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Dark Knight Trilogy #2
The Dark Knight
Based on the blockbuster Warner Bros. Pictures film starring Christian Bale and Heath Ledger.
Allied with both the police department and the district attorney's office, the vigilante known as Batman continues to bring justice and hope to Gotham City.
But one man dares to mock Batman's mission. A man with a twisted sense of humor. A man whose grotesque smile is reflected on the calling card he leaves at the scene of his crimes: The Joker.
Allied with both the police department and the district attorney's office, the vigilante known as Batman continues to bring justice and hope to Gotham City.
But one man dares to mock Batman's mission. A man with a twisted sense of humor. A man whose grotesque smile is reflected on the calling card he leaves at the scene of his crimes: The Joker.
292 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
24 people are currently reading
1015 people want to read
About the author
Dennis O'Neil
1,757 books276 followers
Dennis "Denny" O'Neil
was a comic book writer and editor best known for his work for Marvel Comics and DC Comics from the 1960s through the 1990s, and Group Editor for the Batman family of titles until his retirement.
His best-known works include Green Lantern/Green Arrow and Batman with Neal Adams, The Shadow with Michael Kaluta and The Question with Denys Cowan. As an editor, he is principally known for editing the various Batman titles. From 2013 unti his death, he sat on the board of directors of the charity The Hero Initiative and served on its Disbursement Committee.
His best-known works include Green Lantern/Green Arrow and Batman with Neal Adams, The Shadow with Michael Kaluta and The Question with Denys Cowan. As an editor, he is principally known for editing the various Batman titles. From 2013 unti his death, he sat on the board of directors of the charity The Hero Initiative and served on its Disbursement Committee.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
August 15, 2023
توصیفات کتاب کامل نبود و صحنه ها سریع عوض میشد. بعضی قسمت ها هم نامفهوم بود برای همین نمیشد درست سکانس هارو تصور کرد. یه قسمت هایی رو هم اصلا نمیفهمیدم چه اتفاقی میافتاد و فقط با یادآوری سکانس های فیلم متوجه میشدم.
کتاب کاملی نیست مگر اینکه فیلمش رو دیده باشید.
غیر بعضی از قسمت ها، دیالوگ ها و سکانس ها و غیره مثل فیلم بود. انگار که فیلمنامه رو یه کم نگارش کردن و در قالب کتاب دادن بیرون.
کتاب کاملی نیست مگر اینکه فیلمش رو دیده باشید.
غیر بعضی از قسمت ها، دیالوگ ها و سکانس ها و غیره مثل فیلم بود. انگار که فیلمنامه رو یه کم نگارش کردن و در قالب کتاب دادن بیرون.
March 10, 2010
I honestly bought the book purely for the sake of having The Dark Knight written down. I was expecting the movie dialogue and situations, straight from the screen, but the book delivered much more.
The additional side stories (Like how Crane managed to sneak his way back into TDK and just who Chechen is) were both unexpected and very true to the characters they portrayed. They were a pleasant surprise and definitely have a bit of re-read value to them.
But unfortunately a big hit on my opinion of the book was the way it destroyed the Joker's character. His dialogue (Most of the dialogue in the book for that matter) was rushed and lacking any detail or description. There were literally just big paragraphs with quotes; no breaks or pauses. Not to mention how pathetically brief his actions and fights were. And, much to my dismay, there were no scenes that really brought out his thought process or inner workings. If you hadn't seen the movie you would have no idea how terrifying his character was.
All and all I still finished the book in a day and was fairly happy with it. The terrible portrayal of the Joker really hit me hard considering he was a big reason why I got the book in the first place, but c'est la vie~
The additional side stories (Like how Crane managed to sneak his way back into TDK and just who Chechen is) were both unexpected and very true to the characters they portrayed. They were a pleasant surprise and definitely have a bit of re-read value to them.
But unfortunately a big hit on my opinion of the book was the way it destroyed the Joker's character. His dialogue (Most of the dialogue in the book for that matter) was rushed and lacking any detail or description. There were literally just big paragraphs with quotes; no breaks or pauses. Not to mention how pathetically brief his actions and fights were. And, much to my dismay, there were no scenes that really brought out his thought process or inner workings. If you hadn't seen the movie you would have no idea how terrifying his character was.
All and all I still finished the book in a day and was fairly happy with it. The terrible portrayal of the Joker really hit me hard considering he was a big reason why I got the book in the first place, but c'est la vie~
July 24, 2019
The Second installment of The Dark Knight Trilogy
Second in a row, this Novelization of The Dark Knight tells us scene by scene account of the actual movie plus much more .
After Ra's Al Ghul, Gotham faces another chapter that is read by the Joker. Joker seems to be funny ,but, is venomous to the core and has malicious intent. He robs Banks for money. But Money is only means and not the motive of his real intention to bring Gotham to its Knees.
Batman in this sequel, is always on his toes in Dark. Enter Harvey Dent, who is promising new face for Gotham, who has taken up the task to make Gotham Crime free in Daylight. Both working towards one goal, but their ways are different.
You keep wondering, whathappensnext, throughout the book. Very well written. Action packed, just like the movie. All the characters come alive.
Again, Like the Previous one, if you liked the book, you will love this book !!
Go Ahead and Read it !!!
Second in a row, this Novelization of The Dark Knight tells us scene by scene account of the actual movie plus much more .
After Ra's Al Ghul, Gotham faces another chapter that is read by the Joker. Joker seems to be funny ,but, is venomous to the core and has malicious intent. He robs Banks for money. But Money is only means and not the motive of his real intention to bring Gotham to its Knees.
Batman in this sequel, is always on his toes in Dark. Enter Harvey Dent, who is promising new face for Gotham, who has taken up the task to make Gotham Crime free in Daylight. Both working towards one goal, but their ways are different.
You keep wondering, whathappensnext, throughout the book. Very well written. Action packed, just like the movie. All the characters come alive.
Again, Like the Previous one, if you liked the book, you will love this book !!
Go Ahead and Read it !!!
April 23, 2018
Posted : 9 years, 8 months ago on 17 August 2008 08:44 (A review of The Dark Knight film...)
''Why SO serious?''
Batman and James Gordon join forces with Gotham's new District Attorney, Harvey Dent, to take on a psychotic bank robber known as The Joker, whilst other forces plot against them, and Joker's crimes grow more and more deadly.
Christian Bale: Bruce Wayne / Batman
Heath Ledger: The Joker
When we think back to truly worthy sequels, sequels which surpass even their original predecessors, many of us would proclaim such masterpieces as Aliens, Godfather II, Empire Strikes Back, Terminator 2...So with the coming of 2008 yet another sequel will be honoured enough to take it's place among these glorified masterpieces.
Undoubtedly, English Director Christopher Nolan begins to resemble the mythical King Midas, in the sense that every film project he breathes life into results in a deep, puzzling masterpiece of depth and serenity. Memento, Insomnia, The Prestige have all mesmerized and set alight mindful debate among critics and fans alike, and for me been hailed as 5 star masterpieces which breach the synapses.
2005 sees the release of Batman Begins, under the helm is none other than English Director Nolan and Warner Bros. The batman franchise, after Joel Schumacher's Batman Forever and Batman & Robin had been taking it's last dying breaths after turning into a colourful farce of nipples and cartoony villainy.
Only a miracle could of repaired the damage done, and if any man can provide miracles Christopher Nolan surely can. Batman Begins not only gave new life to a dying franchise, it redefined comic book/Graphic Novel adaptations in terms of realism, acting, and adrenaline pumping cinematography. This was a whole new re-imagining for Bruce Wayne becoming the Batman, and quite frankly even more believable than Tim Burton's efforts in 1989.
So 2008 sees the The Dark Knight, from Warner Brothers and once again the directorial genius of Nolan.
David S. Goyer and Christopher Nolan collaborated on the story of this film. The script itself was written by Nolan and his brother Jonathan. funnily enough after watching The Dark Knight, Goyer stated "I can't believe my name is on a movie this good".
This time the hype, the anticipation, and the attention has increased a hundred fold since it's predecessor. New cast additions include Maggie Gyllenhaal, Aaron Eckhart and the late Heath Ledger, while old veterans return such as Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Micheal Caine and the Dark Knight himself Christian Bale. Obviously the tragic death of Heath Ledger after the completion of the movie warranted alot more attention for viewers due to the complexity of seeing his last performance. However, The Dark Knight is testament to Ledger's legacy, his swan song, his immortal role among many chameleonic characters in his resume. His roles in Brokeback Mountain, Candy, showed his adult raw talent for tackling sensitive controversial material, while A Knight's Tale, The Patriot and 10 things I hate about you showed he could entertain and be charming. So with The Dark Knight we witness his best film to date, his guaranteed Academy Award grabbing carnation of the maniacal nemesis of batman, The Joker. Let it just be said Heath truly is immersed 100% into the confines of the character, he makes us believe and sometimes agree with his views on society and people.
Joker never seized to make me laugh in appreciation despite what could be considered sick antics, I considered genius. Who else could do a pen trick with someone's head? Dress as a nurse with a silencer in hand and his clownish face glistening? Hide in a body-bag to infiltrate a mob boss's joint? Who else could immortalize Batman's most famous, opposing force, Joker? Without a doubt Heath Ledger bar none.
''Sometimes, truth isn't good enough, sometimes people deserve more. Sometimes people deserve to have their faith rewarded.''
To prepare for his iconic role as The Joker, Heath Ledger hid away in a motel room for about six weeks. During this extended stay of seclusion, Ledger delved deep into the psychology of the character. He devoted himself to developing The Joker's every detail, namely the voice and that sadistic-sounding laugh. Ledger's interpretation of The Joker's appearance was primarily based upon, of the chaotic, disheveled look of punk rocker Sid Vicious combined with the psychotic mannerisms of Malcolm McDowell's character, Alex De Large, from A Clockwork Orange. Ultimately for his efforts, The Dark Knight was the first comic book movie to ever win an Oscar for an achievement in acting, specifically to Heath Ledger (posthumously) for Best Supporting Actor.
Heath Ledger posthumously won a total of 32 Best Supporting Actor awards for his work on this film, including the Oscar, Golden Globe, BAFTA, SAG and Critic's Choice award.
Christopher Nolan beautifully captures Gotham City (filmed on location at Chicago). Whereas Batman Begins was styled after the iconic piece from Ridley Scott's rainy, dirty Blade Runner, the sequel The Dark Knight mirrors the feel and look of Micheal Mann's Heat giving us a true homage to masters of cinema and film, and we see Nolan has been inspired by the best, rein-visioning his own unique directing and styling to give us a fresh and powerful Gotham City.
Indeed, a similar scene in Michael Mann's crime saga, Heat, inspired this film's introductory bank robbery sequence. As a matter of fact, William Fichtner, who had a notable appearance in this scene, was also in Heat.
''I am an agent of chaos. And you know the thing about chaos? It's fair...''
The Dark Knight runs at nearly 3 hours, yet never ceases to lose any momentum. It doesn't waste a scene or moment of it's run-time; every event is utilized and necessary to a meaningful complex plot. Nolan tells a story worth telling and like his other film projects, nothing is ever as it seems, he is in a way the new master of suspense, a shadow of Hitchcock proportions.
Action-sequences are mind blowingly frantic, old-school, eye-grabbing stunts and in their chaotic intensity we see that they serve purpose to the plot, yet even more interestingly, are not played for pure entertainment-value alone.
Audiences are meant to watch, petrified, simply hoping that the outcome will go the hero's way and another show stealing performance from it's villain. Attention is never lost because we are immersed in a breathtaking, almost completely-unpredictable story, that makes us think and more importantly gains our emotional liability. We come to care for the characters, because they are believable, developed, and personified.
Interestingly, this film and its predecessor have one-word themes which are driving forces in the stories and explanations for villains: Batman Begins centers around Fear(Scarecrow/ Ra's Al Ghul), while the focus of The Dark Knight is Chaos(The Joker/Two Face).
''Don't talk like one of them. You're not! Even if you'd like to be. To them, you're just a freak, like me! They need you right now, but when they don't, they'll cast you out, like a leper! You see, their morals, their code, it's a bad joke. Dropped at the first sign of trouble. They're only as good as the world allows them to be. I'll show you. When the chips are down, these... these civilized people, they'll eat each other. See, I'm not a monster. I'm just ahead of the curve.''
Maggie Gyllenhaal results in being a more mature Rachel Dawes than Katie Holmes. Morgan Freeman again provides his authoritative presence to the role of Wayne-Enterprise CEO Lucius Fox, and under anyone else's portrayal, the part would be less than memorable. Legendary Gary Oldman underplays his world-wearied lawman with such honest finesse and plausibility, you never feel for a second any of it is artificial. The irreplaceable Michael Caine makes a gentle, reassuring, foster parent presence for Bruce Wayne yet again as faithful Alfred, and the story would surely diminish without his strong presence and interlacing moments of humourous quips and anecdotal advice for the masked hero.
Aaron Eckhart whom plays Harvey Dent, really excels in being ''The White Knight'' politician of Gotham City whom is likable, and charismatic. The attraction between Gyllenhaal and Eckhart is believable, whereas the love triangle which forms between the complexities of Harvey, Rachel and Bruce are greatly helped by amazing chemistry between them.
Dent's dual personality comes into effect very well, as we the audience scratch beyond that exterior, we see a dark side to Dent. A dark side the Joker inevitably wants to explore.
''Oh, you. You just couldn't let me go, could you? This is what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object. You truly are incorruptible, aren't you? You won't kill me out of some misplaced sense of self-righteousness. And I won't kill you because you're just too much fun. I think you and I are destined to do this forever.''
Brilliant scores by James Newton Howard and Hans Zimmer. In fact the scores could be two new characters in the film in the sense of depth and emotion they stitch together with the powerful resonance in the scenes. The chase where Batman first uses his Bat-pod bike is nerve tinglingly delivered thanks to the effective use of musical genius and poignant sound. The movies climax and final scenes elevate The Dark Knight's soul into the heavens, creating a moving, emotional, turbulent, deep message of honour, sacrifice and themes of the greater good. Batman isn't the hero we deserve, he's whatever we need him to be...He's strong, he can take it...and as we hear deep words like this, the tones in the score give the words even more power. A power they deserve.
Overall The Dark Knight rightly received 8 Academy Award nominations, more than any other film based on a comic book, comic strip, or graphic novel. First film based on a comic book, comic strip, or graphic novel to win an Academy Award for acting (Best Supporting Actor).
The Dark Knight was everything I expected it to be and even more so in places, it's certainly the dark masterpiece I predicted, but I do get the feeling that it's been overly hyped for the wrong reasons. See it not just for Heath's performance which is defining and immortalized, but also see it because Dark Knight is the greatest comic book/graphic novel to movie ever. DC comics & Warner Bros. must be singing and praising Nolan a hundred fold.
Dark Knight really does have the last laugh. An astonishing achievement that really does succeed in redefining sequels and graphic novel comic book adaptations.
James Gordon Jr.: Why's he running, Dad?
Lt. James Gordon: Because we have to chase him.
James Gordon Jr.: He didn't do anything wrong.
Lt. James Gordon: Because he's the hero Gotham deserves, but not the one it needs right now. So we'll hunt him. Because he can take it. Because he's not our hero. He's a silent guardian, a watchful protector. A dark knight.
''Why SO serious?''
Batman and James Gordon join forces with Gotham's new District Attorney, Harvey Dent, to take on a psychotic bank robber known as The Joker, whilst other forces plot against them, and Joker's crimes grow more and more deadly.
Christian Bale: Bruce Wayne / Batman
Heath Ledger: The Joker
When we think back to truly worthy sequels, sequels which surpass even their original predecessors, many of us would proclaim such masterpieces as Aliens, Godfather II, Empire Strikes Back, Terminator 2...So with the coming of 2008 yet another sequel will be honoured enough to take it's place among these glorified masterpieces.
Undoubtedly, English Director Christopher Nolan begins to resemble the mythical King Midas, in the sense that every film project he breathes life into results in a deep, puzzling masterpiece of depth and serenity. Memento, Insomnia, The Prestige have all mesmerized and set alight mindful debate among critics and fans alike, and for me been hailed as 5 star masterpieces which breach the synapses.
2005 sees the release of Batman Begins, under the helm is none other than English Director Nolan and Warner Bros. The batman franchise, after Joel Schumacher's Batman Forever and Batman & Robin had been taking it's last dying breaths after turning into a colourful farce of nipples and cartoony villainy.
Only a miracle could of repaired the damage done, and if any man can provide miracles Christopher Nolan surely can. Batman Begins not only gave new life to a dying franchise, it redefined comic book/Graphic Novel adaptations in terms of realism, acting, and adrenaline pumping cinematography. This was a whole new re-imagining for Bruce Wayne becoming the Batman, and quite frankly even more believable than Tim Burton's efforts in 1989.
So 2008 sees the The Dark Knight, from Warner Brothers and once again the directorial genius of Nolan.
David S. Goyer and Christopher Nolan collaborated on the story of this film. The script itself was written by Nolan and his brother Jonathan. funnily enough after watching The Dark Knight, Goyer stated "I can't believe my name is on a movie this good".
This time the hype, the anticipation, and the attention has increased a hundred fold since it's predecessor. New cast additions include Maggie Gyllenhaal, Aaron Eckhart and the late Heath Ledger, while old veterans return such as Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Micheal Caine and the Dark Knight himself Christian Bale. Obviously the tragic death of Heath Ledger after the completion of the movie warranted alot more attention for viewers due to the complexity of seeing his last performance. However, The Dark Knight is testament to Ledger's legacy, his swan song, his immortal role among many chameleonic characters in his resume. His roles in Brokeback Mountain, Candy, showed his adult raw talent for tackling sensitive controversial material, while A Knight's Tale, The Patriot and 10 things I hate about you showed he could entertain and be charming. So with The Dark Knight we witness his best film to date, his guaranteed Academy Award grabbing carnation of the maniacal nemesis of batman, The Joker. Let it just be said Heath truly is immersed 100% into the confines of the character, he makes us believe and sometimes agree with his views on society and people.
Joker never seized to make me laugh in appreciation despite what could be considered sick antics, I considered genius. Who else could do a pen trick with someone's head? Dress as a nurse with a silencer in hand and his clownish face glistening? Hide in a body-bag to infiltrate a mob boss's joint? Who else could immortalize Batman's most famous, opposing force, Joker? Without a doubt Heath Ledger bar none.
''Sometimes, truth isn't good enough, sometimes people deserve more. Sometimes people deserve to have their faith rewarded.''
To prepare for his iconic role as The Joker, Heath Ledger hid away in a motel room for about six weeks. During this extended stay of seclusion, Ledger delved deep into the psychology of the character. He devoted himself to developing The Joker's every detail, namely the voice and that sadistic-sounding laugh. Ledger's interpretation of The Joker's appearance was primarily based upon, of the chaotic, disheveled look of punk rocker Sid Vicious combined with the psychotic mannerisms of Malcolm McDowell's character, Alex De Large, from A Clockwork Orange. Ultimately for his efforts, The Dark Knight was the first comic book movie to ever win an Oscar for an achievement in acting, specifically to Heath Ledger (posthumously) for Best Supporting Actor.
Heath Ledger posthumously won a total of 32 Best Supporting Actor awards for his work on this film, including the Oscar, Golden Globe, BAFTA, SAG and Critic's Choice award.
Christopher Nolan beautifully captures Gotham City (filmed on location at Chicago). Whereas Batman Begins was styled after the iconic piece from Ridley Scott's rainy, dirty Blade Runner, the sequel The Dark Knight mirrors the feel and look of Micheal Mann's Heat giving us a true homage to masters of cinema and film, and we see Nolan has been inspired by the best, rein-visioning his own unique directing and styling to give us a fresh and powerful Gotham City.
Indeed, a similar scene in Michael Mann's crime saga, Heat, inspired this film's introductory bank robbery sequence. As a matter of fact, William Fichtner, who had a notable appearance in this scene, was also in Heat.
''I am an agent of chaos. And you know the thing about chaos? It's fair...''
The Dark Knight runs at nearly 3 hours, yet never ceases to lose any momentum. It doesn't waste a scene or moment of it's run-time; every event is utilized and necessary to a meaningful complex plot. Nolan tells a story worth telling and like his other film projects, nothing is ever as it seems, he is in a way the new master of suspense, a shadow of Hitchcock proportions.
Action-sequences are mind blowingly frantic, old-school, eye-grabbing stunts and in their chaotic intensity we see that they serve purpose to the plot, yet even more interestingly, are not played for pure entertainment-value alone.
Audiences are meant to watch, petrified, simply hoping that the outcome will go the hero's way and another show stealing performance from it's villain. Attention is never lost because we are immersed in a breathtaking, almost completely-unpredictable story, that makes us think and more importantly gains our emotional liability. We come to care for the characters, because they are believable, developed, and personified.
Interestingly, this film and its predecessor have one-word themes which are driving forces in the stories and explanations for villains: Batman Begins centers around Fear(Scarecrow/ Ra's Al Ghul), while the focus of The Dark Knight is Chaos(The Joker/Two Face).
''Don't talk like one of them. You're not! Even if you'd like to be. To them, you're just a freak, like me! They need you right now, but when they don't, they'll cast you out, like a leper! You see, their morals, their code, it's a bad joke. Dropped at the first sign of trouble. They're only as good as the world allows them to be. I'll show you. When the chips are down, these... these civilized people, they'll eat each other. See, I'm not a monster. I'm just ahead of the curve.''
Maggie Gyllenhaal results in being a more mature Rachel Dawes than Katie Holmes. Morgan Freeman again provides his authoritative presence to the role of Wayne-Enterprise CEO Lucius Fox, and under anyone else's portrayal, the part would be less than memorable. Legendary Gary Oldman underplays his world-wearied lawman with such honest finesse and plausibility, you never feel for a second any of it is artificial. The irreplaceable Michael Caine makes a gentle, reassuring, foster parent presence for Bruce Wayne yet again as faithful Alfred, and the story would surely diminish without his strong presence and interlacing moments of humourous quips and anecdotal advice for the masked hero.
Aaron Eckhart whom plays Harvey Dent, really excels in being ''The White Knight'' politician of Gotham City whom is likable, and charismatic. The attraction between Gyllenhaal and Eckhart is believable, whereas the love triangle which forms between the complexities of Harvey, Rachel and Bruce are greatly helped by amazing chemistry between them.
Dent's dual personality comes into effect very well, as we the audience scratch beyond that exterior, we see a dark side to Dent. A dark side the Joker inevitably wants to explore.
''Oh, you. You just couldn't let me go, could you? This is what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object. You truly are incorruptible, aren't you? You won't kill me out of some misplaced sense of self-righteousness. And I won't kill you because you're just too much fun. I think you and I are destined to do this forever.''
Brilliant scores by James Newton Howard and Hans Zimmer. In fact the scores could be two new characters in the film in the sense of depth and emotion they stitch together with the powerful resonance in the scenes. The chase where Batman first uses his Bat-pod bike is nerve tinglingly delivered thanks to the effective use of musical genius and poignant sound. The movies climax and final scenes elevate The Dark Knight's soul into the heavens, creating a moving, emotional, turbulent, deep message of honour, sacrifice and themes of the greater good. Batman isn't the hero we deserve, he's whatever we need him to be...He's strong, he can take it...and as we hear deep words like this, the tones in the score give the words even more power. A power they deserve.
Overall The Dark Knight rightly received 8 Academy Award nominations, more than any other film based on a comic book, comic strip, or graphic novel. First film based on a comic book, comic strip, or graphic novel to win an Academy Award for acting (Best Supporting Actor).
The Dark Knight was everything I expected it to be and even more so in places, it's certainly the dark masterpiece I predicted, but I do get the feeling that it's been overly hyped for the wrong reasons. See it not just for Heath's performance which is defining and immortalized, but also see it because Dark Knight is the greatest comic book/graphic novel to movie ever. DC comics & Warner Bros. must be singing and praising Nolan a hundred fold.
Dark Knight really does have the last laugh. An astonishing achievement that really does succeed in redefining sequels and graphic novel comic book adaptations.
James Gordon Jr.: Why's he running, Dad?
Lt. James Gordon: Because we have to chase him.
James Gordon Jr.: He didn't do anything wrong.
Lt. James Gordon: Because he's the hero Gotham deserves, but not the one it needs right now. So we'll hunt him. Because he can take it. Because he's not our hero. He's a silent guardian, a watchful protector. A dark knight.
January 26, 2025
HD Film Tributes music video: The Dark Knight main theme by Hans Zimmer. I'm not sure why HD Film Tributes bothered with this one. I guess it's more about the movie scenes than the music. Don't get me wrong. Hans Zimmer is a fantastic composer. He's done great work. The Lion King. Pirates of the Caribbean. Sherlock Holmes. Several others. Hell, this theme is also great, but only because it works perfectly in the movie. To put it bluntly: this is musically boring in spite of its frantic drive. It's nothing I would want to listen to at a concert or on the radio, and frankly, it's interchangeable with music found in 100 other action movies from the past 20 years. A dozen other composers could've done the score, and you wouldn't even notice.
I'm assuming a hard deadline crept up on Dennis O'Neil, because you can tell this one was rushed to the printing press. It didn't end abruptly like Ghostbusters II, but the ending could've been fleshed out just a little bit more. Actually, a lot in the second half could've been fleshed out more. There was a lot of extra info in the first half, and it worked well, but then that stopped. I think if Dennis had had a couple more months and been able to do a couple rounds of editing, stuff from the first half might've ended up on the cutting room floor, and there would've been more added in the second half. There are a couple of chapters with the Scarecrow that could've been left out completely. The only reason he's in there is to introduce another character (The Chechen) and to show that there are Batman copycats running around. However, we get his whole backstory which really belonged in Batman Begins. We also get some backstory for The Chechen and Harvey Dent, but it felt like one part in Harvey's was left open with the intention to close it up later, but it never was. The Joker does one scene pretty early in the book, but then doesn't show up again until page 125, nearly 100 pages later and almost at the halfway point. After that, things clip along faster, and it becomes a strict screenplay to page deal. I'm guessing Dennis ran out of time to make this more literary.
Also, there were a few typos ("warm" instead of "warn," "willl," etc.) Sloppy errors. The part where the Joker is trying to get Harvey Dent in the armored car and Batman is wrecking his Tumbler... I'm sorry, that whole section is just a mess. I don't think an editor even looked at it. The Batmobile is wrecked at one part and he's on his pod (the motorcycle thing) and guards are grabbing at his forearms. Then all of a sudden he's rolling again in the Batmobile which I assume rejuvenated itself like Christine.
Then the car is wrecked again and he whips out the pod. After that, he does some fancy shit with a harpooned steel line which is impossible (he wraps it around a light pole several times which he couldn't do without snagging it with his own vehicle. Thankfully the movie corrected that). Furthermore, the timing is way off with a lot of events. Something will happen, then several days will pass, then all of a sudden you're back to the day the first event happened. Sometimes Batman or the Joker or Gordon would be at one place, then two minutes later they're somewhere else with no explanation on how they teleported from point A to point B. And Bruce/Batman must be one hell of a quick-change artist. It took him approximately 1.5 seconds to get out of his tux and into the Batsuit during his party for Harvey Dent.
(Maybe he had an instant costume change Batpole like Adam West.)
The Joker already had a razor to Rachel's mouth when Bruce was just going into his "panic room," then three seconds later he's behind the Joker, ready to fight, so either the Joker just stood there with the blade for several minutes, or Batman apparated into the room. And how Rachel got from the room where Bruce knocked out Harvey and back into the main room for the party wasn't explained either. Also, Gordon seemed to be eight places at once a couple of times.
(Maybe he was a spy from Marvel.)
It was very difficult to keep up with it all.
Aside from the impossible shit I mentioned above, so much of this story is implausible, but anyone who's seen the movie would know that already. Does nobody notice a bus backed into the front of the bank for several minutes? Wouldn't it be blocking traffic? Does nobody on the ferries notice the bombs in the engine room? It must've taken hours to rig up the explosives in the hospital, did nobody see anything? And that's all just for starters! The Joker's plans are so convoluted that there's no way he could pull all of them off. One small hiccup in any of them, and the whole thing would fall apart. He must be one hell of a clairvoyant.
Unlike Batman Begins, this story isn't great when you take it away from the cinema. The pacing, action, and actors make the film work, and let's be honest here: Heath Ledger's performance made that movie. The Joker in the book is still fun, but HL's acting put it over the top. I'm not just saying that because he died while making it (16 years ago today coincidentally [1/22/24]); it really is a stellar performance. Also, every change in dialogue and action from the book/screenplay to the movie was an improvement, so just watch that instead. I enjoyed reading the book, but I don't think everyone would because it's a bit of a mess. It's a shame Dennis wasn't able to polish it up before turning it in.
I'm assuming a hard deadline crept up on Dennis O'Neil, because you can tell this one was rushed to the printing press. It didn't end abruptly like Ghostbusters II, but the ending could've been fleshed out just a little bit more. Actually, a lot in the second half could've been fleshed out more. There was a lot of extra info in the first half, and it worked well, but then that stopped. I think if Dennis had had a couple more months and been able to do a couple rounds of editing, stuff from the first half might've ended up on the cutting room floor, and there would've been more added in the second half. There are a couple of chapters with the Scarecrow that could've been left out completely. The only reason he's in there is to introduce another character (The Chechen) and to show that there are Batman copycats running around. However, we get his whole backstory which really belonged in Batman Begins. We also get some backstory for The Chechen and Harvey Dent, but it felt like one part in Harvey's was left open with the intention to close it up later, but it never was. The Joker does one scene pretty early in the book, but then doesn't show up again until page 125, nearly 100 pages later and almost at the halfway point. After that, things clip along faster, and it becomes a strict screenplay to page deal. I'm guessing Dennis ran out of time to make this more literary.
Also, there were a few typos ("warm" instead of "warn," "willl," etc.) Sloppy errors. The part where the Joker is trying to get Harvey Dent in the armored car and Batman is wrecking his Tumbler... I'm sorry, that whole section is just a mess. I don't think an editor even looked at it. The Batmobile is wrecked at one part and he's on his pod (the motorcycle thing) and guards are grabbing at his forearms. Then all of a sudden he's rolling again in the Batmobile which I assume rejuvenated itself like Christine.
Then the car is wrecked again and he whips out the pod. After that, he does some fancy shit with a harpooned steel line which is impossible (he wraps it around a light pole several times which he couldn't do without snagging it with his own vehicle. Thankfully the movie corrected that). Furthermore, the timing is way off with a lot of events. Something will happen, then several days will pass, then all of a sudden you're back to the day the first event happened. Sometimes Batman or the Joker or Gordon would be at one place, then two minutes later they're somewhere else with no explanation on how they teleported from point A to point B. And Bruce/Batman must be one hell of a quick-change artist. It took him approximately 1.5 seconds to get out of his tux and into the Batsuit during his party for Harvey Dent.
(Maybe he had an instant costume change Batpole like Adam West.)
The Joker already had a razor to Rachel's mouth when Bruce was just going into his "panic room," then three seconds later he's behind the Joker, ready to fight, so either the Joker just stood there with the blade for several minutes, or Batman apparated into the room. And how Rachel got from the room where Bruce knocked out Harvey and back into the main room for the party wasn't explained either. Also, Gordon seemed to be eight places at once a couple of times.
(Maybe he was a spy from Marvel.)
It was very difficult to keep up with it all.
Aside from the impossible shit I mentioned above, so much of this story is implausible, but anyone who's seen the movie would know that already. Does nobody notice a bus backed into the front of the bank for several minutes? Wouldn't it be blocking traffic? Does nobody on the ferries notice the bombs in the engine room? It must've taken hours to rig up the explosives in the hospital, did nobody see anything? And that's all just for starters! The Joker's plans are so convoluted that there's no way he could pull all of them off. One small hiccup in any of them, and the whole thing would fall apart. He must be one hell of a clairvoyant.
Unlike Batman Begins, this story isn't great when you take it away from the cinema. The pacing, action, and actors make the film work, and let's be honest here: Heath Ledger's performance made that movie. The Joker in the book is still fun, but HL's acting put it over the top. I'm not just saying that because he died while making it (16 years ago today coincidentally [1/22/24]); it really is a stellar performance. Also, every change in dialogue and action from the book/screenplay to the movie was an improvement, so just watch that instead. I enjoyed reading the book, but I don't think everyone would because it's a bit of a mess. It's a shame Dennis wasn't able to polish it up before turning it in.
August 9, 2010
This book is not very good. It reads like someone is watching the movie and describing it to you. Maybe they added some extra stuff about the Scarecrow and the Chechen, but who really cares about them? Scarecrow is in the movie for 5 seconds.
You really want to know about the JOKER. He's more interesting than Batman or anyone else in the book. I wanted to get into his head and see things from his perspective, but this doesn't happen in this book. It's all tell and don't bother to show.
But it does make me want to watch the movie again.
You really want to know about the JOKER. He's more interesting than Batman or anyone else in the book. I wanted to get into his head and see things from his perspective, but this doesn't happen in this book. It's all tell and don't bother to show.
But it does make me want to watch the movie again.
March 27, 2017
5 stars
Nice to have a novelization of the Dark Knight. Liked that it talked about what happened in Batman Begins. Wish that it talked more about the Joker. Still want to know what the Joker's real name is.
What did you think of the Justice League trailer?
Nice to have a novelization of the Dark Knight. Liked that it talked about what happened in Batman Begins. Wish that it talked more about the Joker. Still want to know what the Joker's real name is.
What did you think of the Justice League trailer?
December 20, 2022
Dennis O’Neill does such a good job that I became disappointed in the screenplay. In Batman Begins he sets up the characters and relationships really well. And in this one, it starts off good, you even get a little of Bruce and Alfred vacationing in Vermont.
I want that movie.
Instead I have this—a crime story where the villain has no clear motive except to cause chaos. The joke’s on me.
I mean, a lot of these characters seem wasted. It would be much more interesting if Bruce had to deal with his relationships instead of what happens here.
O’Neill writes it well though.
I want that movie.
Instead I have this—a crime story where the villain has no clear motive except to cause chaos. The joke’s on me.
I mean, a lot of these characters seem wasted. It would be much more interesting if Bruce had to deal with his relationships instead of what happens here.
O’Neill writes it well though.
October 21, 2020
I love the movie. But didn't enjoy the novelization much, especially in the first quarter of the book. After that, as the book progressed, I started to engage with it more.
December 21, 2010
As luck would have it, I actually ended up finishing this at sunrise. "The night is darkest just before the dawn". (Thank you insomnia, for tickling my little geek heart. :D)
Where to start with this? It was a decent novelization. It does a great job of adding to the thought process behind Bruce's decisions that you see in the movie, and it all starts off with a great scene between him and Ra's on the train at the end of the last movie. Ra's himself is also not just a throwaway villain from the previous film in this book. There are constant reflections of his teachings (the way he masked his identity, the way Bruce unknowingly saves him, etc) that are greatly reflected on Bruce's current decisions in the present.
As for secondary characters, we get some great moments with Lucius's thoughts on being Batman's toolmaker, and with Alfred's inner-thoughts as he tries his best to guide/protect Bruce from the events that we see.
The most notable addition is for Scarecrow, and we fully dive into the details of his origin, and how he ended up where he did from the previous movie. There is also a whole origin story involved for 'The Chechen', who is a fairly small character in this movie, but is covered nonetheless. Maroni and Lau also get their fair share.
Other origin highlights also include Harvey Dent, of course. And given the run time of the actual movie, it's understandable why they skipped out on this altogether. However, it's worth reading and knowing about since it parallels Bruce's own tragedy in a very similar way. James Gordon also gets a great amount of time in this book, but he isn't handled nearly as well as Bruce. He does get a few moments here and there, which basically spell out all of the decisions he made in the movie, but otherwise it's nothing memorable.
However, it's the Joker that is the biggest disappointment in this book. Anyone who has seen the movie will know that he is clearly the highlight throughout all of it, and yet we don't learn anything new about him in here. Also, you can really notice the impact and absence of Heath Ledger's performance in this role once you narrow it down to just his lines.
The action scenes are also surprisingly bare, and lack the proper descriptions to make them exciting in any sort of way. It almost felt like a quick summary by someone writing down what they were seeing as they were watching the movie. Which is a bit of a shame, because I was actually enjoying all the character backgrounds, thoughts, etc until we got into the heat of the action. That is something where the movie really shines in this aspect.
Overall, a good novelization, but it's not a replacement for the movie in any way. I would only recommend this to serious fans of the film, who are looking to get something a little extra from Nolan's universe until the next movie arrives to theaters.
Where to start with this? It was a decent novelization. It does a great job of adding to the thought process behind Bruce's decisions that you see in the movie, and it all starts off with a great scene between him and Ra's on the train at the end of the last movie. Ra's himself is also not just a throwaway villain from the previous film in this book. There are constant reflections of his teachings (the way he masked his identity, the way Bruce unknowingly saves him, etc) that are greatly reflected on Bruce's current decisions in the present.
As for secondary characters, we get some great moments with Lucius's thoughts on being Batman's toolmaker, and with Alfred's inner-thoughts as he tries his best to guide/protect Bruce from the events that we see.
The most notable addition is for Scarecrow, and we fully dive into the details of his origin, and how he ended up where he did from the previous movie. There is also a whole origin story involved for 'The Chechen', who is a fairly small character in this movie, but is covered nonetheless. Maroni and Lau also get their fair share.
Other origin highlights also include Harvey Dent, of course. And given the run time of the actual movie, it's understandable why they skipped out on this altogether. However, it's worth reading and knowing about since it parallels Bruce's own tragedy in a very similar way. James Gordon also gets a great amount of time in this book, but he isn't handled nearly as well as Bruce. He does get a few moments here and there, which basically spell out all of the decisions he made in the movie, but otherwise it's nothing memorable.
However, it's the Joker that is the biggest disappointment in this book. Anyone who has seen the movie will know that he is clearly the highlight throughout all of it, and yet we don't learn anything new about him in here. Also, you can really notice the impact and absence of Heath Ledger's performance in this role once you narrow it down to just his lines.
The action scenes are also surprisingly bare, and lack the proper descriptions to make them exciting in any sort of way. It almost felt like a quick summary by someone writing down what they were seeing as they were watching the movie. Which is a bit of a shame, because I was actually enjoying all the character backgrounds, thoughts, etc until we got into the heat of the action. That is something where the movie really shines in this aspect.
Overall, a good novelization, but it's not a replacement for the movie in any way. I would only recommend this to serious fans of the film, who are looking to get something a little extra from Nolan's universe until the next movie arrives to theaters.
March 5, 2009
It was... okay. No substitute for the film, of course, no book could ever hope to fully portray what the film did.
Certain scenes were quoted almost right from the script with no attempts to delve into the thoughts and emotions of the characters, which is what probably irritated me the most. That's one reason I like to read film novelizations, to get at least one person's perspective on what lies behind the dialogue. O'Neil took the easy way out a little too often in this book for my tastes.
Certain scenes were quoted almost right from the script with no attempts to delve into the thoughts and emotions of the characters, which is what probably irritated me the most. That's one reason I like to read film novelizations, to get at least one person's perspective on what lies behind the dialogue. O'Neil took the easy way out a little too often in this book for my tastes.
June 21, 2017
I'm actually reading the other book I posted tonight I got confused. The status update belongs there.
August 20, 2018
Seen the movie? Read the book. Flows well and is, as expected, true to the movie.
November 9, 2021
The book starts out before the events of the film and features an in-depth backstory for the Scarecrow, an extra scene with Bruce and Rachel and a background on Harvey Dent. Dent's parents died in a murder suicide. It was unclear which parent was the killer, but Dent's father was a cop and abusive.
The last half of the story is told really fast with little internal monologue. Batman stops thinking in the last 3rd of the book.
I think the writer started out going to deep into the screenplay and realized the book was getting too long and just described the rest of the script with no extras. Makes for an unbalance read.
The last half of the story is told really fast with little internal monologue. Batman stops thinking in the last 3rd of the book.
I think the writer started out going to deep into the screenplay and realized the book was getting too long and just described the rest of the script with no extras. Makes for an unbalance read.
Read
April 13, 2022It's hard to say whether I liked this book or not, there is no depth in the story or characters. It's like reading the screenplay of the batman movie, with the exact dialogues.
Whatever scene or dialogue that felt so OP and badass in the movie, felt shallow in this book. There are few pages about the scarecrow that wasn't in the movie, but there is nothing more than the movie in the book. I'm not sure if that was the part of the agreement for the book or not.
Whatever scene or dialogue that felt so OP and badass in the movie, felt shallow in this book. There are few pages about the scarecrow that wasn't in the movie, but there is nothing more than the movie in the book. I'm not sure if that was the part of the agreement for the book or not.
April 2, 2025
My favorite Batman movie adapted by my favorite Batman writer, Penny O'Reilly (Rest in Peace) feels sadly a bit phoned-in. It's clear to see by some of the differences in terms of scenes and descriptions that this was based on the original screenplay. I wish I could have as much fun rereading this book as I do rewatching the movie.
January 30, 2018
I like reading novelizations for the insights and expanded features.
However, this one is lacking in magic.
Also, it is hard to recommend an author who uses the word "whimpering" twice in three paragraphs.
However, this one is lacking in magic.
Also, it is hard to recommend an author who uses the word "whimpering" twice in three paragraphs.
April 21, 2023
Felt like this was written exactly 1 time with no revisions, in two hours. Like it was written while watching the movie and then he just copied what was happening on screen to the page. If you like the movie I guess you’ll find some enjoyment out of this. I also found like 2 or 3 typos.
August 26, 2017
*more like 2,75*
October 3, 2017
Best of Nolan
April 6, 2018
Ciekawa i ciągająca historia Przestawiona przez Denisa O Neila
April 17, 2019
4 Stars. Great novelization of my favorite of the three movies in this trilogy.
Highly recommend to Batman fans, or people who loved the movie.
Highly recommend to Batman fans, or people who loved the movie.
October 21, 2019
I really love this film trilogy, so I bought all the novelized editions. I have read through this book many times and absolutely love it. 5/5
April 19, 2020
As incredible as the film.
April 2, 2022
The biggest surprise is that the Joke doesn't die at the end. I understand the gameplan was that for Batman 3 was to have the Joker on trial.
May 16, 2023
Not as good as 'Begins' but there was a lot more that had to be included. Still some nice scenes and exposition missing from the film.
May 16, 2023
as a dark knight film enjoyer this was genuinely quite bad, but made me laugh out loud out of pure bafflement multiple times so stars for that
September 29, 2024
Basically same as the movie with a few more areas of background information which I enjoyed.
February 11, 2025
“Well, I guess you either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become a villain.”
adapted film:
the dark knight (2008) dir. Christopher Nolan.
adapted film:
the dark knight (2008) dir. Christopher Nolan.
Read
July 30, 2019I like this movie
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