The first comic is up! In it, we ask: what kind of team would it take to kill the Batman?

Can a film with as much hype as the Dark Knight possibly live up to such lofty expectations? I'm pleased to say: yes, it can.

For some background, I'm a bit of a Batman nerd. To me, he's the ultimate comic book hero and I've frequently debated with friends the many ways in which he's better than Superman. I consider Batman Begins to be the perfect blueprint for a franchise reboot (only rivaled by Casino Royale) and I've been excited about the prospects of the Dark Knight since we glimpsed the Joker's calling card at the end of the last film.

I can't remember a single movie with more buzz. From intense viral marketing to a barrage of enticing trailers, the Dark Knight has been on everybody's mind for nearly a year now. Heath Ledger's untimely death this past January only heightened people's interest and sparked macabre speculation over posthumous awards. I've been hooked all along and the haunting poster of the Joker asking "Why so serious?" gives me chills every time I see it.

That said, it should be no surprise that this morning, I was one in a sea of enthusiastic Batman fans who made a pilgrimage to the midnight premiere. I have been going to midnight shows for the past decade, and this one blew away everything before it: Star Wars, the Lord of the Rings, and Spider-Man had nothing on the Dark Knight. At AMC 30 in Barrington, no less than eighteen screens sold out. Pair that information with the fact that the title's appearing on a record 4,366 screens nationwide this weekend, and it looks like several box office records are bound to be broken.

As the last credits rolled at 3:00am this morning, I found my mind racing to assess everything that I had just experienced. At first, I tried to take inventory of all of the upsides.

The acting was superb. Christian Bale turns in as charming and nuanced a role as ever, further cementing his status as one of the top actors of his generation. The supporting cast was even more impressive than in Batman Begins, which is quite a feat. Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, and Michael Caine are unrivaled as key allies and sympathizers for Batman.

The newcomers do not disappoint at all, either. Maggie Gyllenhaal is a major step up over Katie Holmes, even though the Rachel Dawes character remains the most underdeveloped. Aaron Eckhart turns in the best (and most tragic) depiction of Harvey Dent I've had the pleasure of experiencing. In Christopher Nolan tradition, all of the bit players are wonderful as well: Eric Roberts is as smarmy as ever, Nestor Carbonell is a likeable mayor (even if he does wear mascara), and Anthony Michael Hall is fun as a reporter (and possible villain-to-be). To top it all off, our favorite psychologist makes a brief cameo.

The Dark Knight's real star, as we all know, is Ledger. All of the praise that he's received so far as the Joker is merited. From his very first reveal, the Joker entertains, creeps, inspires, and terrifies in a way few other on-screen villains ever have. Throughout his career, Heath Ledger turned in formidable roles, but none were nearly as compelling as this incarnation of the Joker. One incredible hospital scene had me simultaneously laughing uproariously and creeped out. If nothing else, we should all be thankful that he went out at his pinnacle, and not like, say, Raul Julia in Street Fighter.

The entire film is set against the grimmest and most atmospheric Gotham to date. The scenes filmed in Chicago were brilliantly done and I found myself geeking out, having lived in the area my entire life. Last summer, I remember saying to Toni "this film better be amazing" for all of the detours we had to take navigating the city. I never had any doubt that it would be.

All of the technical details are as impressive as you could hope for. The visual effects dazzle, the sound mixing creates an immersive mood (highlighted by the Joker's creepy atonal theme), and the costume design is top-notch. From top to bottom (actor, clothing, and makeup), the Joker is the perfect adaptation of a comic book villain onto the big screen.

I can't say enough good things about the screenplay or the cinematography. In the Dark Knight, the characters grow and change on multiple levels. Batman seems simultaneously more triumphant, tragic, and human than any other cinematic superhero today. Unlike other franchises, these films don't feel stale and interchangeable; whereas Spider-Man 2 and 3 were evolutionary upgrades, the Dark Knight is a revolutionary step forward.

After careful consideration, I can't come up with a single substantial flaw in the movie. With that in mind, I consider it both a a privilege and a burden to start with the Dark Knight as my first review for 2-D Glasses. It's too intricate a movie to fully explore in this space and it will be a high benchmark against which all subsequent films will be measured.

I'm off to study voodoo in hopes of reanimating Heath Ledger for the follow-up...

I have to admit, I was looking forward to this movie ever since Batman Begins came out. All of that anticipation and excitement made the movie a little over-hyped.

That being said, The Dark Knight was good, really good. It didn't blow me away like Batman Begins did, but for me, it has plateaued at a similar level of greatness. Like I said, it's really good.

The Joker's performance was hilarious. There was a sufficient mix of explosions and fights. Batman was... well... Batman (a.k.a. awesome). The story was compelling. I also think the movie had a good flow to it in general. Oh! And Cillian Murphy got a cameo, which was pretty sweet.

My only real issues with the movie are that: 1) the brand new old girlfriend didn't get to do very much and just seemed like the same old tired prop and 2) the movie was a bit long. There was a lot to cover, admittedly, but there were at least two points when I thought it was over, only to be reminded of the loose ends left to tie.

All in all, I'm impressed and await the next in this line.