New Batman and Bill (Finger) documentary trailer

[Daniel Ross Dudley]

[thecolorsblend]

Watched this the other night.

Folks, I've done horrible things to other people in my time. Nothing illegal, you understand. But still horrible things. The guilt of it stays with you.

Still, at least I'm not Bob Kane. Maybe I've done lousy things but I've never even come close to being as big an a-hole as Kane was. Ripping Finger off is the least of what Kane did to the guy when all's said and done.

[The Dark Knight]

I watched the film too, and it's a must see for all Batman fans.

Bob Kane was a lowlife. As we all know, Batman is simply not his sole creation and the documentary really rams that point home. Bob had his eyes on the money and that's it. It's one thing to treat enemies this way, but co-collaborators? Kane didn't just rip off Finger. He destroyed his life. Kane knew what he did and he kept repeating the same old lie for the rest of his life.

As Bill himself said on a recording, "I was a ghost, I really was. It wasn't until later that they found out I was the writer and Bob Kane wasn't the writer. Bob Kane was using me as a kind of tool all this time to bolster his own pay check."

That sums the situation up right there. Everything good about the character came from Bill. Batman, Robin, The Joker, Catwoman, The Riddler, Penguin, Scarecrow, Commissioner Gordon, Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, Gotham City, The Dark Knight nickname, The Batmobile, the Bat Cave and Batman's origin simply wouldn't exist without Bill Finger.

Just comprehend that for a moment, and that Bob Kane got all the credit for so long. Other people did the work and Bob Kane put his name on it. He had nothing worthwhile to offer. He was a sham.

Mr Finger, I salute you. You're the real Dark Knight.

[thecolorsblend]

Well, I could look the other way about it back in 1939. Nobody had any reason to believe Batman would still be in print by 1945. The odds of that were pretty bad. Hand on heart, I think Kane thought he was screwing Finger out of a few hundred bucks, tops. And that was still huge money in the 30's. But even back then, nobody retired on what Kane started off earning from Batman.

But by about the late 40's, it's obvious that Batman has legs. This character is bigger than either of them ever envisioned. And the right thing to do probably would've been renegotiating his contract with DC (or NPP, really) to include Finger. Any hackjob lawyer could've knocked that out by lunch time.

When you start getting into the 60's and Kane is getting rich... yeah, it's definitely time now for Finger to get his due.

But the fact that Finger died in some crappy New York apartment alone, penniless, unknown and barely employed is just inexcusable.

I remember hearing the rumors about Bill Finger when I was a kid. So a lot of this stuff isn't new to me. But the extent to which Kane went to rewrite history was a major eye-opener.

I usually don't get up in arms when people make lousy deals. Because they're the ones who made them. But Finger was excluded from the negotiations and Kane, the one guy who knew exactly what was going on and could've changed it any time he wanted, never lifted a finger to help.

Inexcusable.

[The Dark Knight]

But the fact that Finger died in some crappy New York apartment alone, penniless, unknown and barely employed is just inexcusable.

I remember hearing the rumors about Bill Finger when I was a kid. So a lot of this stuff isn't new to me. But the extent to which Kane went to rewrite history was a major eye-opener.

I usually don't get up in arms when people make lousy deals. Because they're the ones who made them. But Finger was excluded from the negotiations and Kane, the one guy who knew exactly what was going on and could've changed it any time he wanted, never lifted a finger to help.

Pretty much. This is like Lance Armstrong cheating his way to seven consecutive titles and suing everyone who threatens to tell the truth. The story Kane sold to the public needs to be exposed more often because it's just not right. Finger simply didn't have the opportunity to make any form of deal because Kane got in first. Kane got talking to the higher ups, spun his lies and it exploded from there. I mean, check out this insult Kane gave Finger in death:

"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.'"

Kane was NEVER going to say this while Finger was alive.

Bob Kane's contribution to Batman amounts to this:



Finger created the character and his world from there.

[Azrael]

[Silver Nemesis]

Far be it from me to speak ill of the dead, but Bob Kane was clearly not a man of high moral character. Here he is shafting Jerry Robinson (from the 3:15 mark):

To quote Alexander Knox: "What a dick."

[The Dark Knight]

Kane only ever had hearsay and the fact his name was listed as creator as his proof.

It makes you wonder what Stan Lee thinks of Kane these days.

[thecolorsblend]

It makes you wonder what Stan Lee thinks of Kane these days.

Not to derail the topic, but I'm not sure how much moral authority Lee has on this subject. While I certainly don't buy the idea that Kirby played any major role in Spider-Man's creation, I do think Kirby had a leg to stand on in a lot of cases.

I've wondered if Lee didn't hear the truth about Kane, slap himself over the head and say "Why didn't I think of that?"

[Silver Nemesis]

It makes you wonder what Stan Lee thinks of Kane these days.

Here's a more recent video where he discusses Kane with Frank Miller.

Off topic, but is anyone else concerned about Miller? He looks older than Lee in this clip. Here's a picture of him taken at the Sin City 2 premiere when he was just 57 years old:

I hope he's all right.