Advertisement

Comic Book Heroes And Villains Descend Upon Manhattan

Become a paid member to listen to this article
Heroes And Villains_Untapped Cities_1

Yes, folks, it has happened: the Dark Knight has descended on Gotham. Or at least his mask has!

Batman and his compatriots from the world of comic books are being celebrated in the “Heroes & Villains” Exhibition being conducted at the Fashion Institute of Technology campus at 227 West 27th Street in Midtown Manhattan. The exhibition, which has been curated by the fourth semester students of FIT’s visual presentation and exhibition design department, is a colorful, fantastical celebration of the comic book characters that have fascinated us for so many years.

Heroes And Villains_Untapped Cities_2

Heroes And Villains_Untapped Cities_3

Heroes And Villains_Untapped Cities_4

As it turns out, Batman’s impressive mask marks just the beginning of the many spectacles contained in this exhibition. Our attention was instantly drawn to the villains corner of the exhibition (go figure!)—Harley Quinn was at her seductive best, and the Joker was as menacing as ever. Venom had his vicious web creeping over the room, even as the melancholy Sandman a. k. a Flint Marko stood by the corner.

Heroes And Villains_Untapped Cities_6

Heroes And Villains_Untapped Cities_5

Heroes And Villains_Untapped Cities_7

Heroes And Villains_Untapped Cities_8

Heroes And Villains_Untapped Cities_9

Heroes And Villains_Untapped Cities_10

While it is visually delightful, the exhibition is also an informative experience, with colorful panels and detailed timelines exploring the history and influence of comic books have had on culture through the ages. There is also a kiosk—dubbed as Tony Stark’s cave—where visitors can check out animations and film trailers and also learn about how this exhibition was put together by FIT’s enterprising students.

Heroes And Villains_Untapped Cities_16
Heroes And Villains_Untapped Cities_12
Heroes And Villains_Untapped Cities_11

Project coordinator Steven Brown told us that the exhibition took about four to six months to come to fruition, and the students’ hard work can be easily seen in this compact yet appealing show. It’s interesting to note that they haven’t restricted the exhibition to the FIT interiors—besides checking out a window display featuring Catwoman a.k.a Selina Kyle, passersby on the street are also treated to the impressive silhouettes and portraits of the characters on the walls and columns of the building.

Heroes And Villains_Untapped Cities_15
Heroes And Villains_Untapped Cities_14

The Heroes & Villains exhibition opened yesterday, and it will be welcoming visitors for the next two to four weeks, from 9 am to 10 pm. Unlike Comic Con, entry to this exhibition is free! (And for those who are wondering—yes, the exhibition does have cut-outs to help you become a costumed hero—even if it is for a day!)

Heroes And Villains_Untapped Cities_17

Follow Aby on Twitter: @thisisaby

Advertisement

Great! You’ve successfully signed up.

Welcome back! You've successfully signed in.

You've successfully subscribed to Untapped New York.

Success! Check your email for magic link to sign-in.

Success! Your billing info has been updated.

Your billing was not updated.