After almost '80 years, the man who created much of what modern fans recognise as the Batman brand can officially be recognised thanks to a crediting decision by DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. The creatives behind Batman V Superman have announced that Bill Finger, the co-creator of Batman alongside Bob Kane, will receive credit on their screen projects. It's been a long time coming. Finger basically developed Bob Kane's thin initial idea for the character, adding the suggestion of making his cowl look like a Bat, inventing Bruce Wayne, his home city of Gotham and a host of other details. The fact that he got screwed out of his rightful credit in 1939, when Kane signed a sole credit deal, is one of the greatest travesties in comic book history. By the time he died, even Kane had officially acknowledged that Finger played a contributing role in Batman's creation, saying "Bill never received the fame and recognition he deserved." And in 2014, DC finally relented and added a cover credit to the 75th anniversary re-releases of the character's first appearance. Sadly, Finger died in poverty - a further travesty to the tragedy of his creative shunning - while Kane was heavily lauded (despite some questionable practices, including the insistence on that sole credit). But then, history does always favour the victors. Hopefully, this will go some way to reappropriating Finger's due acclaim, and the reassessment of Bob Kane's position as Batman's creator. And you'd have to think that Warner Bros will add his name to the list of suggested Easter Eggs as a further publicity win. DC's official statement reads as follows:
Bill Finger was instrumental in developing many of the key creative elements that enrich the Batman universe, and we look forward to building on our acknowledgement of his significant role in DC Comics history. As part of our acknowledgement of those contributions, Nelson continued, we are pleased to confirm today that Bill Finger will be receiving credit in the Warner Bros. television series Gotham beginning later this season, and in the forthcoming motion picture Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
It might have taken way too long, but that's a good move by DC.
