I have loved the Batman films since I was a little boy and I'm not ashamed to admit I still regularly watch them and feel very nostalgic about my childhood. If you grew up in the 90s and 00s as I did it's hard to argue that Batman wasn't and isn't the ultimate superhero franchise - there's a reason there's a new set of films every few years. I'd argue he always had the best villains to face off against (sorry Marvel fans) and one of the greatest attributes at the Dark Knight's disposal was that he didn't have superpowers; he survived on his intellect, thirst for justice, tech-savvy and, of course, all that money in the bank.
So I was thrilled to be able to visit Batman Unmasked to check out props, costumes and even vehicles that appeared in the Caped Crusader's onscreen adventures. Located just around the corner from Manchester Piccadilly Station, at Depot Mayfield, the experience is a dream come true for fans of the Dark Knight; the character was created by Bob Kane with Bill Finger more than eight decades ago. I was able to see up close items that I'd seen in the films as a child (and as an adult for that matter), including legendary costumes worn by Heath Ledger, Michael Keaton, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Uma Thurman.
Personal highlights included the various cowls and Batsuits worn by Gotham's saviour in various films, including one worn by Ben Affleck and another by Val Kilmer, both of whom have donned the black cape. The experience has come to Manchester to celebrate the .