Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #2 - First Appearance of Doctor Canus, Printings and Contents

Identification plate

Series: Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe (DC, 1985 series)
Issue: #2
Publication date: April 1985
Key date: April 1985
On-sale date: December 24, 1984
Indicia publisher: DC Comics Inc.
Price: $1.00; 1.35 CAD; 0.45 GBP
Pages: 36

Match the book in your hand against this plate before paying an edition-specific price.

Why this issue matters

First appearance (profile) of Doctor Canus - the earliest appearance on record is a character profile, not a story.

First appearance (cover) of Big Sir - the earliest appearance on record is a cover, not an interior story.

First appearance (cover) of Dufus P. Ratchet - the earliest appearance on record is a cover, not an interior story.

First appearance (cover) of Blackbriar Thorn - the earliest appearance on record is a cover, not an interior story.

First appearance (cover) of Azrael - the earliest appearance on record is a cover, not an interior story.

First appearance (profile) of Bizarro-Batman - the earliest appearance on record is a character profile, not a story.

First appearance (profile) of Baron Bedlam - the earliest appearance on record is a character profile, not a story.

First appearance (profile) of Frederick DeLamb - the earliest appearance on record is a character profile, not a story.

First appearance (profile) of Steve - the earliest appearance on record is a character profile, not a story.

First appearance (profile) of Renzi - the earliest appearance on record is a character profile, not a story.

First appearance (cover) of Barasha - the earliest appearance on record is a cover, not an interior story.

First appearance (cover) of Lur - the earliest appearance on record is a cover, not an interior story.

First appearance (cover) of Skinner - the earliest appearance on record is a cover, not an interior story.

First appearance (cover) of Renna - the earliest appearance on record is a cover, not an interior story.

First appearance (cover) of Yisrah - the earliest appearance on record is a cover, not an interior story.

First appearance (profile) of Bizarro-Yellow Lantern - the earliest appearance on record is a character profile, not a story.

First appearance (profile) of Professor Sterling - the earliest appearance on record is a character profile, not a story.

First appearance (profile) of Domino - the earliest appearance on record is a character profile, not a story.

First appearance (profile) of Helga - the earliest appearance on record is a character profile, not a story.

The evidence

Claims here come from the story records for this issue, listed under Sources at the bottom of the file. Character hubs with full evidence tables are coming to this site.

Seq	Story	Type	Pages	Credits	Characters
0	Who's Who	cover	2	pencils: George Pérez; inks: George Pérez	Andre, Automan, Azrael First, Babe, The Balloon Buster, Barasha First, Baron Bedlam First, Baron Blitzkrieg, Bat-Mite, Batgirl, Batman, Batman, Batwoman, Beautiful Dreamer
1	Whodunnit! Or Who's Who's Hows and Whys	text article	1	script: Marv Wolfman, Len Wein
2	Automan	character profile	0.5	script: Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, Mike W. Barr, Gary Cohn; pencils: Alex Saviuk; inks: Romeo Tanghal; colors: Helen Vesik, Shelly Eiber, Tatjana Wood, Bob LeRose	Automan, Ilda, Professor Sterling First
3	Azrael	character profile	0.5	script: Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, Mike W. Barr, Gary Cohn; pencils: José Luis García-López; inks: Romeo Tanghal; colors: Helen Vesik, Shelly Eiber, Tatjana Wood, Bob LeRose; letters: Todd Klein	Azrael First
4	Babe	character profile	1	script: Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, Mike W. Barr, Gary Cohn; pencils: Eduardo Barreto; inks: Eduardo Barreto; colors: Helen Vesik, Shelly Eiber, Tatjana Wood, Bob LeRose	Babe, Hukka
5	The Balloon Buster	character profile	1	script: Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, Mike W. Barr, Gary Cohn; pencils: Joe Kubert; inks: Joe Kubert; colors: Helen Vesik, Shelly Eiber, Tatjana Wood, Bob LeRose	The Balloon Buster, Lt. Steve Savage
6	Baron Bedlam	character profile	1	script: Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, Mike W. Barr, Gary Cohn; pencils: Jim Aparo; inks: Jim Aparo; colors: Helen Vesik, Shelly Eiber, Tatjana Wood, Bob LeRose	Baron Bedlam First, Frederick DeLamb First, Geo-Force, Brion Markov
7	Baron Blitzkrieg	character profile	1	script: Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, Mike W. Barr, Gary Cohn; pencils: Rick Hoberg; inks: Romeo Tanghal; colors: Helen Vesik, Shelly Eiber, Tatjana Wood, Bob LeRose	Baron Blitzkrieg
8	Baron Winters	character profile	1	script: Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, Mike W. Barr, Gary Cohn; pencils: Gene Colan; inks: Bob Smith; colors: Helen Vesik, Shelly Eiber, Tatjana Wood, Bob LeRose	Merlin, Baron Winters
9	The Barren Earth	character profile	1	script: Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, Mike W. Barr, Gary Cohn; pencils: Ron Randall; inks: Ron Randall; colors: Helen Vesik, Shelly Eiber, Tatjana Wood, Bob LeRose	Barasha First, Jinal Ne' Comarr, Lur First, Renna First, Skinner First, Yisrah First
10	Batcave	character profile	1	script: Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, Mike W. Barr, Gary Cohn; pencils: Howard Bender; inks: Gary Martin; colors: Helen Vesik, Shelly Eiber, Tatjana Wood, Bob LeRose
11	Batgirl	character profile	1	script: Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, Mike W. Barr, Gary Cohn; pencils: Brent Anderson; inks: Terry Austin; colors: Helen Vesik, Shelly Eiber, Tatjana Wood, Bob LeRose	Batgirl, Barbara Gordon
12	Bat Lash	character profile	1	script: Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, Mike W. Barr, Gary Cohn; pencils: Dave Gibbons; inks: Dave Gibbons; colors: Helen Vesik, Shelly Eiber, Tatjana Wood, Bob LeRose	Bat Lash
13	Batman I [Earth-Two]	character profile	1	script: Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, Mike W. Barr, Gary Cohn; pencils: Dave Gibbons; inks: Dave Gibbons; colors: Helen Vesik, Shelly Eiber, Tatjana Wood, Bob LeRose	Batman, Alfred Beagle, Joe Chill, Commissioner James Gordon, Dick Grayson, Robin, Bruce Wayne, Martha Wayne, Thomas Wayne
14	Batman II [Earth-One]	character profile	1	script: Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, Mike W. Barr, Gary Cohn; pencils: Dick Giordano; inks: Dick Giordano; colors: Helen Vesik, Shelly Eiber, Tatjana Wood, Bob LeRose	Batman, Joe Chill, Dick Grayson, Robin, Bruce Wayne, Martha Wayne, Thomas Wayne
15	Batman's Utility Belt	character profile	0.4	script: Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, Mike W. Barr, Gary Cohn; pencils: Dick Giordano; inks: Mike DeCarlo; colors: Helen Vesik, Shelly Eiber, Tatjana Wood, Bob LeRose
16	Batmobile	character profile	0.6	script: Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, Mike W. Barr, Gary Cohn; pencils: Dick Giordano; inks: Mike DeCarlo; colors: Helen Vesik, Shelly Eiber, Tatjana Wood, Bob LeRose
17	Batplane	character profile	0.67	script: Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, Mike W. Barr, Gary Cohn; pencils: Dick Giordano; inks: Mike DeCarlo; colors: Helen Vesik, Shelly Eiber, Tatjana Wood, Bob LeRose
18	Batboat	character profile	0.33	script: Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, Mike W. Barr, Gary Cohn; pencils: Dick Giordano; inks: Mike DeCarlo; colors: Helen Vesik, Shelly Eiber, Tatjana Wood, Bob LeRose
19	Bat-Mite	character profile	1	script: Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, Mike W. Barr, Gary Cohn; pencils: Marshall Rogers; inks: Marshall Rogers; colors: Helen Vesik, Shelly Eiber, Tatjana Wood, Bob LeRose	Bat-Mite, Batman, Dick Grayson, Robin, Bruce Wayne
20	Batwoman	character profile	1	script: Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, Mike W. Barr, Gary Cohn; pencils: Dick Giordano; inks: Dick Giordano; colors: Helen Vesik, Shelly Eiber, Tatjana Wood, Bob LeRose	Batwoman, Kathy Kane
21	Beautiful Dreamer	character profile	1	script: Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, Mike W. Barr, Gary Cohn; pencils: Jack Kirby; inks: Greg Theakston; colors: Helen Vesik, Shelly Eiber, Tatjana Wood, Bob LeRose	Beautiful Dreamer, Big Bear, Mark Moonrider, Serifan
22	Ben Boxer	character profile	1	script: Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, Mike W. Barr, Gary Cohn; pencils: Jack Kirby; inks: Greg Theakston; colors: Helen Vesik, Shelly Eiber, Tatjana Wood, Bob LeRose	Ben Boxer, Doctor Canus First, Kamandi, Renzi First, Steve First
23	Big Barda	character profile	1	script: Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, Mike W. Barr, Gary Cohn; pencils: Jack Kirby; inks: Greg Theakston; colors: Helen Vesik, Shelly Eiber, Tatjana Wood, Bob LeRose	Big Barda, Scott Free, Mister Miracle
24	Big Bear	character profile	1	script: Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, Mike W. Barr, Gary Cohn; pencils: Jack Kirby; inks: Bill Wray; colors: Helen Vesik, Shelly Eiber, Tatjana Wood, Bob LeRose	Beautiful Dreamer, Big Bear, Mark Moonrider, Vykin the Black
25	Big Sir	character profile	1	script: Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, Mike W. Barr, Gary Cohn; pencils: Carmine Infantino; inks: Klaus Janson; colors: Helen Vesik, Shelly Eiber, Tatjana Wood, Bob LeRose	Big Sir First, Dufus P. Ratchet First
26	Bizarro	character profile	1	script: Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, Mike W. Barr, Gary Cohn; pencils: Kevin O'Neill; inks: Kevin O'Neill; colors: Helen Vesik, Shelly Eiber, Tatjana Wood, Bob LeRose; letters: Todd Klein	Bizarro, Bizarro-Clark Kent No. 1, Bizarro-Krypto, Bizarro-Lois, Bizarro-Lois, Bizarro, Clark Kent, Superboy, Superman
27	Bizarro World	character profile	1	script: Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, Mike W. Barr, Gary Cohn; pencils: Curt Swan; inks: Karl Kesel; colors: Helen Vesik, Shelly Eiber, Tatjana Wood, Bob LeRose	Bizarro-Batman First, Bizarro-Krypto, Bizarro-Lois, Bizarro, Bizarro-Jimmy Olsen, Bizarro-Perry White, Bizarro-Yellow Lantern First
28	Black Bison	character profile	1	script: Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, Mike W. Barr, Gary Cohn; pencils: Pat Broderick; inks: Pat Broderick; colors: Helen Vesik, Shelly Eiber, Tatjana Wood, Bob LeRose	Black Bison, Black-Cloud-in-Morning, Firestorm, Ronnie Raymond, Martin Stein
29	Blackbriar Thorn	character profile	1	script: Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, Mike W. Barr, Gary Cohn; pencils: Joe Kubert; inks: Joe Kubert; colors: Helen Vesik, Shelly Eiber, Tatjana Wood, Bob LeRose; letters: Todd Klein	Jason Blood, Etrigan the Demon, Clark Kent, Superman, Blackbriar Thorn First
30	Black Canary I [Dinah Drake Lance]	character profile	0.5	script: Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, Mike W. Barr, Gary Cohn; pencils: Terry Austin; inks: Terry Austin; colors: Helen Vesik, Shelly Eiber, Tatjana Wood, Bob LeRose	Black Canary, Dinah Drake
31	Black Canary II [Dinah Laurel Lance]	character profile	0.5	script: Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, Mike W. Barr, Gary Cohn; pencils: Terry Austin; inks: Terry Austin; colors: Helen Vesik, Shelly Eiber, Tatjana Wood, Bob LeRose	Black Canary, Dinah Lance
32	The Black Condor	character profile	1	script: Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, Mike W. Barr, Gary Cohn; pencils: Jerry Ordway; inks: Jerry Ordway; colors: Helen Vesik, Shelly Eiber, Tatjana Wood, Bob LeRose	The Black Condor, Richard Grey, Jr. / Thomas Wright
33	Blackfire	character profile	1	script: Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, Mike W. Barr, Gary Cohn; pencils: George Pérez; inks: George Pérez; colors: Helen Vesik, Shelly Eiber, Tatjana Wood, Bob LeRose	Blackfire, Komand'r
34	Black Hand	character profile	1	script: Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, Mike W. Barr, Gary Cohn; pencils: Gil Kane; inks: Gil Kane; colors: Helen Vesik, Shelly Eiber, Tatjana Wood, Bob LeRose	Black Hand, Green Lantern, William Hand, Hal Jordan
35	Blackhawk	character profile	1	script: Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, Mike W. Barr, Gary Cohn; pencils: Dave Cockrum; inks: Murphy Anderson; colors: Helen Vesik, Shelly Eiber, Tatjana Wood, Bob LeRose	Blackhawk, Domino First, Helga First
36	The Blackhawks	character profile	1	script: Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, Mike W. Barr, Gary Cohn; pencils: Dave Cockrum; inks: Murphy Anderson; colors: Helen Vesik, Shelly Eiber, Tatjana Wood, Bob LeRose	Andre, Chop-Chop, Chuck, Hendrickson, Olaf, Stanislaus
37	Blackhawk Plane	character profile	0.5	script: Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, Mike W. Barr, Gary Cohn; pencils: Dave Cockrum; inks: Murphy Anderson; colors: Helen Vesik, Shelly Eiber, Tatjana Wood, Bob LeRose
38	Blackhawk Island	character profile	0.5	script: Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, Mike W. Barr, Gary Cohn; pencils: Dave Cockrum; inks: Murphy Anderson; colors: Helen Vesik, Shelly Eiber, Tatjana Wood, Bob LeRose
39	-	promo (ad from the publisher)	1	pencils: various; inks: various; letters: typeset

Printings and variants

Edition	How to tell
Newsstand	price 1.00 USD; barcode 0709893125104
Canadian	price 1.35 CAD; barcode 0709893125104

Where to read it

Collection	Year
Batman: Secrets of the Batcave #[nn] ISBN 978-1-4012-1370-1	2007	On eBay ›
Jack Kirby's Fourth World Omnibus #4 ISBN 978-1-4012-1583-5	2008	On eBay ›
Jack Kirby's Fourth World Omnibus #4 ISBN 978-1-4012-3746-2	2013	On eBay ›
The Jack Kirby Omnibus #2 ISBN 978-1-4012-3833-9	2013	On eBay ›
Mister Miracle by Jack Kirby #[nn] ISBN 978-1-4012-7717-8	2017	On eBay ›
The Fourth World Omnibus by Jack Kirby #[nn] ISBN 978-1-4012-7475-7	2018	On eBay ›

Reading the story costs a fraction of owning the issue. Both routes are on every file.

Before you buy

Confirm the UPC box: a publisher mark instead of a barcode means direct edition, a barcode means newsstand.
Glossy covers of this era show edge chipping easily. Check black edges closely in the photos.
Check the staples and centerfold; heavily read anniversary and key issues loosen there first.

Series context

‹ #12 of 26#3 ›

Sources

Grand Comics Database, issue record (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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