seems to have undergone a transformation into a protector of animals. The Society finds him in the Medikwe Game Preserve (although Google seems to thinks it's "Madikwe Game Preserve". Stupid Google! Like you'd know!) in South Africa, protecting lions from the poachers that hunt them. As the first to turn down Luthor and his group, the Society feels that if a nobody like Catman will turn them down, then every other villain will laugh at them and nobody will respect them. Big mistake, Catman...

The Villains involved all have differing motives and personalities. What is it that keeps them united?

The heroes. Protection against what they did to Dr. Light and other villains.

"I'm telling you, change is coming whether you like it or not. It's...it's like a new ice age. The slow and the rigid--they are going to be left behind. Out in the cold."

Do we get any Bizarro?

GOODBYE! YES! ME AM IN ALL 22 PAGES OF CRAPPY MARVEL COMIC! ME AM HAPPY OVER THE LIVING OF FIDDLER WHEN HE DOESN'T GET SHOT IN THE HEAD BY DEATHSTROKE! THAT MAKE BIZARRO HAPPY! ME AM ALSO NOT TELL YOU OF SECRET PLAN BY LUTH HOR OF TURNING PEOPLE INTO BIZARRO'S AND CHEETAH'S! HELLO!

...so there you have it.

Based on the power levels of all the villains who are united, who would win in a fight between them and Unicron?

Clearly, the fans!

For reals: Villains United, the third in a series of four miniseries from DC Comics spinning out of Countdown To Infinite Crisis, is the strongest of the titles released so far. For months now, a powerful group of villians called only "The Society" have gathered together every costumed crook, scoundrel, rogue, criminal and thug for one purpose: To protect themselves against the so-called "heroes".

While heavily based in current DC continuity, it still reads alright on its own -- although if you haven't picked up the preceding stories such as Identity Crisis and Countdown, you'll be more than a little confused. However, if you're a fan of the previous comics, you will love Villains United.

As Lex Luthor and his Society (a throwback to the old Secret Society of Super Villains) bring together the villains of the DCU, another group led by the mysterious Mockingbird is formed to oppose the Society and the heroes. As the death toll rises while villains fight villains, and the heroes no longer trust each other, who can protect the world against 200 bad guys united together? We'll find out in Infinite Crisis, which ships in October.