Dispelling Myths: Comic Elements In The Dark Knight

Rolling off of the Batman Begins list, let’s get straight into it.

1. This opening: An intricately planned heist that has goons wearing clown masks who kill one another after each unique task is fulfilled and Joker alone gets away with the haul. This is the Clown Prince of Crime who is capable of out-classing Batman tactically. Bonus: Ledger’s Grumpy mask pays tribute to Cesar Romero’s turn as Joker..

2. The mob ties to the bank further adds to the heavy mafia corruption of early Batman’s career that had already had a big role in Begins but will be explored even more in this one.

3. Nolan adds in a gas grenade for the Joker and a “District 22” on the getaway bus, foreshadowing Dent’s break into Two-Face.

4. The Batsignal itself scares away low level crime.

5. More of the mustachioed Lt. Gordon on the GCPD rooftop next to the Batsignal.

6. Batman runs single-handedly stops a drug deal with recurring villain, Scarecrow, and the mob that is further complicated by copycats. Tactical Mind: He drones in the Tumbler which first takes their attention before tanking their gunfire and intimidating them with its own. Batman then appears from nowhere, takes down a copycat an goons, drags another copycat to safety using his grappling gun, throws a Rottweiler, and hangs onto a moving van. Not being deterred by getting rammed into a column, he perfectly times a two story descent on top of it, ending the chase swiftly.

7. Batman uses many gadgets. Old: Batarangs, grappling gun, MINES, hearing device in cowl ears (both amplifies hearing and scans radio). New: A claw device used to bend a rifle barrel, melee attack, and tear into van door; pump action stick bomb launcher; sonic mapping device (upgraded behind Fox’s back to become a city-wide spying device); HUD display with first-person and omniscient view connected to sonic mapping; SkyHook; projectile gauntlets.

8. Batman’s superiority over copycats/vigilantes. Here, he offers a witty retort (which comic Batman is known for his dry wit, likely derived from Alfred) that implies his gear and funds provide that superiority, but we know from Batman Begins that his strict ideology is what truly separates them.

9. Batman suddenly appears in the earlier bank now covered with cops. It is clear from the earlier rooftop scene with Gordon that the police relationship is friendlier and based on a mutual mission against the mob. Bonus: Batman privately funds the Major Crimes Unit by, in this case, supplying lightly irradiated bills to combat laundering.

10. The early dismissal of Joker in favor of going after the mob.

11. Batman has more than one place to hang his cowl. Here, we are introduced to the Batbunker; it is fully stocked.

12. Bruce is capable of patching himself up. Although, Alfred is the more experienced in that field.

13. Bruce has surveillance on Dent and love-interest Rachel. Bonus: Hints of his paranoia slips out when he admits he might even have Alfred followed.

14. Bruce’s blind faith in his Batman persona having no limits and then stubbornness to not consider any which will lead to heartbreak. Bonus: Alfred trying to impart wisdom and steer him rightly.

15. Dent uses his father’s trick coin.

16. Creative Liberty: In The Long Halloween (which also gave inspiration to Begins), Maroni makes an attempt on Harvey’s life while on the stand. He uses acid which scars half Dent’s face and is the linchpin to his split into Two-Face. Here, Nolan has Maroni’s cousin “testifying against” him. He pulls out a gun which misfires. The scene homages and is meant to invoke a greater tension to fans of the comic. Bonus: Dent is fairly capable.

17. The Triumvirate (another TLH influence: Batman-Gordon-Harvey) begins to form. Bonus: Gordon’s practiced public denial of any help from The Batman. Bonus Bonus: A mention of Harvey formerly working IA and our first hunt that the White Knight isn’t truly clean and shiny: In the comics, Dent is largely portrayed as to having psych problems and a willingness to step outside his bounds before the second face came into play.

18. A second Wayne building different from the more classic architecture one in Begins. Begins Character Continuity: It came in black.

19. Bruce sleeping during a board meeting.

20. Bruce uses Wayne Ent. to investigate the a suspected criminal businessman. Tactical Mind: He proposed a merger so that he could gain access to a good look at the company’s books.

21. Engineering Mind: Bruce sketched out a design for a more flexible neck piece, allowing for better awareness in the field. Creative Liberty/Begins Continuity: This version of Bruce sparks the creation of the new Batsuit made by Fox, rather than designing all by himself while focused on bringing down the mob. Bonus: The cowl has a defensive taser element to further protect his identity.

22. Begins Continuity: Bruce owns a hard-to-get-a-reservation restaurant and his playboy persona crashes Rachel & Dent’s. Bonus: Bruce starts to see the ally that Dent can be.

23. Bruce desires a way out. Many fans wrongly think this to not be comic accurate, but he has plenty of times wanted to quit (and usually because of a woman, which is the case with Rachel). Desiring to be done but unable to stay done is as true to the character as being married to the mission.

24. The Mob Families meet to discuss how to deal with Batman and the cops coming after their money. Begins Continuity: They do so in daylight out of fear of the Bat.

25. The purple and green custom suit and overall clown visage complete with yellow teeth. Creative Liberty: Nolan does not go the Ace Chemicals perma-bleached skin. Instead he elected to maintain the more grounded approach to fit with Begins and his sensibilities as a storyteller.

26. The introduction of super villains phase out the old mob families. We see this personified by Joker who tactically uses the mob to bolster himself up and weaken them by their own consent. Bonus: Joker is a surprisingly good combatant who can even match Batman at times. This is sometimes explained by having a fit of insanity that temporarily gives him “superhuman strength” (in the sense of a mom lifting a car to save her child, or an 80yo dementia patient fighting off orderlies) but other times by legitimate skill, which is the case in TDK (shown by his control of Gambol and  Batman in their final fight and his extensive weapons training).

27. Joker does not fit the definition of insane, despite his appearance and demented personality. Bonus: Joker calling card and bomb threat to ensure escape. Bonus: The “pencil trick” is likely an homage to his pencil taunt in Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on a Serious Earth.

28. The Triumvirate meeting together on the rooftop, called by Dent.

29. Drama between whether the DA or MCU has the mob ties that are compromising their war on organized crime. Bonus: Sudden disappearance of Batman (okay, last time I’ll mention his appearing/disappearing act).

30. Prep Time: Bruce, Fox, Alfred formulate an extraction of a heavily fortified and manned Lau that will take him just over two minutes to execute. Bonus: Playboy persona alibi.

31. Batman’s goals take him outside of Gotham. This had not been before on film.

32. Tactical Mind: Joker takes out his main threat, Gambol, and adds a member to his crew. Bonus: The different back stories is inspired by The Killing Joke where, at the end of the comic supposedly detailing his origin, Joker admits he remembers it differently sometimes and prefers to think of his past as multiple choice. Bonus: Ledger’s Joker, while he does use other weapons, he has an affinity for knives and pistols.

33. The allusion of a device being bat-inspired. But Nolan cheekily has Fox interrupt with “submarine.”

34. Batman up on the ledge of a skyscraper.

35. Tactical Mind: After Fox’s sonar device mapped Lau’s building, Bruce is able to complete his planning. He sets a 2min 30sec timer on explosive devices which he shoots with great accuracy at one corner’s windows. The device’s pair shuts down the main lights and security systems, preceding his glide to another side of the building but at the same floor. Fighting/Ninjitsu Prowess: He rolls upon crashing through the glass and quickly dispatches two men before disappearing under gunfire. His reappearance has him take control of one goon to fight off the others (he gains a hold on the gun hand; shoots one guy presumably in the foot, Begins Continuity; tosses that goon into another one to hold him off; performs an offensive disarm; and KOs the postponed guy with the rifle). Situational awareness backhanded fist. He drags Lau to the correct corner and preps him before Chinese SWAT equivalent reach them. SkyHook device and well-timed cargo plane drags them out of there.

36. A sign for the cops left behind on an apprehended criminal.

37. At 41min in, we start to see The Man Who Laughs story inspiration. Joker’s sudden public appearance comes with death and the promise of more deaths of targeted, named people. Batman and the police are in a race to prevent them and keep losing.

38. Creative Liberty: Joker’s victims have his face painted onto them. This is an homage to Joker toxin.

39. Society event where Bruce fashionably shows up late. Three girls with him this time.

40. Bruce’s public approval and support of Harvey Dent. Bonus: Illusion of drinking liquor but instead stays sober.

41. Tactical Mind: Joker performs three simultaneous attacks. Batman is only able to stop the physical force one due to Dent being in the “safety” of his penthouse.

42. Bruce effortlessly puts Dent to sleep and later just as smoothly takes down a clown goon and disassembles his weapon.

43. Penthouse “panic room” that holds suits and supplies. Secret panel and fingerprint protected.

44. Joker’s physical appearance causes as much fear as Batman’s does.

45. Joker is a sadomasochist.

46. Tactical Mind/Fighting Prowess: Batman controls a group by performing trap/holds on goons and maneuvering them between himself and the others. He also specifically targets his counters to the gun hands. He is capable of effective blocks while in a hold and can easily break holds. His blows are powerful and precise.

47. The old “drop love-interest off a building to ensure escape” routine.

48. Performing Under Pressure: Batman, without hesitating, leaps after Rachel, catches her, and opens up his cape with his free hand in order to slow their descent. Creative Liberty: In the comic, this is where Batman would employ his grappling gun. But with Nolan’s not grounded take, Bruce holding another person on top of wearing his full body armor would tear his arm apart trying to employ a grappling hook free armed. The cape causing drag is a much better option.

49. Batman again on a high ledge; this time listening in on various radio transmissions.

50. While the “fingerprint off shattered bullet” is pseudo-science, the set-up and testing by Bruce and analysis by Fox is very good at showing the scientific and engineering prowess of these men.

51. Tactical Mind: Joker and his men captured an Honor Guard, tide them up, and successfully impersonated them (meaning they had to have been trained to perform the tasks) to make an attempt on the mayor’s life. This attempt would have succeeded, regardless of Joker’s warning of the target and day of attack, had Gordon not taken the bullet. He also timed a window curtain to pop open with optics near it to draw fire just

prior to their attempt.

52. Batman goes through at least eight men (some with sidearms and others with melee weapons) to extract Maroni for interrogation.

53. When Batman’s enemies get wise to his no-kill rule, he isn’t afraid of a little maiming to get the job done.

54. Batman Begins still has the most “Gotham” look. But the spots where Dent and Batman perform their interrogations and many other locations are very Gotham-esque. Bonus Begins Continuity: In some of the wide shots, you can spot the monorail in TDK and Rises.

55. While Batman ‘89 and Batman Returns do the best job out of the film adaptations with Gotham the place, I wager that Nolan’s films best capture Gotham the people. Bonus: And they best exemplify what Batman accomplishes as a symbol.

56. Joker’s sense of humor: an engulfed fire truck, “(S)Laughter is the best medicine,” the pencil trick, mocking a tasered goon, etc. It’s perfectly dark. Bonus: The bullet holes in the 18-wheeler windshield that make a smiley face late in the chase.

57. Batman as an expert driver: He rams and decommissions a garbage truck, expertly turns around, speedily catches back up to the chase, and performs a well-timed jump over a car to block a projectile.

58. Head canon: The Batpod does not have a shown origin. It is simply known that it did not exist in Begins as a part of the Tumbler. I figure it was designed by both Bruce and Fox. Seeing that in Begins, Bruce engineered the Batsuit from multiple parts and even designed bits of it himself; in TDK he designed the neck of the new suit and led the advancement of the sonar mapping; and in Rises he fixed the autopilot of The Bat, it seems highly likely that he had a part in the inception and engineering of the radical motorbike design. Bonus: It has “bat” as the prefix in its name. Bonus Bonus: The Tumbler has a self-destruct feature.

59. Tactical Mind: The Joker diverts the SWAT escort into a tunnel where his team has better control. They pick apart the support vehicles. Outside the tunnel, two goons are setup to take down the helicopter that he knows will be called for.

60. More expert driving and munitions control: Batman drives the Batpod through tough to maneuver locations and clears debris without having bystanders, and in the process, he winds up getting in front of Joker (which also shows his knowledge of the city). He then harpoons the vehicle, runs the cable beneath it, guides it between light poles, and performs a stop utilizing the gyro-turning wheels.

61. To Joker, Batman breaking his rule to kill him is a victory of itself.

62. Mentioned for Begins, but again: Gordon being an active player in the story. And a capable one too. Not only does he save Batman and apprehend the Joker but he also drove the SWAT van and successfully faked his death to ensure the safety of his family. Creative Liberty: In TLH, it is Batman who disguised himself as SWAT, but Nolan chose to have it be Gordon. Bonus: Commissioner.

63. Joker’s has no discernible identity pre-Joker persona. Even the various Red Hood origins don’t give him a full identity. Bonus: The Melvin White hit that gives Bruce the tip that gets him to the captured Honor Guard is a nod to the oft used “Jack White” alias from the comics.

64. The GCPD allows Batman to perform the interrogation.

65. Batman simply talking with Joker. This scene and their final confrontation perfectly encapsulates their relationship. It is, to me, the biggest show of Nolan’s understanding and admiration of the comics shown in the movie people claim least resembles the comics in his trilogy. Creative Liberty: Batman smashes Alberto Falcone’s hand in TLH instead of Joker’s. Bonus: Joker makes Batman lose control. Bonus Bonus: The physical pain has no effect on Joker.

66. Tactical Mind and Philosophical Attack: Joker uses the mob’s influence to capture Dent (meaning that he had figured out he was not really Batman before the chase) and Rachel. He claims that “killing is making a choice” and gives Batman the opposite addresses. This punishes Bruce by putting him in a scenario where his code is tested and the person he chooses to live actually becomes the one to die. This breaks him down psychologically before the third act has even started. Head Canon: Since the timers aren’t shown until after Batman and the cops leave, it is first shown just below five minutes, and it is impossible for him to time it perfectly from their kidnapping to the point of his interrogation: this means the timers were remotely started by goons instructed to wait for them to leave the GCPD. Joker’s line about them being “in one place or several” “depending on the time” is simply something to motivate them.

67. Furthermore, Joker’s plan either meant for him to be caught, so that he could get Lau. He orchestrates the locking up of one of his goons with a bomb planted in his belly. Physical/Mental Prowess: He goads a detective into an altercation, gains control of him, and takes him hostage to set in motion this part of his plan.

68. Dent loses half his face. TLH Inspiration: Joker is responsible for the death of Harvey’s love interest. Bonus: Batman hammer fists off a lock & chain and kicks down a door.

69. The scarring of Harvey’s coin. Also Batman was able to find it in the rubble.

70. Bruce staring into the cowl.

71. Two-Face. Creative Liberty: Nolan elects to make his scarring from a fire burn instead of acid and also goes for a more skeletal look rather than the more puffy/scar tissue and discolored skin typically portrayed. But he does keep the symmetrical and also portrays his suit similarly.

72. Joker doesn’t care about money. He’s interested in “sending a message” and proving a point. It was touched on in the Interrogation Scene, but this point is based on The Killing Joke comic. In it he tries to prove that anyone can go insane with just one bad day, proving everyone is like him. Creative Liberty: In TKJ, the plan is to drive Gordon mad but ultimately it (possibly?) works on Batman, whereas in the movie, it works on Harvey who is considered the best of the Triumvirate. His plan also extends out to all of Gotham first by targeting Coleman Reese and secondly by the “ferry game.”

73. Bruce is capable of spotting and identifying four officers with Gordon from a distance. Alfred is able to cross-reference their names with potential family members who have been admitted into Gotham hospitals, giving them motive to be under the mob’s thumb. The information sent to Gordon even includes Ramirez as well as Berg who is in the vehicle with him and Reese.

74. Expert Driving and Tactical Awareness: Bruce is able to prevent a truck from colliding directly into the Gordon’s van. Bonus: He plays up his public persona to try to keep from seeming altruistic.

75. Two-Face uses his coin to decide people’s fates.

76. Tactical Mind: Joker sets up the hostages to look like hostage takers and vice versa. Additionally, his choice of building practically goads SWAT into killing some of the innocents as well as gives him a vantage on the ferries. Bonus: Batman begins to understand Joker and sees that it is not as simple as it appears.

78. Creative Liberty: The sonar HUD is the first live-action adaptation of the comic white eyes. Nolan has them tinged blue to fit with the sonar imaging and color scheme of the movie.

79. Tactical and Physical Prowess: Batman figures out the clown/doctor switcheroo and prevents the wrongful deaths of hostages. He clears two floors of hostages/hostage takers and takes down two SWAT teams without losing a single life. He continues his trend of maneuvering people with holds to prevent attackers from piling on him, and he covertly (and securely) attaches SWAT members together with their own rope before sending them over the edge together. Bonus: Batman uses his grappling gun and timed explosive launcher.

80. Tactical Mind: Joker uses Rottweilers to take Batman down and uses a lead pipe as a melee weapon for more effective striking against his armor. Once Batman gets rid of the dogs, Joker knocks him into a net that he has set up in advance. Finally he has a trap set to pin Batman down, so that they can watch the fireworks together.

81. Batman escapes. Bonus: “This is what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object. You truly are incorruptible, aren’t you huh? 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 we’re destined to do this forever.” Tell me Nolan doesn’t like or respect the comics. Bonus: Batman leaves just ahead of SWAT appearing.

82. Acting Under Pressure: After already taking bullet, Batman covers the distance between himself and Harvey, tackles him, catches Jimmy (comic reference to James Gordon Jr.), and holds on to the ledge long enough for Gordon to pull him to safety.

83. Batman puts the good of Gotham ahead of himself. Creative Liberty: While Batman has quit before in comics, this has no direct inspiration that I am aware of. The Dark Knight Returns does however have Batman forced into retirement prior to its events, and it does influence Rises. So with that taken into account, the ending is in line with that. Mostly what is different about Nolan’s Batman in my opinion is how successful his crusade is. The ending of The Dark Knight almost phases out the need for a Batman, since the widespread corruption is no longer a massive hindrance to the law.

I am actually amazed I found more points to discuss in this movie over Begins, although it does have a longer run-time. Let me know if I made any mistakes or left something out.