Who's Who: Update '87 #2

History

The original Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe was conceived by Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, and Robert Greenberger as a comic-book-format encyclopedia of the DC Universe, with the loose-leaf format devised by editor Michael Eury; it ran 26 issues from 1985 to 1987. Because that original run launched simultaneously with Crisis on Infinite Earths, its later issues were already racing to catch up with a universe in flux, and the Update '87 five-part limited series (August–December 1987) was DC's direct editorial response — a structured attempt to document new characters introduced after the original series went to press and to revise entries reshaped by post-Crisis retcons. Issue #2, cover-dated September 1987 (published July 1987), was overseen by editor Robert Greenberger, with writing contributions from Len Wein, Paul Levitz, Mike W. Barr, Bob Rozakis, Todd Klein, Peter Sanderson, and Doug Moench, and artwork drawn by an unusually deep roster of talent including George Pérez, Alan Davis, David Mazzucchelli, Dan Jurgens, Todd McFarlane, Jim Aparo, and Butch Guice, among many others.

Trivia · 8 facts

• Cover date: September 1987 (published July 1987); second issue of the five-part Who's Who: Update '87 limited series (DC Comics).
• Covers characters alphabetically from Catwoman II through Goldstar, functioning as a post-Crisis continuity reference for that alphabetical range.
• Contains the first DC Who's Who profile entry for Cheetah (Barbara Minerva), the new post-Crisis incarnation of Wonder Woman's arch-enemy created by George Pérez — though Barbara Minerva's actual first comic appearance was in Wonder Woman Vol. 2 #7 (August 1987), with her Cheetah form debuting in #9 (October 1987).
• Formally documents Wally West's promotion from Kid Flash to the third Flash following Barry Allen's death in Crisis on Infinite Earths, with the entry illustrated by Butch Guice.
• The Catwoman II entry, drawn by Alan Davis, updates Selina Kyle's profile to reflect the Frank Miller/David Mazzucchelli Batman: Year One retcon of her origin; the Commissioner Gordon entry, also drawn by Mazzucchelli, similarly reflects his reimagined post-Year One characterization.
• The massive artist roster for this single issue includes George Pérez, Alan Davis, David Mazzucchelli, Dan Jurgens, Todd McFarlane, Jim Aparo, Joe Staton, Eduardo Barreto, Murphy Anderson, Pat Broderick, and Butch Guice, among others — each artist typically drawing the character(s) most associated with their own concurrent DC work.
• A production error noted by Grand Comics Database researchers resulted in Doll Girl's colors being accidentally reversed — she was depicted wearing a blue outfit with a red cape, when her actual costume was a red outfit with a blue cape.
• The entire issue was later reprinted in the oversized Who's Who Omnibus Vol. 1 (April 2021), a 1,320-page hardcover collecting the original 26-issue series alongside both Update '87 and Update '88 runs.

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