57 Batman Creators Urge: Release Fan Held in Gaza

57 Batman Creators Urge: Release Fan Held in Gaza  

Edited by: TJVNews.com

More than 50 writers, artists, and editors associated with the iconic Batman character have signed a letter to the Egyptian and Qatari ambassadors in Washington, urging them to press for the release of a young Batman fan who is among the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.

Photos of 4 year-old Ariel Bibas in a Batman costume, and his entire family wearing Batman t-shirts on Purim in 2023, have appeared widely since Ariel, his baby brother Kfir, and their parents were taken hostage on October 7.

The signatories on the letter include many of the most renowned comics creators, past and present, who have been involved with the Batman franchise.

“Every hostage is equally important, but naturally Batman writers and artists feel a special connection to this young Bat-fan and his family,” said Dr. Rafael Medoff, historian and director of the David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies, in Washington DC, which organized the petition. “These comics creators have spent decades developing a hero who fights for the innocent and stands as a beacon of hope for his community, and we’re trying to channel that spirit through this effort.”

Medoff and former Batman artist Dean Motter recently created a nonfiction graphic novel, Whistleblowers: Four Who Fought to Expose the Holocaust to America (Dark Horse / Yoe Books), about Americans who spoke out for rescue during the Holocaust. “The moral obligation to speak out against injustice never changes, whether during the Holocaust or in our own time,” Medoff said.

The full text of the letter ( https://tinyurl.com/y8acmvns ) by the 57 Batman creators:

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The David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies

www.WymanInstitute.org

April 12, 2024

Hon. Sheikh Meshal bin Hamad Al-Thani

Embassy of Qatar

Washington, D.C.

Hon. Motaz Zahran

 

Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt

Washington, D.C.

 

Dear Ambassadors Al-Thani and Zahran,       

As members of the community of Batman writers, artists and editors, we are contacting you concerning the young Batman fan who was taken hostage by terrorists and has been held in Gaza since last October 7.

Ariel Bibas, age 4, and his brother Kfir, now age 1, were taken hostage by Hamas, along with their parents, Yarden and Shiri Bibas. Ariel’s maternal grandparents were murdered in the same attack.

Moved by the many anecdotes of Ariel’s affection for the iconic character who has become a symbol of hope and justice for so many, we implore your governments to exercise all possible leverage on Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad to immediately release the Bibas family, and all the Israeli hostages, from captivity.

Sincerely,

Charlie Adlard

Artist, Batman/Scarface; Harley Quinn; Batman Arkham

Sal Amendola

Artist / Writer, Batman; Detective Comics; World’s Finest

Mark Bagley

Artist, Batman; Batman: Long Shadows; Justice League of America

Hilary Barta

Inker, Elseworlds Finest; Batman: Gothic Knights; Detective Comics

John Beatty

Artist, Batman; Detective Comics; Justice League of America

 

 

 

Scott Beatty

Writer, Batman: Gotham Knights; Batgirl: Year One; The Batman Handbook

Terry Beatty

Artist, Batman: Gotham Adventures; Batman Beyond; Batman Strikes

Deron Bennett

Letterer, Batman: Arkham; Detective Comics; Harley Quinn

Simon Bowland

Letterer, The Bat-Man: First Knight; Batman: Gotham by Gaslight

Matthew Brake, M.Div., M.A.

Co-editor, Batman & Theology

Reilly Brown

Artist, Batman/Fortnite; The Joker Presents: A Puzzlebox

Mike Carlin

Writer, Batman Black & White; Editor Batman Confidential

Amanda Conner

Writer/Artist, Harley Quinn, Batman, JSA Classified

Denys Cowan

Artist, Batman: Gotham Knights, Detective Comics, Batman Confidential

Chuck Dixon

Writer, Detective Comics; Robin; Vengeance of Bane

Steve Englehart

Writer, Batman; Detective Comics; Legends of the Dark Knight

Sholly Fisch

Writer, Batman’s Mystery Casebook; The Brave and the Bold

Frank Fosco

Artist, Batman – Contagion; Robin

Kami Garcia

Writer, Joker/Harley; Teen Titans: Robin

Noelle C. Giddings

Artist / Colorist, Batman: Blind Justice, Gotham Central, Bane of the Demon

Jordan B. Gorfinkel

Longtime editor of the Batman comics franchise

Mike Grell

Artist / Writer, Batman: Masque

James Harvey

Artist, Batgirl; We Are Robin

Mike Henderson

Artist, Batman: The Brave and the Bold

Klaus Janson

Artist, Batman: Gordon’s Law; Detective Comics; Batman: Death and the Maidens

Dan Jurgens

Writer, The Bat-Man: First Knight; Batman Beyond

Lovern Kindzierski

Artist / Colorist, Batman: Legends of the Dark Night; Batman: Sword of Azrael

Paul Levitz

Former Batman writer, editor and publisher

Shane McCarthy

Writer, Batman Arkham; Batman Legends of the Dark Knight; Detective Comics

Scott McRae

Artist, Batman: The Brave and the Bold

Dr. Rafael Medoff 

Contributor, Theology and Batman

Director, The David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies

Yehudi Mercado

Writer / Artist, Batman: Arkham Asylum

Dan Mora

Artist, Superman/Batman; Joker; Batman: The Brave and the Bold

Dean Motter

Batman: Nine Lives; Batman: Gotham Knights

Ann Nocenti

Writer, Batman, Catwoman, Joker

George Pratt

Writer / Artist. Batman: Harvest Breed

Tom Richmond

Artist, Batman/Superman; Detective Comics

Prentis Rollins

Artist, Batman: Ultimate Evil; Robin; JLA Incarnations

John Rozum

Writer, Detective Comics

Greg Ruth

Artist, The Riddler

Arlen Schumer

Batman historian

Sander Schwartz

Former President, Warner Animation

Declan Shalvey

Artist, All-Star Batman; Batman Incorporated; Nightwing

Hayden Sherman

Artist, Batman: The Adventures Continue; Batman: Urban Legends; Harley Quinn

Howard M. Shum

Artist, Joker/Mask

Saida Temofonte

Artist / Letterer, Batman: Urban Legends, Batman: Scooby-Doo Mysteries

1. Torres

Writer, Batman: Knightwatch; Batman Motion Comics on YouTube

Darren Vincenzo

Editor, Detective Comics; Batman: Gotham Adventures

Mark Waid

Writer, World’s Finest; Kingdom Come; The Brave and the Bold

Thomas Yeates

Artist, Detective Comics

Chip Zdarsky

Writer, Batman; Batman/Catwoman; Batman: The Knight

ABOUT THE WYMAN INSTITUTE:  The David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies, located in Washington, D.C., is a research and education institute focusing on America’s response to the Holocaust.  It is named in honor of the eminent historian and author of the 1984 best-seller The Abandonment of the Jews, the most important and influential book concerning the U.S. response to the Nazi genocide.