Who's Who in the DC Universe #11

History

The loose-leaf Who's Who in the DC Universe series (1990–1992) was shepherded by editor Michael Eury, who had originated the distinctive loose-leaf format, with Robert Greenberger serving as consulting editor throughout the run. Issue #11 went on sale June 13, 1991, with a July 1991 cover date, arriving at the midpoint of the 16-issue series. The series as a whole represented DC's deliberate choice to move away from the comprehensive, more serious tone of the 1985–87 Definitive Directory and toward entries that reflected the looser, more personality-driven storytelling of the Giffen-era Justice League books — a shift apparent in issue #11's unconventional Guy Gardner profile. The entire run was eventually reprinted in the hardcover Who's Who Omnibus Vol. 2 (cover-dated December 2022), which collected all 16 loose-leaf issues alongside Who's Who in the Legion of Super-Heroes #1–7 and Who's Who Update 1993 #1–2.

Trivia · 8 facts

• Cover date: July 1991; on-sale date: June 13, 1991. Published by DC Comics as part of the 16-issue loose-leaf limited series (August 1990 – February 1992).
• Format: oversized (approximately 8.5 × 11 inches), 48 pages, full color, loose-leaf pages designed for insertion into a separately sold three-ring binder — an unusual physical format for a periodical comic.
• The Guy Gardner profile in this issue is written entirely from Gardner's first-person perspective, a deliberate break from the encyclopedic house style and one of the most-discussed editorial choices in the entire series.
• Featured profiles include Big Barda (art by Adam Hughes and Karl Story), Crimson Fox (art by Bart Sears and Terry Austin), Doctor Light II / Kimiyo Hoshi (art by Brian Stelfreeze and Karl Story), General Glory (art by Linda Medley, who incorporated a visual homage to J.C. Leyendecker's wartime illustration work), Guardians of the Universe, Guy Gardner, Hell's Hierarchy, Joshua Clay, and L.E.G.I.O.N.
• The General Glory entry is particularly notable for its artistic concept: Linda Medley used Leyendecker's 'Weapons for Liberty – U.S.A. Bonds' image as a layout reference, and Leyendecker is officially credited in the issue as 'Layout Assist: JC Leyendecker' — an unusual posthumous credit in a DC comic.
• Crimson Fox (Vivian and Constance D'Aramis) had first appeared in Justice League Europe #6, created by Keith Giffen and Bart Sears; this issue provided one of the character's earliest dedicated reference profiles.
• Doctor Light II (Kimiyo Hoshi) was created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez, first appearing in Crisis on Infinite Earths #4 (1985); her profile here, illustrated by then-emerging artist Brian Stelfreeze, helped cement her post-Crisis identity for readers.
• The entire series, including this issue, was collected in the hardcover Who's Who Omnibus Vol. 2 (December 2022), which spans 1,216 pages and also includes Who's Who in the Legion of Super-Heroes #1–7 and Who's Who Update 1993 #1–2.

Full credits

Key issues in Who's Who in the DC Universe