The Dark Knight Was Released 15 Years Ago Today

 

15 years ago this day, Christopher Nolan's second Batman film in "The Dark Knight" was released by Warner Bros. Pictures in US theaters. It would be the sequel to 2005's "Batman Begins" and the second instalment of "The Dark Knight Trilogy" - seeing actor Christian Bale reprise his role as Bruce Wayne/ Batman as he continued to wage his vigilante war against crime and corruption in Gotham City. He allies himself with GCPD cop James Gordon (Gary Oldman) and District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) to take down the mob once and for all. Unfortunately for them they fail to recognise the growing threat of a criminal mastermind known as The Joker (the late Heath Ledger) as he systematically takes down everything in Gotham through anarchy and chaos.

The Dark Knight - Original Theatrical Trailer Considered a masterpiece and one of the greatest films ever made, The Dark Knight broke the mold in several levels - and ushered in a new perception for superhero movies thanks to its grounded crime film approach as well as Heath Ledger as The Joker - which would ultimately be one of his last performances prior to tragically passing away in January 2008. The actor would post-humously win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role as the Clown Prince of Crime, and TDK would go on to win big in the Box Office and further heighten Nolan's status as a bigtime filmmaker - especially with his pioneering use of the IMAX format for big blockbuster films. 

The success of The Dark Knight would lead to a third and final film in Nolan's Batman trilogy in "The Dark Knight Rises" - ending Bruce Wayne's story and journey as Gotham's vigilante hero and defender.

Why So Serious?  Welcome To A World Without Rules. Happy 15 years, TDK! 

The Dark Knight turns 12 years; Check out Prime 1 Studio's upcoming 1/2 scale statue

12 years ago, "The Dark Knight" - the sequel to Batman Begins and the second entry in what would ultimately become "The Dark Knight Trilogy", was released in theaters in 2008 - becoming one of the most highly acclaimed superhero movies ever made and arguably the best Batman movie next to Tim Burton's "Batman". Christian Bale reprised his role as Bruce Wayne and put on the Batsuit once more - to take on the late great Heath Ledger's Joker and defend it from the anarchy and chaos he unleashed in a very realistic Gotham City.

To commemorate the occasion and give fans and collectors the opportunity to take home "something pretty big" - Prime 1 Studio has solicited their upcoming 1/2 scale The Dark Knight Batman Statue - and it's as impressive as it looks. Check out the video below for a 360 view:

Batman Deluxe Version (The Dark Knight) 360°View - Prime1Studio
Expect this statue to be out between Fall 2021 and January 2022. For more details, check out the official website of Prime 1 Studio.

The Dark Knight was released 8 years ago this day

Exactly 8 years ago this day, Christopher Nolan unleashed the second chapter of what would ultimately be his Batman Trilogy of films in "The Dark Knight" -  the sequel to 2005's "Batman Begins" and featuring Christian Bale returning to the role of Bruce Wayne/ Batman as he sets out to confront a new and unrelenting criminal mastermind known as The Joker. The film would go on to become one of the most popular superhero films of all time, grossing a billion in the box office and also winning an award in the Academy Awards - namely for the late Heath Ledger's performance as The Joker.


The Dark Knight - Original Theatrical Trailer
While 2012's "The Dark Knight Rises" wrapped up Nolan's take on the character and finished Bruce Wayne's story in those three movies, The Dark Knight Trilogy would inspire and influence how Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment would approach their future superhero movies - namely their "DC Extended Universe" of films that includes this year's "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" and the upcoming "Suicide Squad". Ben Affleck may be the new Batman in town now, but Christian Bale's time in the Batsuit will be remembered - especially in this film where the stakes were placed against him by Ledger's Clown Prince of Crime. This movie definitely deserves a rewatch.

The Dark Knight Trilogy: CBR's "9 Worst Decisions" Batman made in the TDK Films

We all know that Christopher Nolan's Batman films that make up "The Dark Knight Trilogy" were masterpieces and blockbusters that have entertained and presented a version of the Caped Crusader that was grounded on reality. Christian Bale embodied a more realistic interpretation of Bruce Wayne and Batman, and it was a self-contained set of films that wrapped up a journey of a man who wanted to inspire people to make a difference and fight injustice.

However, Spinoff Online (via CBR) has also compiled a list where The Dark Knight has made some pretty bad decisions... 9 of them in fact. You can read 'em here, starting from the ones seen in Batman Begins all the way to The Dark Knight and finally for The Dark Knight Rises.

Happy Easter Greetings!

It's a time to be thankful and appreciative, and not just because of the easter eggs and goodies. It's been a quiet and eventful Holy Week indeed, and now that Easter Day has arrived, here's a shoutout fitting for the occasion!

A Blessed and Happy Easter, everyone!

Don't mind White Bunny from Batman: The Dark Knight. She just fits the holiday nicely with her get up.;)

DC The New 52 Teasers: The Final Week of #1 teasers step in

As the final week of September rolls in, so will the final wave of DC Comics' New 52 #1 launch titles. Among the bunch will be Batman: The Dark Knight # 1, Aquaman #1, The Flash #1, and Superman #1, so there's still a lot of books readers new and old will be gunning for. In fact, over at their official blog site The Source, DC has posted up some new teaser images and quotes to give hungry fans a taste of things to come for the final week. Here are some of them:

"You are the parent of your own fear." - Bruce Wayne

There you go. The David Finch penned and drawn teaser to Batman: The Dark Knight #1. Looks good visually so far, but I want to see how it does story-wise. The last one was plagued with delays, and Finch wasn't even able to draw the last issue even! Here's hoping it does well. It looks really good in the art department.

"How's it feel to be nobody's favorite Superhero?" - Unnamed Blogger

I don't know if that holds true for majority of the DC fanbase. Aquaman may not be one of the best cash cow heroes of the DC universe, but he's certainly a recognizable figure, and he had quite the run back in the day with Peter David at the writing helm. Now, Green Lantern and The Flash Rebirth scribe Geoff Johns is going to do his thing and take Arthur in a new and serious direction when his new #1 issue hits this week, and I'm sure people will be talking, especially with these stellar visuals presented by Blackest Night and GL penciller Ivan Reis. A lot of ridicule and jokes can be thrown to Arthur Curry, but there's no denying that he's one of the best creations DC has chugged up in their heroic repertoire. I'm looking forward to good things with Aquaman #1.

The last wave of DC The New 52 books hit this week. For more info and stories, visit the source post at DC The Source!

One amazing cover to Batman: The Dark Knight #2!

I have high hopes and expectations for the Bat-universe once Bruce Wayne comes back into the saddle and resumes his activities as The Dark Knight, but as noted in recent posts and comic book related websites, he won't be alone in his crusade anymore. Dick Grayson, his first ward and the original Robin, will still continue on as Batman, and while he watches over Gotham and his mentor's young son Damian, Mr. Wayne will be tackling his mission on a global scale, conducting his adventures within the pages of Batman Inc. and Batman: The Dark Knight. The latter title will be penned and illustrated by comic book talent David Finch, who's no stranger to drawing excellent superhero visuals thanks to his early works and exposure via Marvel's Avengers and Moon Knight titles. Now that he's exclusive to DC, Finch will be taking the challenge of writing and penciling a new Batman title, and for those wondering how it's gonna look, DC has released the cover to issue #2 of Batman: The Dark Knight via The Source. Get a load of great art here!

Well, looks like the Penguin's gonna strike at Bruce when he returns, in a new costume and all! This already looks interesting from the get-go, and I hope Finch's writing capabilities draw me into this new title, as it looks promising from the visuals alone!

Batman: The Dark Knight debuts this November!

It's Official: Two Batmen will defend Gotham and the world!

Like I said in a previous post, there WILL BE two Batmen, and now it's been officially confirmed by both DC The Source and the NY POST that both Dick Grayson and Bruce Wayne will be carrying on the mission to take down crime under the guise of the cape and cowl. Dick and his sidekick Damian Waye/ Robin will be continuing their adventures in the pages of Batman, Batman and Robin, and Detective Comics, protecting Gotham at all costs. On the other hand, the newly returned Bruce will be taking centerstage in new titles Batman Inc. and Batman: The Dark Knight, sporting a new costume and taking his fight against crime with a global approach! A new era is dawning for Batman, and it begins this November!

Batman: The Return and A New Batsuit!

This November, Bruce Wayne officially makes his return to the regular DCU timeline, once again donning the cape and cowl to battle crime and the superstitious lot. To commemorate his return, however, DC has given him a "new" costume, and by new I mean something very familiar and old school.

No Bat-Fans, your eyes do not deceive you. As seen in The Source, The yellow oval bat symbol has returned, and it's the cover to BATMAN: THE RETURN #1, by writer Grant Morrison and artist David Finch. The look that defined the Dark Knight during the pivotal Silver Age has made a comeback, but this batsuit looks a bit darker, and does have a few cosmetic changes to make it stand out from its predecessor. UPDATE: The suit also features in the cover to "BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT" as seen below, also drawn by David Finch, who also happens to be double timing as the writer of the series!

The suit is actually reminiscent of the Tim Burton Bat-flicks, and the one Bruce wore when he reclaimed the mantle from Dick Grayson the first time his young ward stepped in to fill his shoes after the events of Knightsend.

Notice that the belt is still the old school "capsule batbelt", and the boots actually have scallops. The new "Return" Batsuit shares the same color scheme, but the belt is like that of "Batman Forever", which saw actor Val Kilmer don the batsuit (with nipples).

Truth be told, the return of the yellow oval is going to take some time getting used to again. After embracing Jim Lee's artwork during the "Hush" storyline, Batman is now returning to the look that I grew up with.

Even Dick Grayson paid homage to his mentor when he was thought "dead", by assuming the mantle of the Bat and wearing the "retro look", with a slightly modified suit that is equipped with a new utility belt design, new gauntlets with two scallops, and a lighter cape to accomodate the young man's acrobatic fighting style, which also doubles as a para-cape reminiscent of what Chritopher Nolan introduced in "Batman Begins". Now with Bruce returning, what does that mean for Dick's tenure as Batman? Will he return to being Nightwing, or become something more?

No matter what he wears, Batman will always be BATMAN, and I can't wait to see where Grant Morrison and crew take him and his proteges when The Dark Knight returns, along with new books - namely BATMAN INC. and BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT! Watch out for Bat season this November!

Oh, before his return, Bruce Wayne will have to contend with the changes made during his absence, notably with his extended Bat family! Also seen in The Source, Check out the first look to the covers of the titles that make up "BRUCE WAYNE: THE ROAD HOME", by artist Shane Davis!