Adventures of Superman #428

History

The issue sits within the early run of Adventures of Superman — the retitled, renumbered continuation of the original Superman comic — which DC launched in 1987 as part of the sweeping Post-Crisis relaunch shepherded by writer Marv Wolfman and penciller Jerry Ordway. Wolfman, fresh off Crisis on Infinite Earths and New Teen Titans, scripted the title with a deliberate focus on Clark Kent and his supporting cast, while Ordway — who had inked Crisis — handled both interiors and covers. According to Ordway himself, Bibbo's full character arc was already sketched out in the artist's mind when this issue was drawn, an unusually long-horizon piece of character planning for a figure who debuted as little more than a barroom tough. Gangbuster was created specifically because the Guardian was unavailable for use, per Ordway's own account from 2007.

Trivia · 8 facts

• First appearance of Bibbo Bibbowski (Bo 'Bibbo' Bibbowski), created by Marv Wolfman and Jerry Ordway; the character is modeled on Ordway's real-life friend Jo Jo Kaminski, described as a 'hard-as-nails softie.'
• First appearance of José Delgado, who would later become the street-level vigilante Gangbuster — a character Ordway created as a substitute for the Guardian, who was unavailable for use at the time.
• First appearances of Alice White (Perry White's wife) and Jerry White (Perry's son), characters whose ongoing storyline — including the eventual revelation that Perry is not Jerry's biological father — would run through the title for years.
• Story title is 'Personal Best'; written by Marv Wolfman, pencils and cover by Jerry Ordway, inks by Mike Machlan, colors by Tom Ziuko, letters by John Costanza, edited by Andy Helfer and Mike Carlin.
• The issue is part of Adventures of Superman, a title that continued the original Superman comic's numbering after the Post-Crisis relaunch, with this series editorially tasked with emphasizing Clark Kent's civilian and Daily Planet life alongside the superhero action.
• Bibbo's debut scene occurs in the Ace o' Clubs bar in Suicide Slum, where he tries to punch Superman — and damages his own hand — then gains genuine respect for the Man of Steel; Ordway stated he had already mapped out Bibbo's long-term evolution from this humble introduction.
• The issue has been reprinted in the collected editions Superman: The Man of Steel Vol. 3 and Superman: The Man of Steel Vol. 1 (2020 Edition).
• Bibbo Bibbowski went on to appear in multiple animated adaptations: Superman: The Animated Series (voiced by Brad Garrett), Young Justice (voiced by Miguel Ferrer), Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (played by Troy Evans), and the DC animated films The Death of Superman and Reign of the Supermen (voiced by Charles Halford).

Cast · 40 characters

Full credits

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