More Aladdin's cave than Batcave - PHOTO

A Batman fan has spent over $100,000 building a shrine dedicated to his hero.Kevin Silva, 52, from Indiana, U.S, keeps his 2,500-item haul in his very own basement 'Batcave'.Along with a Gotham City phonebook - reported to be a prop from the original Batman TV series, Mr Silva also has a red Batphone, which sits under a glass, just like the one used by Commissioner Gordon on the 1960s show.His obsession with all things Batman began at the age of five, when ABC's live-action Batman TV series aired in 1966.Mr Silva said: 'My dad bought the family a colour TV the previous Christmas, so my first images of Batman were pretty vivid.'After he was bought a Batman lunchbox in kindergarten, Mr Silva became hooked, and since then he just hasn't been able to resist any kind of Batman merchandise.'I've still got that lunchbox to this day,' said Mr Silva.'It is one of my many personal favourite items from the entire collection.'I love to see the expression on people's faces when they realise just how big my collection is.'My friends are always finding me things at garage sales and flea markets. I'm an easy person to buy a present for because if it's Batman related, you can be sure I'm going to like it.'Growing up, I had lots of comics and toys that I managed to keep. I fell out of collecting a little after I was 12 or so and then got back in it deep after the release of the first Michael Keaton movie in 1989. I've been going strong ever since.'The electrician, who says that his favourite Batman film is The Dark Knight, has even splashed out on a $3,600 replica of Adam West's Batsuit.But luckily for Mr Silva, his wife Janet, 50 and two children fully support his adoration for the caped crusader and have even started their own memorabilia collections.Mr Silva's daughter Kaylaigh, 25, now collects anything Marilyn Munroe while his son Dylan, 21, is building up an impressive collection of rock band Kiss memorabilia.Mr Silva said he isn't ready to stop just yet. While his favourite find so far is his 1966 replica Batman outfit, he has his eye on a 1966 Batbelt.Mr Silva, who says that X-ray vision would be his superpower of choice, added: 'Although my collection might be worth $100K, it's not monetary value that's motivated all these years - it's a mere passion and love for Batman.'And I'll be passing this love down on to my kids.'(dailymail.co.uk)ANN.Az