Dream Wired
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Celebrity
  • DramaAlert
  • Gossip
  • Movie
  • TV
  • Music
  • Comics
  • Shop
  • Home
  • Celebrity
  • DramaAlert
  • Gossip
  • Movie
  • TV
  • Music
  • Comics
  • Shop
No Result
View All Result
Dream Wired
No Result
View All Result
Home Comics

When DC Sued Fox for Copying Batman in Mystery Men Comics, at Auction

rmtsa by rmtsa
September 25, 2023
in Comics
0
When DC Sued Fox for Copying Batman in Mystery Men Comics, at Auction
74
SHARES
1.2k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter


You might also like

Tom the Dancing Bug presents a busy, busy day in Washington, DC

A Monster Hunter Walks Into NYCC With Boom Studios Cover Variants

10 Times Batman Lost (Including An Embarrassing 1 Punch Defeat)

Posted in: Comics, Heritage Sponsored, Vintage Paper | Tagged: Fox Feature Syndicate, golden age

After successfully suing Victor Fox over Superman similarities, DC Comics did it again over copying Batman & Robin in Mystery Men Comics.

Published Sun, 24 Sep 2023 20:25:08 -0500 by Mark Seifert

|

Last updated Sun, 24 Sep 2023 20:48:15 -0500

|

Detective Comics v Bruns Publications is one of the defining historical moments of American comic books.  In a judgment handed initially handed down on April 7, 1939, and affirmed on appeal on April 29, 1940 the court ruled that Victor Fox’s Wonderman character in Wonder Comics infringed on DC’s Superman copyrights.  In a lesser-known but also important historical moment, DC Comics went on the offensive against Victor Fox again just three months after that appeal was decided, this time over Batman and Robin.  In a decision finally filed in 1942, Judge John Bright of SDNY wrote, “A comparison of the cartoons of The Lynx with Blackie the Mystery Boy published by the defendant Fox Publications, Inc., in its magazine Mystery Men Comics, and distributed by the defendant Colonial News Company, Inc., with the cartoons of The Batman with Robin the Boy Wonder, published by the plaintiff in its magazines Detective Comics and The Batman, convinces me there has been a deliberate copying by the defendant of drawings and cartoons of the Batman and his companion Robin…” The two issues involved in the lawsuit, Mystery Men Comics #13 & #14 featuring the Lynx and Blackie the Mystery Boy, are up for auction in the 2023 September 28 The Fox Comics Showcase Auction #40239 at Heritage Auctions.

Batman #1 vs Mystery Men #13 (1940).
Batman #1 vs Mystery Men #13 (1940).

Judge Bright went on to clarify the issues of each publisher’s comic books in question as “The issues of Detective Comics of April, 1940 (on the newsstands March 6, 1940), of May, 1940 (on the newsstands April 5, 1940), of June and July, 1940 (on the stands respectively on May 3 and June 5, 1940); and in the spring issue of “The Batman” on the stands April 24, 1940. These publications were all duly copyrighted by the plaintiff. The infringing publications by the defendants were contained in the “Mystery Men Comics” August and September, 1940, issues.”

This corresponds to Detective Comics #38-41 and Batman #1 from DC Comics and Mystery Men Comics #13 and #14 from Fox Feature Syndicate.  While there’s only a very general resemblance between Batman & Robin and Lynx & Blackie, there seems to be a focus on layouts and story sequences in the language of Judge Bright’s decision.  For example, a glance through the issues in question reveals a panel in Mystery Men Comics #13 that’s similar to the cover of Batman #1, and a sequence in Mystery Men Comics #14 that’s similar to a sequence near the end of the first Joker story in Batman #1, among other similarities between the issues cited. A pair of Fox Feature Syndicate comic books with vastly underappreciated historical significance,  Mystery Men Comics #13 & #14 featuring the Lynx and Blackie the Mystery Boy, are up for auction in the 2023 September 28 The Fox Comics Showcase Auction #40239 at Heritage Auctions. If you’ve never bid at Heritage Auctions before, you can get further information, you can check out their FAQ on the bidding process and related matters.

Batman #1 vs Mystery Men #14 (1940).
Batman #1 vs Mystery Men #14 (1940).
Heritage Sponsored

Affiliates of Bleeding Cool buy from and/or consign to Heritage Auctions.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

facebooktwitterpinterestreddit

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!



Source link

Tags: auctionBatmanComicsCopyingFoxMenMysterySued
Share30Tweet19
rmtsa

rmtsa

Recommended For You

Tom the Dancing Bug presents a busy, busy day in Washington, DC

by rmtsa
October 3, 2025
0
Tom the Dancing Bug presents a busy, busy day in Washington, DC

Announcing the 2025 Inner Hive Drive: Join Tom the Dancing Bug's Inner Hive, and you'll not only get weekly emails with pre-publication access to each week's comic and other...

Read more

A Monster Hunter Walks Into NYCC With Boom Studios Cover Variants

by rmtsa
October 2, 2025
0
A Monster Hunter Walks Into NYCC With Boom Studios Cover Variants

Release Day Title Cover Artist Cover Treatment         All Days Single SIKTC: A Monster Hunter Walks Into a Bar #1 H BOOM! Direct Reserve Momoko...

Read more

10 Times Batman Lost (Including An Embarrassing 1 Punch Defeat)

by rmtsa
October 1, 2025
0
10 Times Batman Lost (Including An Embarrassing 1 Punch Defeat)

Batman’s reputation as the ultimate strategist with a plan for every situation has become almost legendary in DC Comics. He’s known for always being prepared, always staying ahead...

Read more

Monster High: House Haunters #3 Preview: Psychic Squirrel Shenanigans

by rmtsa
October 1, 2025
0
Monster High: House Haunters #3 Preview: Psychic Squirrel Shenanigans

Posted in: Comics, IDW, Preview | Tagged: monster highMonster High: House Haunters #3 brings cursed cabin chaos with gorgon bears and werewolf wolves. Can the ghouls escape this...

Read more

Marvel Just Repeated a Weirdly Specific Detail From Scarlet Witch’s Most Controversial MCU Movie

by rmtsa
September 30, 2025
0
Marvel Just Repeated a Weirdly Specific Detail From Scarlet Witch’s Most Controversial MCU Movie

The Scarlet Witch’s latest appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe saw the animated Marvel Zombies series copy one of the weirdest parts of her most controversial movie. Three...

Read more
Next Post
Taylor Swift Attends Travis Kelce’s Kansas City Chiefs Game Amid Romance Rumors!

Taylor Swift Attends Travis Kelce's Kansas City Chiefs Game Amid Romance Rumors!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Browse by Category

  • Celebrity
  • Comics
  • DramaAlert
  • Gossip
  • Movie
  • Music
  • TV
  • Uncategorized

CATEGORIES

  • Celebrity
  • Comics
  • DramaAlert
  • Gossip
  • Movie
  • Music
  • TV
  • Uncategorized
No Result
View All Result

Recent News

  • Taylor Swift, Luke Combs, Leon Thomas & More
  • Chris Meloni Deleted Scene Law and Order Organized Crime Season 5
  • Elizabeth Hurley Crowned ‘The Queen of MILFs’ In Bold Black Bikini Snap

Copyright © 2023 DramaWired.
DramaWired is a content aggregator and not responsible for the content of external sites.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Celebrity
  • DramaAlert
  • Gossip
  • Movie
  • TV
  • Music
  • Comics
  • Shop

Copyright © 2023 DramaWired.
DramaWired is a content aggregator and not responsible for the content of external sites.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In