The Dark Knight Gets a Poster!

Arend Anton

To Da Fireman:

If you think Batman/Bruce Wayne is a boring character you've been watching the Burton/Schumacher movies too much (not to put the first Batman down).

Bale and Nolan portray Bruce/Batman as a tortured soul and a complete badass. I find it hard to believe that anyone could find the current depiction of the character to be boring. Nolan has stated that his Batman movies are about Batman. The villains are meant to be something that Batman reacts against in an emotional way as well as physical. The villains are there to unveil the complexities of Wayne's character. Batman is really more of a tragic character than a conventional hero because he makes sacrifices to counteract his anger and misery.

Dec 5 - 09:33 PM

Jonn X.

aknddon3,

The Joker's background isn't an important part of his character, only who he is and what he represents to Batman, how they feed off of each other. He doesn't even know it, whereas the Sandman was driven by his past, by the people in his life, not so with the Joker.

That's why we don't need to see his origin.

Dec 5 - 10:06 PM

andrew kruzel

We need to see Jokers origin to see how he bacame who he is, without that he is just a madman.

Dec 5 - 10:39 PM

Robert Pilkington

This is perhaps the best teaser poster I've ever seen. Wow.

And I can't see why suddenly the brothers Nolan would suddenly fall in the footsteps of Burton and co. there are a few reasons why Villains get a star treatment and why Leger is getting so much hype: it puts asses in seats. Especially for comic book movies. Plus this is the Joker. An icon. We were surprised and dazzled by Ra's and Scarecrow in the first one, great, but now lets move on to the bigger guns. Joker is a household name, so of course they're going to push him in the marketing. That doesn't mean the script will lack the character focus that made Begins so incredible.

Dec 5 - 10:53 PM

Jonn X.

You're missing the point. He's not a madman, he's just the only person that knows what he's doing. Call that madness if you want.

His origin IS NOT IMPORTANT to his character; even he doesn't know it. It doesn't matter. There are a few back stories, none of them canon, all of them adequate. Take your pick. I personally hope they leave it out, as we can come as close to understanding him as anyone without knowing who he was before he became the criminal we know him as.

Dec 5 - 10:56 PM

Shawn Amoroso

cmon, guys settle down the poster is worried you are getting too serious;)

breathe in out fanboys and girls the real christmas is coming and we all know our

present in july o8 will rock, just be patient. anyhoo, everyone saying how much

pressure is on nolan but hey i wish i was so lucky to have so many of the harshest

critics, comic fans, respect and love him so much. i'm going to feel sorry for him

though because if this movie isn't perfect i know this place will be flooded with

the hate. i know won't be just because he has promised me no Katie holmes in this one.

now her acting, thats scarier than anything ledger will do, honestly, folks she takes

away the notion "begins" was perfect or great. sorry, it was verrrrry good but when you

have an awful actress, in a awful and at times useless role, your movie can't be perfect

I hate it too, but everytime i watch i must say she ruins it from being perfect. its

amazing that nolan assembled such an incredible cast and for some reason couldn't see

the one bad apple:( If you ask me, i would thought fixing the problem would be just

give her time to Gordon. he is batts right hand man and nolan DID say he was basing his

movie on the LEGENDARy Batman:year one, right? anyone who read that book, and if you

hadn't stop reading this and read it now, knows half of the story surround gordan. heck,

you can argue he is the main reason why the book is truely an alltime great!

Essentially, just give gordan the extra screen time to introduce his background a little

more, considering how important and growing his role should be, and also show his

first days on the force and watch him experience the corruption the police force just

like in year one. If nolan did that i think this movie would actually been perfect, but

hopefully the dark knight will increase his role and lessen holmes' character a bit.

Still, I will be listening to the poster and be as un serious as i can be....hahahha

see:)

Dec 5 - 11:57 PM

Shawn Amoroso

Detrs, please don't even waste your valuable time with that loser TROLL

in adkkonn#0, his life doesn't have point;) seriously, the guy is a marvel ***** who

despises anything dc related so it doesn't make a difference if nolon makes the

godfather with a physco killer clown in it, he will hate it. I gurantee my best comic

grade level value on it... that he will be the first one after the movie opens and

says it stunk. He lives on making good people like yourself who actually make correct

or valid or intelligent points(by the way spot on with the joker origin debate)Suffer

until you break. I always suggest ignoring the troll but people never get it you can't

debate an idiot. you know how worthless and stupid his opinion is? its katie holmes in

begins bad:( oh that hurts you doesn't it troll;)

Dec 6 - 12:04 AM

Ronnie Lewis

I don't understand how fans of movies still don't understand how to sell a movie. You take a teaser ending from Batman Begins (Joker Card), an oscar worthy actor (Heath Ledger) and Batman's best villian and you get....a marketing campaign. Lisen folks, they're trying to sell a movie. We already know what batman looks like, for the most part, from the first film. Seeing his new costume in a thousand different photos or a thousand pictures of the batcycle is not going to make people want to go see ths film. Showing a thousand pictures of the Joker and having stars of the movie say how scary he is in real life, will make people go see this film. And remember it is only December. There are still like 6 or 7 months to go before this comes out. There will be plenty of Harvey Dent campaign info, plenty of Rachel Dawes, plenty of Batman and his Bat cycle and plenty more Joker (actually in action), but it won't come around until about two months before the film is actually released so build an ultimate buzz and have all of the casual fans, who don't post comments on RT, in a frenzy! Wow, now that I have gotten that off my chest the poster is pretty freaking genius. It is so sismple, yet pretty much anyone who doesn't even know about this movie yet could walk by this poster and say..."Holy Smokes, there is a new batman movie coming out in 2008 and I think the Joker might be in it". GENIUS!

Dec 6 - 01:14 AM

Ronnie Lewis

Wait a second.....I just read a few more comments and did somebody say Batman isn't an interesting charecter? WOW!

Dec 6 - 01:20 AM

Paul Andersen

Ignore Aknndon3.

He's been a troll for as long as I've been coming to this site, though he seems to be less outright aggressive, he is still going to stick to his retarded comments because it gets a rise out of people, and any attempt to use logic with him will be met with arguments common to kids on a playground.

I'd be angry if they actually showed the origin for the Joker, though I think Nolan is smart enough not to do that. It won't stop people from assuming it's the same as from the original Burton Batman, but what can you do?

I still know people who think Batman Begins was a prequel to the Burton films. Move on, you can't keep people from themselves, ya know?

Dec 6 - 02:48 AM

Tavon Thompson

YO THATS TIGHT!!!
I CANT WAT TO SEE BB2!!!


WHOOOOOOOO!!! YES!!

Dec 6 - 06:11 AM

TOMMY WILBANKS

I think they did a great job since the movie will not be out until next summer and they can not put too much info in the posters.

Dec 6 - 06:46 AM

Tyler Durden

This movie isn't going to be about the Joker's origin. This movie is going to be about Two Face's origin. Because Two-Face's path parralels Batman's. The Joker's killing spree combined with the ongoing mob war will be what causes Harvey Dent to embrace his murderous ideas of justice. Batman's 'ideological doppelganger' as Frank Miller once wrote.

Again, folks, if you want to understand what this movie is going to be like, read the Batman comics written by Frank Miller, Jeph Loeb, and Alan Moore. Then read that 'Gotham Times' viral site again.

The Joker can be explored in a future movie.

Anybody remotely familiar with Batman comics knows that the Joker's origin has always been hazy. Its part of the mystery about him. It wasn't until The Killing Joke that his pre-insanity days were seriously explored, and ever since it is often hinted as merely or largely the product of the Joker's imagination.

Think of the Joker like Darth Vader. How much would it have sucked if in the first half hour of 'A New Hope' you were told Darth Vader was Luke Skywalker's father?

Dec 6 - 07:18 AM

Teh Daniel

One question:

Why so serious?

Can't you all just enjoy the marketing ploy installed? And it is hilarious to think that Nolan is better than Raimi based on a poster which aren't made by directors :rolleyes: And as for why Joker should get centre stage? We come back to superhero franchises because of the villains and not the heroes themselves.

Dec 6 - 07:26 AM

Ferry Lesmana

the coolest poster ever.....please oh please let bale nominated this year

Dec 6 - 07:41 AM

bob jones

First off, i love the poster. its everything a teaser poster should be. it catches your eye, but you dont know what movie its for the second you look at it. it shows you who the villain of the movie is without hitting you over the head with a sledge hammer about it. its subtle, smart, and a little ominous if you think that bat signal is painted in blood. good job by whoever came up with it.

for those worried that the joker will overshadow batman... the title of the movie should allay all your worries. the dark knight. they are obviously going to explore the darker elements of batman, as indicated by "and tonight im going to make you break your one rule" joker line. that rule is not killing, and i think someone mentioned it before, but i think its going to be a sort of Seven type scenario where the joker does stuff to bait batman into killing him (the easy choice is obviously killing either lucious fox or rachel dawes)... either way, this isnt going to the kiddie craptacular fest that was batman and robin...

as many have noted, the joker's origin is overrated. if anything it takes away from the mystique of the character. nolan said that TDK is not going to be "joker begins", but the five minute prologue thing attached to i am legend is supposed to be "rise of the joker"... if you guys remember the first viral site, the one that revealed the jokers first pic, some people emailed the site and got emails back. i did it just for kicks, and i got an email back from "tragicpast", with the cryptic message "elizabeth was always the prettiest girl at the dance. she always knew how to make me smile" (or something similiar i cant remember it verbatum)... that makes me think that they will hint towards the past of the joker, but leave it sort of vague. maybe a quick, nolan style flashback? either way, we are not going to see a full blown backstory for joker.

kobe8bryant, i think batman begins proved that people come to superhero franchises because of the hero, not the villain. scarecrow and ras arent two "heavies" to anyone not familiar with the comics, but everyone turned out to see batman begins. the joker is just icing on the cake, and when used correctly, he teaches us more about the hero... burtons joker showed us a little about that, like the scene in vicky vale's penthouse when bruce goes ape****, but for the most part it was just jack being wacky, which was great...

as for nolan vs raimi. give me nolan everytime. this isnt a spiderman vs batman thing. raimi will always be highly admired for his evil dead movies, which are great fun cult classics. but other than that and spiderman 2, he hasnt really blown me out of the water. simple plan and darkman are alright, but the quick and the dead? the gift? blah. raimi's problem is that he wears his passion for b-movieness on his sleeve way too much. sometimes it works (the doc ock operating table scene in sp2), but sometimes he indulges himself way too much and it works against him (pretty much every scene in sp3). now that he has the big box office clout of spiderman, he will be able to cherry pick his projects, so maybe he will impress me with something. but if he keeps being exec producer on shlock like the grudge... then well...

while raimi swims in gleeful b movieness, nolan is ever the serious filmmaker. there is a precision about his films that is amazing... some might find nolan too intense, but he had the good sense to throw in a few jokes into batman begins, and give it a little bright side without going with egregious ahnoldesque one liners. raimi and nolan are two completely different directors (just like spiderman and batman are completely different) but i would watch a nolan movie before a raimi movie, all else being equal...

well ive gone on for quite a bit. ive seen nothing to dampen my enthusiasm for this movie (unlike iron man, because i thought the trailer was pretty mediocre, but i still hope for the best) and i really think this will be the godfather of all superhero movies. we should be getting a trailer with i am legend, so lets wait and see...

Dec 6 - 07:56 AM

Ryan Ohlemeier

Personally Loved Batman Begins, couldn't have asked for a better way to revamp the series.

and I agree with some of the previous posters.. this isn't about Jokers origin; and what makes him tick is what we, the audience, doesn't see behind his appearance. And thats what makes the Joker such a powerful villain on the screen.

Regardless, I'm looking forward to this movie... have been for months. And now we have a poster that needless to say, kicks ***.

Dec 6 - 08:20 AM

D M

Popcorn you just might be Rotten Tomatoes new official retard. Anyways i can't wait to see this film, Nolan did excellent the first time and i have complete faith that he'll do it again.

Dec 6 - 10:42 AM

Miki Phippi

I like it.

Dec 6 - 11:00 AM

Ole Mattis Opperud

Spider Man 2 better than Memento?
How can a movie about the issues of a spandex-wearing young man with organic "web-slingers" in his palms possibly be better than a superbly acted, expertly edited, multi-layered movie about memory loss? Even Batman Begins couldn't reach up to touch Memento's toenails.

I've heard much unwarranted praise about SM2 before, but this just takes the cake - I don't think I've ever heard anything so ridiculous in my entire life. I even sat down twice after I saw SM2 in the theater, trying to pick up anything in case I missed something the last time, but then I just realized I hadn't missed anything. There wasn't anything else to pick up. It was simply an OK movie in my book, cool action sequences, but way too preachy and moralizing to interest or invest me in the story or the characters.

The first Spider-Man movie is one of the best in the genre, though...

Dec 6 - 12:12 PM