The Dark Knight returns

Oh, man, The Dark Knight can't come out soon enough. For those who missed Batman Begins, it was easily one of the best Batman films ever made, not to mention one of the best comic book movies to ever grace the silver screen.

Director Christopher Nolan got things right by keeping the movie decently grounded in reality and staying true to the caped crusader's dark and gritty source material. Batman isn't about neon rave fights and ridiculous antagonists like The Frigid Govonator. Batman's about blood, pulp and deep, psychological characters.

With that said, take a gander at what Heath Ledger has to offer as the grinning gangster himself, The Joker. I'll be the first to admit I doubted many would be better suited to the role than Jack Nicholson, but man, Ledger looks even better than crazy Jack and appears to have the lunatic flair to back it up.

In an era where decent comic book adaptations are hard to find, especially in a pre-established series like Batman, I tip my nerd cap to Nolan and his entire crew for having the chutzpah to give this project the respect it deserves.