Film Review: "Batman & Bill" (2017)

"A secret identity finally revealed" in Batman & Bill. This documentary film written and directed by Don Argott and Sheena M. Joyce. For years, Bob Kane has been credited as Batman's creator. As time passed, rumors swirled that the Caped Crusader had another father. Who was this man? Batman & Bill tells the story of the uncredited creator of Batman, and a crusade to bring him justice.

On October 24, 1915, American comic book writer and artist Robert Kahn (better known as Bob Kane) was born. On February 8, 1914, American comic strip and comic book writer, Milton Finger (known professionally and personally as Bill Finger) was born. Kane is best known as the creator, with Finger, of the DC Comics character Batman. He is best known as the uncredited creator of Batman, and the uncredited co-architect of the series' development, who mostly worked as his ghostwriter. Kane negotiated a contract with National Comics (the future DC Comics) that signed away ownership of Batman in exchange for, among other compensations, a sole mandatory byline on all Batman comics (and adaptations thereof). Finger's name, in contrast, did not appear as an official credit on Batman stories or films until 2015. Finger received no acknowledgment for his contributions. Although Finger did not receive contemporaneous credit for his hand in the development of Batman, Kane acknowledged Finger's contributions years after Finger's death. Unfortunately, Finger died on January 18, 1974. On November 3, 1998, Kane died before he publically acknowledge Finger's contributions.

For more than seventy-five years Kane had been the sole legally acknowledged creator of Batman. The 2012 book Bill the Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-creator of Batman by Marc Tyler Nobleman challenged that notion by pointing out how Finger is actually the person behind Batman and its mythos. Upon the release of the book, other comic book historians and industry figures also offered their thoughts about Finger. In 2015, DC Entertainment and the family of Bill Finger reached an agreement that recognizes Finger's contributions to the Batman family. Finger received credit in season two of the TV series Gotham (2014-19) as well as Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), and now receives on-screen credit for the co-creation of Batman in DC films and television projects.

The film eventually serves as an archetype for anyone who has tried to contribute to a team only to have someone else claim the credit, glory, and rewards that follow in the wake of the team's success. Finger's life as a struggling writer, the reverberations of his career failure on his family, and the film's adroit, lively way of guiding us through the potentially dull subject of copyright law all combine to give the film a lot of juicy oomph. The comics cognoscenti, who are aware of Finger's saga, should still find much to appreciate in the documentary. It doesn't cover every topic or feature every interviewee fans might want, but the film offers a satisfying, in-depth look at the life and legacy of Finger.

Simon says Batman & Bill receives: