SATURDAY, JULY 5, 2014

A young man dressed like the Batman character ‘The Joker’ carries a dressed up young woman on his back as they wait for a train after attending the 15th edition of the ‘Japan Expo’ exhibition devoted to Japanese culture and entertainment on July 2, 2012 in Villepinte, a Paris suburb. — AFP photos

Costumes and props from ‘The Dark Knight’ are seen at ‘The Batman celebrates 75th Batman Exhibit’. birthday in Hollywood style er-pow! Batman is celebrating his 75th birthday this DeVito said Batman’s success stems from the lack of faith in month with a series of comic-book, video-game and the political and business class. “We look around at us, our Kother events putting Gotham’s famed Caped Crusader leaders and the young people we are supposed to look to. firmly back in the spotlight. July 23 is officially Batman Day, “There’s really nobody you can have faith in,” he said. Bruce and to mark the occasion in Hollywood, Warner Bros has Wayne has remained popular through the decades thanks to organized a VIP studio tour including Batmobiles, masks, the varied formats, from the 1960s TV series “Batman” with capes and other souvenirs of the Dark Knight. Adam West and Burt Ward, the success of which re-kindled “The world has no heroes... Batman gives you some hope sales of the original comic books. and some faith,” actor Danny DeVito, who played the caped “The passion of fans is very, very high, it’s a way of life,” said one’s nemesis the Penguin in the 1992 movie “Batman Jim Lee, artist and co-editor of DC Entertainment, the parent Returns,” told AFP in an interview. Batman was born in May company of DC Comics, at the presentation of the Warner 1939, the creation of artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, Bros exhibition. “People tattoo images of Batman all over the who were tasked by DC Comics with creating a new superhero body. It’s amazing to see how Batman has become a huge in the wake of the success of Superman. part of pop culture, he has really captivated the imagination Unlike Superman, the new hero was given a dark side, and of the entire world,” he said. rapidly became a global pop culture icon, decades before the latest generation of superheroes like Captain America, Batman very much alive Spiderman or Iron Man took to the big screen. While Film versions have kept the Batman brand alive, including Superman represents the archetypal hero with super-human the “Dark Knight” trilogy by Christopher Nolan in 2005, 2008 powers, a brightly colored costume and appears in daylight, and 2012, with Briton Christian Bale in the brooding title role. Bruce Wayne is a wealthy tycoon who changes into a mask Overall the seven Batman films (including the first four in A visitor looks at Batman masks used in the seven Batman and dark cape to bring justice to Gotham City. 1989, 1992, 1995 and 1997) have made $3.7 billion around the films at ‘The Batman Exhibit’.

Danny DeVito attends the Warner Bros VIP Studio Tour The Batman logo is seen on Batgirl’s Batblade from ‘Batman Batgirl’s Batblade from ‘Batman’& Robin’ (1997) is seen at unveiling of the Batman Exhibit celebrating Batman’s 75th & Robin’ (1997) at ‘The Batman Exhibit’. ‘The Batman Exhibit’. Anniversary.