Batman creators urge Qatar to aid release of Bibas family

The signatories to the letter include many of the most renowned comics creators, past and present.

By The David S. Wyman Institute

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: