Batman

Adam West was honored in L.A. Thursday night with the iconic symbol he helped popularize on TV ... the bat signal.

The gigantic 70 ft by 20 ft emblem was projected on the side of city hall for several hours. "Batman" fans flocked to the area to watch Mayor Eric Garcetti send up the signal. Burt Ward, who played Robin in the TV series, was there to share a few words about his partner in crime.

West passed away Friday after battling leukemia.

He was 88.

The Joker has been arrested ... again ... this time well outside the Gotham City limits.

29-year-old Lawrence Patrick Sullivan -- whose face is tatted up like Batman's archenemy -- was busted in Miami Tuesday after allegedly pointing a loaded gun at drivers passing an apartment complex.

Responding officers say they found Sullivan with a loaded Smith & Wesson handgun in his pocket. Cops were responding to multiple calls earlier in the day about an armed man who resembled the Joker.

He was booked for carrying a concealed firearm, and bail was set for $5,000.

It's time for fans to decide once and for all who tops in the DC superhero world ... by bidding on vintage Batman and Superman movie costumes.

Michael Keaton's Batsuit from the 1992 sequel "Batman Returns" and Christopher Reeve's iconic Superman costume from the eponymous 1978 film are both on the auction block. Check out the pics ... there's even an up-close shot of the original tag still intact and labeled for Reeve.

The Man of Steel "muscle tunic" has a slight edge with bidding starting at $40k ... bidding starts at $35k for the Batsuit. Fanboys and girls can bid online at Nate D. Sanders Auctions 'till January 26.

Fun fact -- Reeve refused to wear an extra muscle suit under his costume, and instead trained with famed bodybuilder and Darth Vader actor Dave Prowse to bulk up.

Turns out ex-Batman Adam West has very abstract interpretations of his old archenemies ... and he could bring in more than $70k for 'em.

88-year-old Adam's taken up painting and his "Criminals on Canvas" exhibit is opening at the Gilman Contemporary studio this week in Ketchum, Idaho.

It includes 11 canvases, some depicting classic Batman characters -- Alfred, the Penguin and Riddler -- and not so classic ... Batdog. The standout piece has gotta be the "Joker Evening Makeup," which will set someone back $7,000. Total cost for all the pieces would top 70 grand.

Kevin Smith and Ben Affleck used to be tight -- ya might even say like Batman and Robin -- but something's changed.

We got Kevin out in NYC and, naturally, we hopped on 2 of his fave topics -- Batman and Ben. Then came the shocker about how long it's been since they bro'd down.

Check out the vid ... Kevin also dropped a few suggestions for who could be the NEXT Batman. He wasn't taking a shot at the current one.

The guy responsible for creating dozens of Batman comics with elaborate illustrations is blind as a Batman.

Tommy Castillo is big in the comic world, known for penciling a bunch of Batman spinoffs. Tommy's especially impressive because he's totally blind in one eye and has 15% vision in the other.

Check out the "100 Days of Death" illustration below ... the fine pencil detailing is all the more amazing given his disability. It took a year to complete. And Batman isn't Tommy's only fete. He also illustrates for "Tales from the Crypt."

Tommy lost his vision after blood vessels in his eyes were destroyed because of his diabetes. He was blind in one eye for years, and the other eye lost vision over the last few years.

Tommy used a magnifying glass to assist in his latest zombie-themed work, "100 Days of Death."

Batman's packin'.

This pic was snapped during the final scenes for the "Suicide Squad" which is being shot in Toronto. The scene ... Batman breaks through the roof of the Joker's car.

It's not Ben Affleck and Jared Leto ... both are stunt doubles.

51-year-old Lenny B. Robinson, better known as The Route 29 Batman, was fatally struck by a car Sunday night around 10:30 pm.

Robinson was on his way home from a car show in West Virginia after his 'Batmobile' -- a black Lamborghini -- broke down on the I-70 near Hagerstown, MD.

Robinson became the President for “Superheroes for Kids, Inc.” after he sold his commercial cleaning business ... he would regularly visit sick children in hospitals. His site says his mission was to "entertain ill and terminally ill children by appearing to them as Batman."

He gained fame when video of a 2012 traffic stop went viral after he was pulled over in his Batmobile.

#RIP

---------------------------------------------------- 2012 Traffic Stop ----------------------------------------------------

Just ask Han Solo -- or any other intergalactic smuggler you know -- "hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side" ... and now you can own the one Harrison Ford used a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...

Profiles in History, the auction company from the SyFy show "Hollywood Treasure" ... is putting Han's piece on the auction block -- it's the one he used in "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi."

And it's not just "Star Wars" stuff collectors will be able to bid on, come Dec. 21. Other highlights include:

- a Hoverboard from "Back to the Future II"
- Michael Keaton's batsuit from "Batman"
- used Wilson from "Castaway"
- a Golden ticket from "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory"
- LeVar Burton's cool visor glasses from the "Star Trek" flicks.

Brad Pitt would be the perfect man-servant for Ben Affleck in the new Batman vs. Superman movie ... so says Sir Michael Caine, who played Alfred in the last movie.

TMZ spoke with Sir Michael outside Craig’s in Weho last night … and he suggested that a younger man fill his shoes in the upcoming movie … and officially nominated BP for the role of Alfred J. Pennyworth.

Not sure how Brad would feel about dry-cleaning the Bat-suit and scrubbing down the Bat-cave while Ben’s out saving the day … but it would definitely add some sex appeal to the role.

The Make-a-Wish Foundation has a message for the cold-hearted jerks who complained Batkid didn't deserve his bat-wish because he's in remission -- HOW DARE YOU?!!

If you haven't heard, Make-A-Wish really outdid itself -- turning San Francisco into Gotham City for 5-year-old cancer patient Miles Scott, who wanted to be Batman for a day.

Miles has been battling lymphoblastic leukemia since he was 20 months old, but some (heinous) people on the Internet have had the audacity to say he didn't deserve his wish because he's currently in remission.

Make-A-Wish rep Josh deBerge says that's just wrong, telling us ... "We would never penalize a child for getting better."

And Josh says that's all that matters.

Suck it, haters.

Batkid is about to bat-crap his shorts ... 'cause he just got props for his romp through San Francisco yesterday from BATMAN HIMSELF!!!

Michael Keaton was cruising out of a Beverly Hills restaurant Friday when we asked about Batkid -- the 5-year old who celebrated the end of his battle with leukemia yesterday by running around SF acting like the Dark Knight.

Keaton hadn't actually seen the awesome footage of B.K. battling the Riddler or Penguin .... but thought it was one of the coolest things he'd ever heard.

Check out the gallery for a recap of Batkid's epic adventure.

Kevin Smith is either gonna get a bunch of CREDIT ... or a bunch of BLAME for Ben Affleck's performance in the next Batman flick -- 'cause the director admits, he helped Ben train for the role.

"I'm not saying I made Ben Affleck who he is today," Smith told us in L.A. this weekend ... "but I made 'Mallrats' with him 'Chasing Amy', 'Dogma.' So in some weird way, now that he's becoming Batman, I trained Batman."

Fear not Bat-dorks, Ben Affleck is going to be a GREAT Batman ... so says one of the most respected guys to ever don the cape and cowl, Michael Keaton.

Keaton -- who famously danced with the devil in the pale moonlight back in 1989 -- was leaving Toscana in Brentwood last night when he sang Ben's praises ... telling TMZ, "He's gonna be great."

It's a battle of the most-hated Batmans!

Here's the newly-named caped crusader Ben Affleck (41) with his best Bruce Wayne inspired tuxedo (left) -- and the previously titled worst-winged avenger George Clooney (52) in the same penguin suit (right).

If anyone knows about what it takes to be a superhero it's Henry Cavill -- Superman himself -- so when he arrived to LAX yesterday, we had to ask about the new life-saver in town ... George Zimmerman.

We asked Henry if it's possible for a guy to be considered a "hero" even after millions of people branded him a villain for life -- but ya gotta listen to the way our photog poses the question, it's incredible.

As we previously reported, cops say GZ helped rescue a family of 4 from an overturned car after the driver lost control on a Florida highway last week ... just days after he was acquitted in the Trayvon Martin case.

There's more ... our photog also asked Henry about the recently announced Superman vs. Batman movie ... and who he thinks would win in a fight between the two.