My buddy Marc Tyler Nobleman (so yeah, I’m a little biased) has penned two excellent “children’s” books focusing on some of the earliest creators of the most iconic super heroes ever– ‘Boys of Steel’ about Jerry Seigel and Joe Shuster, who created Superman and ‘Bill The Boy Wonder’ about Bill Finger, the unsung co-creator of Batman.  Nobleman has long been lobbying to get Finger more credit as he came up with a lot of the most iconic aspects of the Batman mythos, yet Bob Kane gets sole credit for the creation of that character and all things related.  With the possibly huge live action series ‘Gotham’ hitting Fox TV this fall, the push to get Finger a co-creator credit has intensified.

Among his contributions, it was Finger that convinced Kane that a character named Batman shouldn’t be garbed in a RED costume, leading to the famous gray and navy/black uniform.  He also co-created Commissioner Gordon and came up with the name “Gotham City.”  He also contributed a large chunk to the creation of The Joker who it has been revealed will factor into the show.  Since the show borrows so heavily from these creations, shouldn’t the person who actually came up with them get some credit?

Additionally, Finger’s granddaughter Athena has rallied to his support.  She expressed, “Due to what I feel is continued mistreatment of a true artist, I am currently exploring our rights and considering how best to establish the recognition that my grandfather deserves.”

A Facebook campaign has also been launched to grant Finger a credit on the series.  One posting reads, “THIS is where we show the world that fans know who created Batman and that we call upon DC Comics to negotiate with the Kane estate to make things right. It’s in DC’s own best interests because the ongoing situation makes them look bad whether that’s fair to them or not.”

Keep in mind, not only is ‘Gotham’ winging onto television, but Ben Affleck is stepping into the big screen role in ‘Batman Vs. Superman’.  Isn’t it time that Batman’s true co-creator (and his estate) were given their rightful credit?

And if you want to know more about Bill Finger’s contribution to the Batman legacy (and because I’m a total fanboy of all of my awesomely talented friends) pick up Marc Tyler Nobleman’s ‘Bill The Boy Wonder’ from Amazon.  And if you pick up his other book, ‘Boys of Steel’ you get FREE SHIPPING!   (Okay, done with the plugging.  But seriously, if you love comics and its rich history, these are must-reads!)