We're three months into DC's 'The New 52' and we're still discovering changes and updates to our favorite characters. Part of the joy (and sometimes frustration) is not knowing and discovering what is the same and what has changed with everyone. The other titles are moving the stories and characters forward but it's JUSTICE LEAGUE that is really laying down the groundwork for the characters.

Because the series (or at least this first story arc) is rooted five years ago, we're finding out a lot about the DC Universe. We get to see how the major heroes met for the first time. We get to see the beginning of relationships and, in some ways, the birth of the DCU as we know it (or are getting to know in the 'New 52' books).

Now that the stage is nearly set. The entire team is almost completely assembled. There is still new information being presented. Here is the latest batch of revelations from JUSTICE LEAGUE #3. There will be some spoilers from the issue so be sure to read it to enjoy all the action-packed glory for yourself.

The revelations were as earth-shattering as before but here are the facts for the characters' updated histories.

Steve Trevor is Wonder Woman's Handler

Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor have always shared a history. What we discover is he is her appointed liaison for the Pentagon. It's his task to try to control her and keep tabs on her. It's not clear why she is working with the Pentagon and what the relationship between the United States and Paradise Island is. With Wonder Woman constantly running off, Trevor's job isn't an easy one.

Wonder Woman is New to the World

All she wants to do is fight. It's her aggressive Amazonian ways that have caused over one hundred million dollars in property damage. This is quite a change from the calmer Wonder Woman we saw living in London in WONDER WOMAN #1.

We get the impression she hasn't been outside Paradise Island for too long. When out looking for a fight, she tries asking civilians if they've seen the creature she heard reports of and wants to fight. Not getting any responses, she asks if she's speaking the language correctly.

We also discover that Wonder Woman has never had ice cream before.

More Cameos from Future Villains

Not all villains start off as bad guys. We get a glimpse of some characters that eventually cause some major problems for the heroes.

Mr. Orr is seen at the Pentagon with Steve Trevor. Orr is a mysterious and deadly guy that was in charge of a government black-ops organization. He was also involved with Project M, which used technology to create cybernetically enhanced super-soldiers. It's not clear what his role at the Pentagon is or what interaction he has with Wonder Woman but he's definitely someone they should keep an eye on.

While Silas Stone tries to attend to his wounded son, we see some of the other scientists he worked with at STAR Labs. T.O. Morrow and Professor Ivo are both present. Morrow is responsible for creating Red Tornado and a bunch of evil androids. Ivo is responsible for Amazo and other deadly androids. gets carried away by the Parademons. We'll have to wait and see if the explosion of the mother box has any part in them becoming evil/mad scientists.

Superman is Willing to Kill

The last thing Superman ever wanted to do was kill. He could never take the life of anyone, including his enemies. The Superman we've been seeing has seemed a little more detached compared to his previous version but you would think killing would still not be an option.

When the heroes are fighting a horde of Parademons, Superman cuts loose on them. Body parts are flying and the creatures are getting killed. Superman doesn't seem to mind at all. They might not be human but they are still living beings. Perhaps we will discover that these Parademons are mechanical creatures? When Batman and Green Lantern first met in issue #1, one changed into a different form. That could mean they are mechanical but the reason Hal was there was because his ring alerted him to unauthorized extraterrestrial presence in Gotham City.

Cyborg Has a Stronger Connection to Darkseid

We saw in the first issue the explosion of a Mother Box is what caused Victor Stone's body to become damaged. It'll be up to his father and the technology recovered from across the globe. Victor is injected with nanites that were recovered from a mysterious source (Professor Morrow was interrupted before he could name the source) and he is given a Promethium skin graft. That along with the energy from the Mother Box is going to give us a Cyborg we haven't seen before. When the nanites are activated, Victor is changed. Looks like it'll be just in time for Darkseid's appearance next issue.

Until then, we'll have to wait and see what other revelations are uncovered in the next issue.

Superman willing to kill? I know it's a retcon but all the principles they laid in Action Comics 775 has gone to smokes. This is the first serious change they made that I think I don't like. I hope things change or that the actions will have some sort of explanation like the one stated above.

@ssejllenrad said:

Superman willing to kill? I know it's a retcon but all the principles they laid in Action Comics 775 has gone to smokes. This is the first serious change they made that I think I don't like.

I am all for Superman having a harder edge. That being said I hope he does not become a cold blooded killer. Superman should be the one that sets the standard for others to follow in both actions and words. Given his level of power it should be obvious that people can and will die when fighting him or even being in the same vicinity as him in battle. I wonder if this DC rebood/relaunch will bring some much needed realism to the DC universe. I like how Wonder Woman want to experience the world for herself and takes no crap from anyone.

I actually don't mind Superman killing as long as he doesn't become some ruthless killer. Some of his villains in the old comics that did some dastardly things should've been killed but of course the man of steel only beat them unconscious. I'm liking the new changes DC's made.

I think they are trying to make Superman less perfect by keeping him from being like his old lovable self. And by lovable, I mean by his fans in that universe. A lot of people in the real world hate him for being so perfect. Make him into a badass and you get the rest of the fans' interest.

Superman killing?

...

Seriously?

Last page was the best page!

@ssejllenrad said:

Superman willing to kill? I know it's a retcon but all the principles they laid in Action Comics 775 has gone to smokes. This is the first serious change they made that I think I don't like. I hope things change or that the actions will have some sort of explanation like the one stated above.

Totally agreed on this!!

"Superman is Willing to Kill" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35TbGjt-weA

This Superman really reminds me of the JLU Superman. He's more of a badass and don't mind killing some alien scums (just watch the last episodes where Batman, Lex Luthor and Superman team up to fight Darkseid and Parademons).

come on evil aliens don't count. the no kill rule only applies to humans.

come on evil aliens don't count. the no kill rule only applies to humans.

Agreed, I don't count destroying evil minions who are probably half cloned half machine as "killing" or cold blooded.

I thought they where robots? I mean when they open there mouths you can see the electrics? I loved this issue and I cant wait for the birth of Cyborg. What I didn't like was the Aquaman line at the end, what was that all about? 

Superman is now a bad ass willing to do what needs to be done to save the day and Wonder woman's agressive...this pleases me :)

come on evil aliens don't count. the no kill rule only applies to humans.

I'm enjoying the changes DC has made so far. An aggressive badass Wonder Woman is def a good thing. Not sure if Superman should be killing since its against what hes always been about. We will see..

@Skaddix said:

come on evil aliens don't count. the no kill rule only applies to humans.

Superman hasn't killed anything. Those are robots.

I just read a short (6 page) preview of this issue... Damn... Superman is like a bulldozer... This issue had better be epic after what I saw... Damn Supes is so bad ass right now (no fanboyism intended =P)... And yeah... I dont think parademons should count... Can't wait to see cyborg in action too

The Parademons are clearly shown as techno-organic drones and seem to have no true wills or conscious thoughts other than to obey Darkseid. In a way their new depiction reminds me of the Doomsday clone force that Darkseid had a ways back. When those clones captured Supergirl by invading Paradise Island, Superman recognized that they weren't really sentient beings but drones and incinerated the lot of them with his heat vision. Didn't see anyone making a fuss about it then! This seems to be the same concept for these new Parademons.

Only thing I didn't like about this issue was Wonder Woman, not even so much how naive and one dimensional they are starting her off as (very strong reminders of the Justice League cartoon), but the fact that she gets an actually introduction. This is a bit strange given Batman, Green Lantern, Superman, and Flash are just thrown at the reader because its assumed people know who they are. I think Wonder Woman is just as recognizable even to a new reader so having to give a bit more explanation to her seems an odd approach.

Though the subtle (or not so subtle) first dialog between her and Superman was interesting and something I do think they should explore in this new 52 given how Superman feels about another character at this point.

@spiderbat87: Well Earth and the Skrulls were in a war so that doesn't really seem that far-fetched a concept. Plus most of the killing was being done by the villains and guys like Fury and his Howling Commandoes.

and when did they actually kill anyone but the Spider Queen during the Spider-Island incident? Don't remember seeing insectoid body parts flying all over the place and we didn't see a bunch of dead bodies strewn throughout the streets when everyone returned to normal.

I got a feeling that Superman and Aquaman will have a few problems next issue.

the DCnU is a bit too emo for me :/

(and by "emo", before anyone jumps the gun, I mean dark, bleak, devoid of humor, gritty and "over-the-top" in a "too serious for its own good" kinda way)

@spiderbat87: Well Earth and the Skrulls were in a war so that doesn't really seem that far-fetched a concept. Plus most of the killing was being done by the villains and guys like Fury and his Howling Commandoes.

and when did they actually kill anyone but the Spider Queen during the Spider-Island incident? Don't remember seeing insectoid body parts flying all over the place and we didn't see a bunch of dead bodies strewn throughout the streets when everyone returned to normal.

The Parademons are clearly shown as techno-organic drones and seem to have no true wills or conscious thoughts other than to obey Darkseid. In a way their new depiction reminds me of the Doomsday clone force that Darkseid had a ways back. When those clones captured Supergirl by invading Paradise Island, Superman recognized that they weren't really sentient beings but drones and incinerated the lot of them with his heat vision. Didn't see anyone making a fuss about it then! This seems to be the same concept for these new Parademons.

SPOILERS;

It was sh*t. 

 @kama_094  said: 

I just read a short (6 page) preview of this issue... Damn... Superman is like a bulldozer... This issue had better be epic after what I saw... Damn Supes is so bad ass right now (no fanboyism intended =P)... And yeah... I dont think parademons should count... Can't wait to see cyborg in action too

I got a feeling that Superman and Aquaman will have a few problems next issue.

SUPERMAN IN THE NEW 52 IS COOL

SUPERMAN IN THE NEW 52 IS COOL

Is Justice League any good, I have been thinking about getting it but putting it off, any suggestions?

There is a BIG problem with the new depiction of Parademons. Arguably, they are the equivalent of New Genesis's bugs, which is to say, the lower class. The Parademons are not considered people by Darkseid, just like bugs are not considered people by others, like Orion for instance, but this is because they think themselves as gods and superheroes really should know better. I do not want to go all Godwin point here but I do believe that it was what Kirby had in mind in his and quite clearly, Johns and Lee are making a HUGE mistake here by recognizing two types of people and drawing this line that was there to be critized.

Is Justice League any good, I have been thinking about getting it but putting it off, any suggestions?

@pspin: I've been pretty thrilled by it so far. The one thing that I'd caution you with hearing people's recommendations on this book is that most comments are probably going to fall on "party lines" in their allegiance or hatred of Geoff Johns. People who are crying out that it is the worst piece of comics history... more often than not are strong Johns haters. People irrationally in support of the book (I'll count myself in the number to be fair) are probably die-hard loyalists.

If you have any opinions on Johns, I'd use them to guide you, as that would probably be a fair predictor on whether you'll enjoy it.

Personally, attempting to remove my 'Johns diehard' stance, I'd say that if you're interested in a ground-up, paced build of an early Justice League adventure, this one will do it for you. It has humor and action, is easy to follow and should be a good foundational element.

I quite like what they're shaping the Justice League into. It's a shame I know Hal won't be there for long.

@FadeToBlackBolt said:

SPOILERS;

It was sh*t.

Thanks for the heads up.

Any chance to see Jim Lee at the helm has my purchase by default. I suggest purchasing the first arc at least.

Superman is finally a character I can enjoy.

One question though, did Cyborg have a connection with Darkseid before?

Any chance to see Jim Lee at the helm has my purchase by default. I suggest purchasing the first arc at least.

Superman is finally a character I can enjoy.

One question though, did Cyborg have a connection with Darkseid before?

 @kama_094  said: 

I just read a short (6 page) preview of this issue... Damn... Superman is like a bulldozer... This issue had better be epic after what I saw... Damn Supes is so bad ass right now (no fanboyism intended =P)... And yeah... I dont think parademons should count... Can't wait to see cyborg in action too

For all Superman knew, the Parademons were just a group of enlisted alien men with families and children under the thumb of an oppressive dictator. But nope, let's behead them. 
 
@azza04 said: 

I got a feeling that Superman and Aquaman will have a few problems next issue.

"Who's the bigger douchebag?" will make for an interesting battle.  

@FadeToBlackBolt said:

 @kama_094  said: 

I just read a short (6 page) preview of this issue... Damn... Superman is like a bulldozer... This issue had better be epic after what I saw... Damn Supes is so bad ass right now (no fanboyism intended =P)... And yeah... I dont think parademons should count... Can't wait to see cyborg in action too

For all Superman knew, the Parademons were just a group of enlisted alien men with families and children under the thumb of an oppressive dictator. But nope, let's behead them. 
 
@azza04 said: 

I got a feeling that Superman and Aquaman will have a few problems next issue.

"Who's the bigger douchebag?" will make for an interesting battle.  

Hey Hey Don't blame Superman he's just a slave to the writers. Blame the writers. :p  (I'm undecided about how I feel on this until I see more)

@FadeToBlackBolt: I take it you're not a fan of the new Superman? Did you like the character before the reboot?

@FadeToBlackBolt said:

@azza04: Loved him. But I wouldn't like the new one even if I hated the old one.

I think your in the minority. Superman had by and large felt very bland before. That's not saying he needs to be a murderous 'tude driven character to be successful. It just means the writers sucked.

@FadeToBlackBolt: FOR GODS SAKE IT DOSENT MATTER IF THOOSE CREATURES HAVE FAMILYS AND BELEIVE THEY ARE DOING THE RIGHT THING THEY ARE ATTACKING ARE WORLD AND DRAGGING AWAY INOCENT PEOPLE BY FORCE TO DO GOD KNOWS WHAT TO THEM. the terrorist in 911 might have had familys. some one who sets car bombs might have familys it dosent freaking matter they choose to hurt inocent people even if they as soilders where ordered to do so you and they dont get to bloody conplain when the defenders of the innocent kill them to keep them from harming anyone else. this is an invasion it is now war people die in war!

the cretures have blood they are almost definatly cyborgs/bio-mechanical

its like how the aliens in BATTLE LOS ANGELUS had been surgicaly altered to have weapons directly fused to there bodys

Mentioned this somewhere else but;

1. Not really a fan of WW being portrayed as naive as she is here, the cartoon managed it without making her look dim. At most she would mention there were certain things they didn't have back home (Ice Mocca for example), but that was it, and technologically the toon and the DCnU amazons are on the same level. Thankfully Diana's own series rocks :)
2. The changes to Victor's story really isn't an improvement in my eyes. Marv and George made it wonderful, in a way, by having Silas indirectly responsible both for Victors injuries and his transformation through hard and careful work despite what the accident also caused. On top of that there was the story about Victors anger at Silas and finally the mending fences before Silas died of the radiation the original monster unleashed on him as well. Compared to that, well, what Johns and Lee has worked out so far isn't measuring up to that.   
   

@FadeToBlackBolt: FOR GODS SAKE IT DOSENT MATTER IF THOOSE CREATURES HAVE FAMILYS AND BELEIVE THEY ARE DOING THE RIGHT THING THEY ARE ATTACKING ARE WORLD AND DRAGGING AWAY INOCENT PEOPLE BY FORCE TO DO GOD KNOWS WHAT TO THEM. the terrorist in 911 might have had familys. some one who sets car bombs might have familys it dosent freaking matter they choose to hurt inocent people even if they as soilders where ordered to do so you and they dont get to bloody conplain when the defenders of the innocent kill them to keep them from harming anyone else. this is an invasion it is now war people die in war!

@movieartman said:

@FadeToBlackBolt: FOR GODS SAKE IT DOSENT MATTER IF THOOSE CREATURES HAVE FAMILYS AND BELEIVE THEY ARE DOING THE RIGHT THING THEY ARE ATTACKING ARE WORLD AND DRAGGING AWAY INOCENT PEOPLE BY FORCE TO DO GOD KNOWS WHAT TO THEM. the terrorist in 911 might have had familys. some one who sets car bombs might have familys it dosent freaking matter they choose to hurt inocent people even if they as soilders where ordered to do so you and they dont get to bloody conplain when the defenders of the innocent kill them to keep them from harming anyone else. this is an invasion it is now war people die in war!

Except that Superman is supposed to be better than that. He's meant to be above killing just for the sake of it.   And for the record, THIS ISN'T WAR. THIS IS A LOCALISED INSURGENCY AT BEST, POSSIBLY BY A PRIVATE ENTERPRISE AND NOT AN EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL STATE. BUT   ISN'T IT AWESOME WHEN PEOPLE POST OBNOXIOUSLY IN CAPS, EVEN MORE SO WHEN THEY TOTALLY MISS THE POINT?  

Mentioned this somewhere else but;

1. Not really a fan of WW being portrayed as naive as she is here, the cartoon managed it without making her look dim. At most she would mention there were certain things they didn't have back home (Ice Mocca for example), but that was it, and technologically the toon and the DCnU amazons are on the same level. Thankfully Diana's own series rocks :)