DILLONVALE – Inside a normal-looking house and behind a secret door lies the entrance to a getaway to a comic book world.

Packed with Batman costumes, merchandise, props and replicas, Curtis Prince’s personal Batcave represents the culmination of more than a quarter-century of interest and adventure with the Dark Knight.

“Pretty much everyone around here knows me as Batman,” Prince said during a tour of his lavishly-decorated lair in Dillonvale. “People who enjoy Batman like to come down and visit. And I enjoy letting people see my stuff.”

The Morgantown native said his interest in the Caped Crusader began in 1989 when he first saw Warner Brothers’ “Batman” starring Michael Keaton. Soon after he put together an authentic Batman costume which some residents of the Ohio Valley may still remember.

He used the costume to bring Batman to such events as the Moundsville and Wheeling Christmas parades, special events at the Ohio Valley Mall and Morgantown Mall and visits to nursing homes and hospitals to visit fans young and old.

“The greatest joy was going to the hospital to see the kids,” Prince said.

Though he wears the cowl out in public less these days, Prince said his adventures with Batman continued in recent years when he got to go to Pittsburgh and be an extra in Warner Brothers’ latest Batman film, “The Dark Knight Rises.”

He was one of several thousand who sat in Heinz Field to help provide a background while crews shot a key scene with actor Tom Hardy, portraying the film’s villain Bane.

“It was one of the best days of my life,” Prince said.

Other treasures from Batman films in Prince’s collection include a police badge from the 1997 film “Batman and Robin” and fake money from 1995 film “Batman Forever.”

Reproductions of each Batman’s gadgets and Batmobiles fill cases throughout the room and line several of the walls.

Curtis’ wife Penni said visitors to the Dillonvale Batcave always have the best reactions.

“They always go down and see it and they come up impressed,” Penni Prince said.

Curtis Prince was grateful for his wife’s support in his lengthy interest in the Dark Knight.

“She has backed me in my quest from day one,” Prince said, adding several of his finest pieces were even gifts from her, he said.

The Batman collection is always growing. Pieces from all over the Ohio Valley have found their way to Prince’s hideout, leading to an ever-changing arrangement of his displays. Several years ago he said a flood damaged much of his collection but he salvaged what he could and even ended up adding on to his cave.

“One of the reasons I bought my house was that I decided that this would be my Batcave,” Prince said. “It’s my place to get away.”

While Prince escapes to his subterranean hideaway, others join the Dark Knight between the pages of comic books.

As they collected the latest issues of their favorite series last week, fans in the Ohio Valley reflected on their favorite Batman stories.

“Probably my favorite story would have to be “Knightfall,” Jacob Flading of Colerain said while visiting Hobbys, Inc. in Bridgeport on Wednesday.

The “Knightfall” storyline features Batman’s crippling injury and recovery at the hands of Bane.

“It shows Batman can stand toe to toe with anyone, but he’s still human,” he said. “He’s pushed himself to his limits to be all he can.”

Nick Griffin and Colt Liedl of Triadelphia said their favorite Batman story revolved around the death of Jason Todd, one of Batman’s Robin sidekicks, and the humanizing effect it had on the Caped Crusader.

“It personalized him,” Griffin said. “It was one of the first times Batman was shown crying.”

“Anybody that says comic books are just for kids, show that to them,” Liedl agreed. “Wow, this is some pretty dark stuff.”

Sean Caruth of St. Clairsville said the “Hush” storyline got him into Batman comic books over a decade ago and he has been a fan ever since.

Batman’s humanity makes him stand out and endure among the superhuman figures of other comics, according to Griffin and Flading.

“Batman is a guy who uses his millions to make the world better,” Griffin said. “He reaches out to those who need help.”

For Liedl and Caruth, the secret to the Dark Knight’s enduring fame comes from his adaptability through the generations.

“Each generation gets interested in it,” Caruth said. “Like recently, the Nolan movies really got people into it.”

“Adjusting with the times is what makes it credible,” Liedl said. “It’s always kind of adapting with the times.”