Sara Marberry

When our son Wes was three-years-old, we moved to our house at 2107 Lincoln Street in Evanston. As luck would have it, another three-year old boy, Jack, lived right next door.

Jack and Wes quickly became best friends. And because they were competitive little boys who liked the same things, whatever Jack had, Wes had to have and whatever Wes had, Jack had to have.

There were many years when they dressed alike for Halloween – as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the Pokemon Charmander, Power Rangers, and of course, Batman.

My mom bought the Batman suit Wes is wearing in this photo (on the right) and gave it to him at Christmas when he was about four years old. Complete with built-in abs and a utility belt, it is modeled after the suit the actor Adam West wore as Batman in the TV series than ran from 1966-1968.

The following October Jack got a Batman suit and he and Wes were not-to-be- messed-with cape crusaders for Halloween that year. They were probably too young to have seen any of the Batman action movies, but when I told them to strike a pose for the photo, instinctively they knew what to do.

Jack and Wes, now 27 years old, are still best friends and no longer dress alike for Halloween. Wes outgrew the Batman suit long ago, but I’m keeping it for the next little boy or girl in the family who wants to be a crime-fighting hero for Halloween someday.