Will The Real Batman Please Stand Up?

While Braziland Slovakiamay be oceans apart, they appear to have a common vigilante - Batman. However, this is not the comic book superhero come to life and flying across continents, but two totally normal people who somehow seem to have hit on the brilliant idea, at the same time.

The superhero that roams the streets of the southeastern city of Taubate in Sao Paulo, is 50-year old retired policeman, Luiz Pinheiro. Hired by local authorities, his job similar to the superhero he impersonates, is to fight crime. The only difference is that he does it by visiting schools and talking to young children about the dangers of drug smuggling, a problem that is very prevalent in this city.

The reason for the gimmicky superhero outfit is to get the attention of the kids who are always excited to see him and seem to hang on to every word he says. The authorities are hoping that the Batman delivered message will make an impact and help them stay away from crime when they grow up. While the results will not be known for a few years, for now, everyone is enjoying the presence of this masked hero.

Not to be outdone by a South American city, the Slovak town of Dunajska Streda too has produced its own version of the crime-fighting hero. This one however, is a self-appointed vigilante who wears a home-made Batman suit.

26-year old Zoltan Kohari a former petty criminal, has decided to turn into a new leaf and taken it upon himself to patrol the streets of his town, cleaning them as he walks along, helping the elderly and, alerting the authorities of any crimes. Unlike his Brazilian counterpart, the Slovakian superhero is not employed by the police and is only doing this because he believes it is his calling to improve the life of the people in his community.  So far, he seems to be succeeding and becoming quite popular with his neighbors, especially the younger ones, who seem to love the idea of having their very own Batman!

We wonder if more copycat superheroes will start to show up in other parts of the world and taking up similar social causes. Be sure to let us know, if you happen to see one in your neighborhood.

Resources: odditycentral.com, telegraph.co.uk