batman graphic novel

[tuc141414]

hi new member.have been reading graphic novels for 20 years and think i have come up with a really original batman idea.have written a plot overview and ideas how i want it drawn and points i want to make.have also googled plot and it seems new.what now, do i have to get copyright do i get story boards made up who do i approach regards copyright,cant draw,do i write it out in full.please help if you know.speak soon

[Koekjesdeeg]

Basically.. anything you use with Batman in it, be it a picture or a story (words only), means you're violating DC's copyrights. They are the owner of the brand Batman and the only ones who can decide if something new happens or not and what is appropriate.

Best you can do is contact them. Here is where you can find how and what they want from a submission:
- Submissions information
- Contact information

The only time you can use Batman in an original story is if it's a parody/spoof/gag and even then you're walking on a thin line, since that's based on opinion and technically you'll still be violating their rights. If it's a parody that makes the char look bad in their opinion, they can complain and win too. If you use it otherwise (your own book, your own shirt, your own drawing etc), DC can sue your ass.

So, next time you're making a story, use Bob/Pete/Giant Candle/Burgerman/ whatever.... made up names for your hero and make sure he's an original character with powers that are different from existing characters... then you can keep the moneys and control, cos now (even if you've only written it and not published anywhere) your story is DC's. No other way to use it, unless you go back to chop and rewrite intensively.

Hope this helps.

[tuc141414]

thanks very much for info and links,will check out now.any one else with suggestions feel free to update.thanks again

[woodchuck3d]

I think you can do a fanfiction story as long as you don't make any money off of it. but if you expect to sell it in any form then there are certainly legal issues.

Good luck.

[tuc141414]

hi ,thanks.would i then own the copyright or would it be dc's to do with as they please.anyone.

[jeffb]

make your own Batman. Marvel did it with Moon Knight

[tuc141414]

hi ,yea i could do that but it would lose its impact by being a new character .my idea revolves around the origins and the end of bat man.does any one know if i make or write a batman graphic or other novel does dc own the rights to it,or do i own the rights to the storey and they own the rights to the characters.thanks to any response or help.

[Gorgonzola]

DC owns the rights to batman, period. While you could make a batman graphic novel, keep in mind that even a limited run (if, by definition, a limited run is 100 or less copies) can earn your the ire of DC/WB's legal department, as it can be argued that you are infringing on the rights they have regarding Batman. While a story you write would NOT necessarily be owned by DC, if you are using any characters from DC, you've essentially wasted your time. You won't be able to sell it, forget getting it published, and don't expect any sort of legal department to be kind to you.

Honestly, if you want to write for Batman, you need to start at the bottom the chain and do other writing that will get you noticed. I'm not saying other copyrighted characters, I'm saying for you to do your own original stories/plots/characters/etc.

[em...]

hi ,yea i could do that but it would lose its impact by being a new character. my idea revolves around the origins and the end of bat man.

Alan Moore originally envisioned Watchmen as a story using the Charlton Comics' characters, but changed it to his own creations (who still conform to the same archetypes). I don't think anyone would say it lost its impact in the process.

does any one know if i make or write a batman graphic or other novel does dc own the rights to it,or do i own the rights to the storey and they own the rights to the characters.thanks to any response or help.

Everyone knows the answer, everyone keeps telling you, but you keep asking the same thing over and over.

[tuc141414]

hi thanks gorgonzola for input an explaining it in laymans terms and moderator sorry you found it annoying ,i was just trying to establish if i went to the trouble of writing it down would i own the rights to the story so that the idea couldn't be lifted and just used without me getting any credit.thanks again everyone who replied any different ideas welcome