8 Incredible Creators That Changed Comics Forever

2. Bill Finger

Bill Finger created Batman. Spread the word.

Believe it or not, but it's taken almost 70 years for the artist to receive credit for the creation of the Dark Knight, with Bob Kane having taken sole credit for the better half of a century. It wasn't until 1989 when Kane finally acknowledged Finger's contributions to the character, fifteen years after the artist's death. It would take a further twenty-six for him to receive an official credit.

Almost everything we know about Batman was created by Finger, including the character's secret identity, many of his villains (assisted by the also overlooked Jerry Robinson), and his actual look itself. The original design forwarded by Kane featured a blond-haired man in red tights, flying around on mechanical wings. Sensing that this wasn't, y'know, a good look for the character, Finger created the black and grey hue that has stuck with the Caped Crusader for almost a century, on top of the symbol, cowl and utility belt.

It's criminal that it's taken as long as it has for Finger to finally receive the credit he deserves for the creation of Batman. And as for the character himself? Well, his influence kind of goes without saying. Batman is the most popular character in the medium and a true icon of pop-culture. Without him, things would be very different.