Let's look at the facts here: Tim Burton, fresh off the giddy originality of Beetlejuice, helms this big-budget version of Batman with his signature style fully intact. Danny Elfman, whose score for Pee-Wee's Big Adventure thrilled audiences with its fresh new sound and fit Burton's vision to a tee. Michael Keaton, also from Beetlejuice, was Burton's then "it" guy, and of course, you've got Jack Nicholson whose persona goes without saying. Just as much as people were anticipating The Dark Knight a few months ago, that was the fervor surrounding 1989's Batman - around the same time, the old 60's television series was airing on Nick At Nite, so everyone knew how campy Batman could be. Conversely, DC comics released Frank Miller's "The Dark Knight Returns", Jim Starlin's "A Death In The Family", and most importantly to ME, Alan Moore's "The Killing Joke", and they took the series into new, darker territory. Then news came of the film version being dark and "serious", and people flipped. I've probably seen this film 50 times if not more, and it never gets old. Sure, you could argue that the Christopher Nolan Batman is more "realistic", and that Heath Ledger's Joker is more "villainous", but why go there? It's like comparing apples to oranges - there's no point. They're BOTH good and they BOTH come from visionary directors who slathered the films with their signature styles. Heck, for me personally, I might even like this one the best.