VANCOUVER'S BATMAN

During the Olympics there were so many things to do and see. Some of the things were grand in scale, like flying through Robson Square or touching and seeing an actual gold medal. Other activities were simple in nature, like just seeing the cauldron with your own eyes.

One of the simple Olympic activities I enjoyed was seeing the various street performers around town. There was one that stood out in my mind. During the first week of the Games, a friend and I were walking along Granville when happened upon a man dressed as Batman. Yes, the Caped Crusader himself. He was standing on a box of some sort. I noticed his costume, while admirable, was not entirely authentic nor form-fitting, yet you could not mistake him for anything else other than the Dark Knight.

My friend wondered aloud why Batman would be at the Olympics. People didn’t seem to care as he had attracted a small crowd around him, with children along with adults among them. We kept on walking and as we got a few steps past him, we heard him yell.

“WHERE ARE THEY?!?!?!?!?!?!”

Both my friend and I paused ever so briefly as we looked at each other and laughed. Vancouver Batman had, for just a few seconds, channeled the deep Christian Bale Batman voice. He had done it well. It was impressive enough that my friend and I endeavoured to go back and see him, to drop off some change for the man behind the mask.

Unfortunately, I never was able to find him again in the next two weeks afterwards. Fortunately, many other people did see him. Click here for one of many photos taken of Vancouver’s Batman. I wonder who is the man behind that mask. Was he in town just for the Olympics? Where is he from? Is he still out there now? These are mysteries that are almost as compelling as the real Batman himself.