qq6xqrscc29pqhiu6prz.jpg

 

DC has done a  nice thing by putting the name of writer Bill Finger on the covers of the special edition of Detective #27, a  giveaway  that will be part of the July 23rd celebration of Batman Day. Finger, who was hired by Bob Kane to ghost write the series, is the uncredited writer of Batman, who came up with many of the Dark Knight’s most iconic elements, Although Kane must contractually be credited as the sole creator of Batman due to a contract he signed with DC by pretending he had been underage when the character was created, it’s nice to see Finger’s name given some prominence in a comic that a lot of people will see.

Of course, there is still some rancor within the Finger family over these matters.

The new Detective #27 contains a new version of Batman’s first story by Brad Meltzer and Bryan Hitch , and is designed by Batman enthusiast Chip Kidd. Other giveways for Batmanday include capes and masks. Retailers are getting a swell timeline poster seen below.

batman-timeline24-Final-1-1e136

3 COMMENTS

  1. Kane must contractually be credited as the sole creator of Batman due to a contract he signed with DC by pretending he had been underage when the character was created..
    >>>
    That might be an early element — but you left out the part (at least as I remember Kane telling the tale to Roy Thomas) where Kane lawyered up in the late 60s– and his new lawyer told Kane that they should take DC to court over these issues — Kane said, “but I’ll loose!” and the lawyer said: you will if it goes to trial but it won’t because they know I will tie them up long enough to torpedo that Batman movie they want to make (w/Warner– w/Adam West) ..so they’ll role over– and so Kane’s lawyer did get DC to role over and Kane got creator credit (and whatever else DC gave him at the time).

    Not such romantic yarn but something a lot of artists can study at to get an idea about how the world often works.

  2. What is DC were to reprint the Golden Age issues with an amended credit “Story by Bill Finger”? You wouldn’t even have to give him co-creator credit … just list him as the writer of the issue. He wrote most of them, and that wouldn’t conflict with Kane’s “sole creator” schtick.

  3. Nowadays, Finger is already credited as writer (or, at least, co-writer) in the stories he worked when they got reprinted, that’s not the issue. Co-creator credit, however, will be FAR more difficult.

    Don’t know if the family gets royalty reprints either.

Comments are closed.