Bill the Boy Wonder
Discover the surprising origins of the legendary caped crusader in this entertaining picture book biography for young fans of Batman and superheroes
Batman’s biggest secret is not Bruce Wayne . . .
Every Batman story is marked with the words, “Batman created by Bob Kane.” But that isn’t the whole truth. A struggling writer named Bill Finger was involved from the beginning. Bill helped invent Batman, from concept to costume to character. He dreamed up Batman’s haunting origins and his colorful nemeses. Despite his brilliance, Bill worked in obscurity. It was only after his death that fans went to bat for Bill, calling for acknowledgment that he was co-creator of Batman.
Cartoonist and popular Batman artist Ty Templeton brings Marc Tyler Nobleman’s exhaustive research to life. Perfect for reluctant readers and those bridging from easy readers to longer narratives, this classic underdog story will inspire all readers to take ownership of, and pride in, their work.Marc Tyler Nobleman is the author of Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman, which received multiple starred reviews and was named an American Library Association Notable Book. Due to discoveries Marc made in his research, the book also landed on the front page of USA Today. Marc never dressed as Batman for Halloween, but he was Robin twice (and Superman three times). Today, he lives with his family in Maryland. He reveals his research secrets and promotional gambles at noblemania.blogspot.com.Bill figured a character named after a bat should look menacing—even though he would be a good guy.
The red union suit struck Bill as too cheery. He proposed colors that could better fade into the shadows.
He recommended replacing the wisp of a mask with a cowl that covered all but Bat-Man’s chin. Pointing out an illustration of a bat in a dictionary, he said, “Why don’t we duplicate the ears?”
He felt that the wings were awkward. “I suggest you make a cape and scallop the edges,” Bill said. “It would flow out behind him when he runs and look like bat wings.”
He thought Bat-Man would be more intimidating if it seemed that he had no pupils—just white slits for eyes.
Bill knew that Bat-Man should not only look different from Superman but also be different. Superman was alien-born and near-invulnerable. Bill thought that Bat-Man should be a human being who could be hurt. A superhero without superpowers. Someone anyone could be.
Bob liked Bill’s changes.
Batman’s biggest secret is not Bruce Wayne . . .
Every Batman story is marked with the words, “Batman created by Bob Kane.” But that isn’t the whole truth. A struggling writer named Bill Finger was involved from the beginning. Bill helped invent Batman, from concept to costume to character. He dreamed up Batman’s haunting origins and his colorful nemeses. Despite his brilliance, Bill worked in obscurity. It was only after his death that fans went to bat for Bill, calling for acknowledgment that he was co-creator of Batman.
Cartoonist and popular Batman artist Ty Templeton brings Marc Tyler Nobleman’s exhaustive research to life. Perfect for reluctant readers and those bridging from easy readers to longer narratives, this classic underdog story will inspire all readers to take ownership of, and pride in, their work.Marc Tyler Nobleman is the author of Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman, which received multiple starred reviews and was named an American Library Association Notable Book. Due to discoveries Marc made in his research, the book also landed on the front page of USA Today. Marc never dressed as Batman for Halloween, but he was Robin twice (and Superman three times). Today, he lives with his family in Maryland. He reveals his research secrets and promotional gambles at noblemania.blogspot.com.Bill figured a character named after a bat should look menacing—even though he would be a good guy.
The red union suit struck Bill as too cheery. He proposed colors that could better fade into the shadows.
He recommended replacing the wisp of a mask with a cowl that covered all but Bat-Man’s chin. Pointing out an illustration of a bat in a dictionary, he said, “Why don’t we duplicate the ears?”
He felt that the wings were awkward. “I suggest you make a cape and scallop the edges,” Bill said. “It would flow out behind him when he runs and look like bat wings.”
He thought Bat-Man would be more intimidating if it seemed that he had no pupils—just white slits for eyes.
Bill knew that Bat-Man should not only look different from Superman but also be different. Superman was alien-born and near-invulnerable. Bill thought that Bat-Man should be a human being who could be hurt. A superhero without superpowers. Someone anyone could be.
Bob liked Bill’s changes.
PUBLISHER:
Charlesbridge
ISBN-10:
1580892892
ISBN-13:
9781580892897
BINDING:
Hardback
BOOK DIMENSIONS:
Dimensions: 8.8800(W) x Dimensions: 11.3100(H) x Dimensions: 0.3900(D)