After 70-plus years with his named buried from the spotlight, Bill Finger, the unheralded co-creator of Batman and many of the Caped Crusader’s rogues gallery, has been awarded his much-deserved recognition. Much of this is thanks to the book Bill The Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman. The 2012 book brought an increased awareness to Finger’s massive contributions to one of the most popular superhero universes in existence (it’s said Finger created or co-created Joker, Riddler, Scarecrow, Gotham City, the Batmobile and many more I’m leaving out for space).
Now, a documentary from Hulu is telling Bill Finger’s story, how he was removed from the picture for decades, and was ultimately given justice in the eyes of superhero fans across the world. This coming almost 30 years after Bob Kane finally, publicly shared his regret of not giving Finger credit due:
“Now that my long-time friend and collaborator is gone, I must admit that Bill never received the fame and recognition he deserved. He was an unsung hero … I often tell my wife, if I could go back fifteen years, before he died, I would like to say. ‘I’ll put your name on it now. You deserve it.'”
Thanks to the work of Finger’s granddaughter and author Marc Tyler Nobleman, Finger has been receiving co-credit as a creator of Batman on various comics, as well as the Batman vs. Superman movie. Now that his story of being buried is (ironically) becoming well-known, hopefully, this documentary can explain why Bob Kane became a villain as a creator of a hero.
(Via Collider)
