This week's Batman comics mark a major change for the character, but unless you're a sharp-eyed reader who pays close attention to the credits pages, you might have missed it. As the Red Hood and Cassandra Cain threw down on the opening spread of Batman and Robin Eternal #3, Bill Finger finally received a credit as the co-creator of Batman after 76 years without proper recognition.

The credit isn't entirely surprising --- only a month ago, DC Entertainment announced that it had reached an agreement with Finger's family "that recognizes Mr. Finger’s significant contributions to the Batman family of characters," and that he would be credited on the Gotham TV show and the upcoming Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice movie.

But even then, there was some question of whether that would extend to the long-running "Batman created by Bob Kane" credit that appears in the character's native medium. Now, we've got a revised version, although the actual wording is a little interesting.

If you missed it, here's the credit as it appears in Batman and Robin Eternal #3, down in the bottom right corner:

 

Bill Finger creator credit, Batman Eternal #3
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It's worth noting that this is a brand new development. Both last week's Batman And Robin Eternal #2 and this week's release of Paul Pope's Batman Year 100 And Other Tales --- something that's presumably been in production longer than the weekly comics --- include the familiar "created by Bob Kane" credit, while this week's Batman: Arkham Knight Genesis #3 also has the new credit:

 

Bill Finger creator credit, Batman: Arkham Knight Genesis #3
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The official acknowledgement of Finger's contributions to Batman is the culmination of a movement that began in 1965, when Jerry Bails published an article called "If The Truth Be Known, or, A Finger In Every Plot", which revealed the real story of Batman's creation just before the Caped Crusader became a worldwide icon.

In the years that followed, creators like Mike W. Barr were vocal supporters of securing recognition for Finger, and more recently, Marc Tyler Nobleman and Ty Templeton's book Bill the Boy Wonder did a lot to get the word out that there was an unsung hero who provided almost everything that formed the core of that original character except the name.

This week's comics mark the first time that Finger has been credited as a creator rather than just a writer; a huge step towards giving him his proper place in comics history.

 

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