Young Daniel Bradman was a fan of the Superman and so for his Bar Mitzvah in 1988, his father Godfrey commissioned DC Comics to create a custom Superman comic to offer as a party favor for guests.
“This Island Bradman” was penciled by Curt Swan and inked by Angelo Torres, and followed Daniel, his half-brother Andrew Hunt and the rest of the family as they’re transported with their home and Superman, to an alien world, where they’re to serve as entertainment. Superman is rendered powerless by kryptonite rays, leaving it up to the boys to rescue the superhero and return them home.
The issue, which reportedly cost Bradman $18,000, is what comic book writer Mark Waid has called “probably the rarest Superman comic in my lifetime,” as the print run was no more than 200; that figure comes from Paul Levitz’s 75 Years of DC Comics: The Art of Modern Mythmaking, though other sources put it much lower.
Blastoff Comics in North Hollywood, California, was recently contacted by Godfrey Bradman offering to sell a copy of “This Island Bradman.” Owner Jud Meyers purchased the comic, and then recently sold it to a French collector for $5,000.