TV Article Warner Bros. defeats heirs of 'Superman' co-creator in latest legal battle By Darren Franich Darren Franich Darren Franich is a former critic at Entertainment Weekly. He left EW in 2023. EW's editorial guidelines Published on October 18, 2012 08:30PM EDT Almost 75 years after Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster created Superman, the battle for ownership of the Last Son of Krypton has become an expensive and much-disputed industry unto itself. Four years ago, Siegel’s heirs won a major victory when a judge granted them half of the Superman copyright, at least regarding how Superman appeared in Action Comics #1. As reported by the LA Times, however, Shuster’s heirs have not been so lucky: Yesterday, a federal judge ruled that the family of the co-creator could not reclaim a similar 50% stake in the copyright. In court papers obtained by EW, the ultimate decision features an exciting winding road through the last three-quarters of a century — and references similar cases involving John Steinbeck, Winnie the Pooh, and Lassie. But the crucial link in the chain is a 1992 agreement between DC and Shuster’s siblings (the artist had no other heirs), when DC agreed to pay the late Shuster’s debts and pay his sister $25,000 a year. The decision comes at a fortuitous time for Warner, which is preparing to release a new Superman film, Man of Steel, next year. Read More: ‘Superman’ comic sells for $1 Million: What pop culture item are you saving for a big payoff?