It may not seem like much -- or enough, to be frank -- but it's noteworthy that when DC Comics releases a new, free version of the original Detective Comics #27 on "Batman Day" July 23, it'll include a cover credit for "the uncredited, unrecognized and unsung creative force" behind Batman, Bill Finger.

ComicsAlliance's Chris Sims, a noted Batmanologist, said in a post last week, "Finger is, of course, the writer of the earliest Batman comics, whose contributions to the creation of the Dark Knight include the costume and color scheme, the origin story, the lack of superpowers, the words 'Batmobile' and 'Gotham City,' Robin, the Joker and numerous other elements. Unfortunately, due to some legal trickery by his collaborator and actual supervillain Bob Kane, Finger’s never been officially identified with a 'Batman created by' credit in any published works or films or other Batman media."

Finger's lack of credit on comics' most famous character led to the Bill Finger Award, which recognizes writers "for a body of work that has not received its rightful reward and/or recognition." Sims also points out that because cover credits for creators weren't used when Finger was actively working on Batman, this is likely the very first time he'll receive one -- so it's a long overdue step in the right direction.



(Editor's note: Every Sunday, Robot 6 contributors discuss “The best in comics from the last seven days” -- from news and announcements to a great comic that came out to something cool creators or fans have done. We're trying something a little different this week by breaking our entries up into separate posts, so let us know what you think in the comments).