seikima II

Seikima-II (聖飢魔II, Seikimatsu?) is a Japanese heavy metal band formed by Damian Hamada in 1982.

According to the mythology created by the band, Seikima-II are a group of "Akuma" (demon race), from the futuristic hyper-evolved dimension "Makai", that are preaching a religion, in order to propagate Satan, through the use of heavy metal music. Each member is a demon of a different hierarchical class, with His Excellency Demon Kogure being leader of the "Akuma" and His Majesty Damian Hamada being the "Crown Prince of Hell". In accordance to the prophecy and after completing their world conquest, the band disbanded at the end of the century on December 31, 1999 at 23:59:59.

However, the band has had two separate limited reunions since their disbandment. One in 2005, celebrating their 20th anniversary, and another in 2010, celebrating their 25th anniversary and the release of their album Akuma Nativity "Songs of the Sword", along with their first ever world tour. As a part of the North American leg of their 2010 world tour, Seikima-II headlined A-Kon 21, in Dallas, Texas. They also made a appearance at Japan Expo 2010 in Paris, France.


History
The band's name, which literally means the "Holy Devouring Demon II", is a play on the term seikimatsu (世紀末?) or "the end of the century". It is also an abbreviation of the phrase Seinaru mono ni kieteiru akuma ga futatabi (tsū) yomigaeru (聖なる物に飢えている悪魔がII（ふたた）び蘇る, "the demon that devours holiness has resurrected again"?).

Seikima-II was formed in late December of 1982 by guitarist The Crown Prince of Hell His Majesty Damian Hamada while he was attending the Waseda University Folk Song Club (WFS). The original lineup included His Excellency Demon Kogure on vocals, Zod Hoshijima on bass and Ace Shimizu on drums. The band was known for their Kabuki-inspired makeup and flamboyant outfits. Although the exact date is unknown, Damian Hamada left the band soon after its formation, but remained a respected founder and songwriter throughout their career. He was replaced on guitar by drummer Ace Shimizu.

In 1983, two new members had joined the band's lineup. Zeed Iijima replaced Ace on the drums. Another member by the name of Majo (witch) Ryoko became the new support keyboardist. That year, the band had its first live performance (concerts referred to as "black masses") playing a series of small gigs. They gained popularity among metal fans for their heavy music style and unique appearance. Later that year, Ryoko left the band and new member Giantonio Babayashi joined as a second guitarist.

In 1984, Seikima-II continued to play small gigs at various concert halls. Later that year, they passed an audition for the CBS Sony Japan label. Around that same time, Giantonio Babayashi left, causing their debut on CBS Sony to be delayed.

1985 marked the year in which the band’s biggest lineup change would occur. A new second guitarist, Gandhara Sangeria Tigris-Euphrates Kaneko, replaced Giantonio. Drummer Zeed Iijima decided to finally leave the band. He was temporarily replaced by the new drummer named Jagy Furukawa. Gandhara soon left the group and Jagy also soon followed. At this point the band was lacking in both a second guitarist and a drummer. They soon discovered guitarist Jail O’hashi and drummer Raiden Yuzawa, who would both go on being part of the first well-known lineup. Later in September of that same year, the band released their first full length album, Seikima-II ~ Akuma ga Kitarite Heavy Metal (roughly: Seikima-II - Devils are Coming with Heavy Metal). The album received mixed reviews by critics, but became very popular among Japanese heavy metal fans. The album exceeded 100,000 in sales, a first for any Japanese heavy metal album in history.

In 1986 they would go on to release their second major album, The End of the Century. The album’s name was also the meaning behind Seikima-II (seikimatsu), as according to them, they were destined to disband at the end of the century (meaning the year 1999). Later that same year they released their third album, Jigoku Yori ai o Komete (From Hell with Love). This was followed by their first major live concert called "The Great Black Mass Tour" held on December 24, 1986. At the end of that year bassist Zod, who was one of the original members, would finally leave the band. That same year, a game was released for the Famicom based on the band, under the title Seikima-II Akuma no Gyakushu (lit. Demon's Counterattack).

One year later, in 1987, guitarist Jail O'hashi also decided to leave the band. He abandoned his "band name" and would later be recognized as Takashi "Jam" O'Hashi, playing in the American/Japanese hard rock group, Cats in Boots, and in his own band, the Takashi O'Hashi Project, although he would go by "Jail O'Hashi" while playing with Seikima-II at future concerts. Later bassist Xenon Ishikawa and guitarist Sgt. Luke Takamura III joined the band to form the most well known lineup. That same year the band released their Big Time Changes album. This album brought about a change in the bands music style by mixing heavy metal with hard rock. Here also for the first time, Luke Takamura takes on the role as more of a lead guitarist and switching off, while Ace Shimizu is heard playing more rhythm guitar. In 1988 they continued their experimentation with other genres on the album, The Outer Mission. With this album they experimented with a fusion of heavy metal, progressive rock and even some jazz music to add for an interesting new sound. Regardless of these changes they continued being praised by heavy metal fans while also receiving attention from the general public.

After releasing their next album, Yuugai (You Guy!) in 1991, they began playing their first overseas concerts in surrounding Asian countries and in Europe, most notably England and Spain. Later in 1992, they followed up by releasing their heaviest album yet, Kyoufu no Restaurant (The Frightful Restaurant). The album was a drastic change in style from the last few albums while keeping to their heavy metal roots; they combined dark, Satanic lyrics with heavy music.

Their next album, Ponk!!, released in 1994, brought about even more change from the bands past style. This album combined heavy metal with folk rock music and more ballade songs. The album was produced at Abbey Road Studios in London, England when the band was living there for a short time. They showed this through their new appearance and tryed to show their life in London through photos used for the album booklet.

In 1996, the band returned to its heavy metal roots when they released their next full-length album, Mephistopheles no Shouzou (A Portrait of Mephistopheles). Also for the first time, they left the CBS Sony label and were signed to BMG Japan. The album was a return to their heavier sound while also having elements of power metal and traditional metal. The move to BMG also made a noticeable difference in the sound quality of their following albums. In 1997 the album News was released, followed by Move in 1998. Both albums bring about a new digital sound combining various styles with heavy metal.

In 1999, their final album, Living Legend, was released. The album is considered to be one of Seikima-II's heaviest albums. They kept true to their roots and fans consider it to be a proper final chapter in the band’s history before finally disbanding on December 31, 1999, at 23:59:59. Their final concert was called "The Black Mass Final 3 Nights", which was part of a three day concert lasting from December 29–31. The concert was separated into three days called "The Theatrical Day", "The Satan All Star's Day" (on this night every former member and supporting member that was ever in the band performed, except Giantonio Babayashi and Gandhara Sangeria Tigris-Euphrates Kaneko, who sent video messages), "The Doomsday", which at the end, the band is seen disappearing into a portal of light leaving the stage and finishing their 14 year career.

After disbanding in 1999, the band each member has continued to have strong solo careers. Demon Kogure has been a solo artist since the early 90’s and still continues to perform and release new material. Ace Shimizu has been involved in his own two piece band called Face to Ace. Luke Takamura later formed his hard rock band called Canta with Raiden Yuzawa. Xenon Ishikawa has been involved in the band RX with Raiden and ex-Seikima-II support keyboardist Yuichi Matsuzaki.

In late 2005 Seikima-II held a two night special reunion for their 20th anniversary. The second night included guitarist Jail O’hashi as a special guest. The reunion lives were both very well received and were completely sold out within a short period of time. Since then they have released two live albums which were recorded from both concerts. The second live album included a special third bonus CD which included 6 new songs written by the band.

In 2010 Seikima-II reunited to celebrate their 25th anniversary and to perform a world tour entitled, "Intercontinental Black Mass Tour". It was announced that guitarist Ace Shimizu, an original member of the band, would not be taking part and instead Jail O'Hashi would rejoin the group. On June 6th they held their first "black mass" in America at A-Kon in Dallas, Texas. On July 4th they held their second "black mass" in Europe when they visited Paris, France for the Japan Expo. On September 3rd and 4th they performed in Korea at the "Viva! Korea Rock Festival", which was broadcast on TV.

Members

* His Excellency Demon Kogure/Demon Kakka – vocals (1982–1999, 2005, 2010)
* Empire Magistrate Jail O' Hashi – guitar (1985–1987, 2010)
* Staff General Luke Takamura III – guitar (1987–1999, 2005, 2010)
* Doctor Xenon Ishikawa – bass (1987–1999, 2005, 2010)
* His Imperial Highness Raiden Yuzawa – drums (1985–1999, 2005, 2010)

Former members

* Captain Ace Shimizu – guitar (1982–1999, 2005), drums (1982)
* Zod Hoshijima – bass (1982–1986)
* Jagy Furukawa – drums (1985)
* Gandhara Sangeria Tigris-Euphrates Kaneko – guitar (1985)
* Zeed Iijima – drums (1983–1985)
* Giantonio Babayashi – guitar (1983–1984)
* His Majesty Damian Hamada – guitar (1982)

Studio albums

AKUMA GA KITARITE HEAVY METAL September 21, 1985
聖飢魔II -悪魔が来たりてヘヴィメタる (Seikima-II -Akuma ga Kitarite Heavy Metal)

THE END OF THE CENTURY April 2, 1986

FROM HELL WITH LOVE November 21, 1986
地獄より愛をこめて (Jigoku Yori Ai wo Komete / FROM HELL WITH LOVE)

BIG TIME CHANGES November 21, 1987

THE OUTER MISSION December 9, 1988

YOU GUY! September 9, 1990
有害 (yûgai / Harmfulness?)

FRIGHTFUL RESTAURANT October 21, 1992
恐怖のレストラン (kyôfu no resutoran?)

PONK!! July 1, 1994

MEPHISTOPHELES NO SHOUZOU September 21, 1996
メフィストフェレスの肖像 (Portrait of Mephistopheles)

NEWS July 2, 1997

MOVE July 23, 1998

LIVING LEGEND October 21, 1999

AKUMA NATIVITY "SONGS OF THE SWORD" September 16, 2009

AKUMA RELATIVITY July 28, 2010

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Orkid.....

Outside My House. Taking photo Using my Sony Ericsson Vivaz Pro

Martian Manhunter - The DC Universe Classics (DCUC)

JLA FIGURE COMPLETED

Blue Beetle - The DC Universe Classics (DCUC)

Blue Beetle (Ted Kord)
Ted Kord as the Blue Beetle. Art by Dick Giordano.

The replacement Blue Beetle created by Charlton Comics, and later published by Americomics and DC Comics, is Ted Kord, a former student of Dan Garrett, a genius-level inventor and a gifted athlete. Kord and Garrett were investigating Kord's Uncle Jarvis when they learned Jarvis was working to create an army of androids to take over Earth. Garrett changed into Blue Beetle, but was killed in battle. As he died, he passed on to Kord the responsibility of being Blue Beetle, but was unable to pass on the mystical scarab.

Ted had the scarab for some time, but never used it. He carried it during the Crisis on Infinite Earths when he was chosen by the Monitor to protect the multiple Earths, but it only reacted when he was attacked; it did not give him superpowers.

As the Blue Beetle, Ted funded his adventures through his company, Kord Industries, and was chronically short on cash.[volume & issue needed] He joined the Justice League and met his best friend, Booster Gold. Each was considered a second stringer, and for many years, the Blue Beetle was a member of one second-rate superhero group or another.

During the "Death of Superman" saga the Blue Beetle and the other JLA members tried to stop Doomsday's path of destruction.[volume & issue needed] Doomsday displayed his near-invulnerability and, while brutally defeating the League, put the Blue Beetle into a coma. Upon recovery, he continued his tenure with the JLA as well as its offshoot Extreme Justice.

In Countdown to Infinite Crisis, Blue Beetle discovered a renewed Checkmate organization led by Maxwell Lord, former bankroller of the JLA. Kord covertly entered Checkmate headquarters, where he found a database containing information on every metahuman on Earth. However, he was captured before he could return to the JLA with the information, and while in Lord's custody was executed with a single gunshot to the head. Before dying, he had used the scarab in an attempt to contact Captain Marvel, but was forced to leave it with Shazam in the Rock of Eternity when the wizard sent him back to Earth.]

Some time later, Booster, along with Jaime, Dan, and the Black Beetle in the guise of a Blue Beetle from the future, travels back in time to rescue Kord moments before his death.Ted later travels back to guarantee his own death.

Powers and abilities

Ted Kord had no superpowers; however, he did possess a genius-level intellect, with an IQ of 192 (Countdown to Infinite Crisis). He was proficient in numerous sciences such as chemistry, physics, engineering, aircraft, and solar tech, as well as an understanding of alien tech. Despero once claimed that Ted's mind was second only to that of J'onn J'onzz. Former Justice League teammate Guy Gardner claims that Ted was smarter than Batman, "although nobody ever noticed." Kord was an Olympic-level acrobat, and skilled hand-to-hand combatant, having studied in the martial arts of karate and aikido. He was also highly skilled at espionage (DCU source, Ted Kord).

Equipment

* Kord created numerous gadgets, including suction pads, sight-enhancing lenses, and a protective costume. To prevent being forcibly unmasked, especially if rendered unconscious, Kord's cowl had a lock mechanism that only opened when he touches with a chip in his gloves, which would at least force an enemy to perform the more troublesome task of cutting through the material to unmask him.
* He also created a power armor suit for his friend Booster Gold; the suit contained a fully functioning artificial arm, and also provided life-support for Booster as he recovered from potentially fatal injuries. He later converted a suit of alien armor for Booster to use.
* His BB gun was a handheld weapon that could blind villains with a flash of light, or knock them out with a compressed air blast capable of felling a charging rhino. The original BB gun was designed with a security feature, so that it would function only when the Blue Beetle held it, becoming inactive without contact with special circuitry in the Beetle costume's gloves. It was shown during the Eclipso annuals that it was solar powered.
* Blue Beetle's airship, the Bug, contained high tech equipment, could electrify or magnetize its hull, fire electrical energy, and fly at 600 mph. All models had booster jets hidden under the shell of the Bug. The boosters on the first two models could speed the Bug up to the speed of sound for a short period of time; no time limit was ever given for how long the burst lasted. Later models of the boosters were used for intercontinental travel at supersonic speed. It was also 90% solar powered. Later models also had energy weapons of various types from lasers to plasma. The last two models were capable of reaching orbit (L.A.W #6, Infinite Crisis #5), all models could operate underwater. No depth was ever given that they could go to, but one model Bug was seen operating on the sea floor after going through a underwater volcano (Blue Beetle vol 7, #16). All models were remote controllable from controls built into Kord's gloves.
* He also built flight pads similar to Mister Miracle's flight discs (Extreme Justice), and claimed to Barbara Gordon that he could keep the Birds of Prey jet flying 24-7 with technology based on the New Gods' Mother Boxes (Countdown to Infinite Crisis).
* As a Black Lantern Blue Beetle is equipped with a "decayed", damaged version of the Bug, and black, power ring-derived constructs of his Blue Beetle suit and his BB-Gun. This iteration of the BB Gun is an aggressive rather than a defensive weapon, able to pierce the powerful shields in the Supernova suit.


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batman the animated 1992

Batman: The Animated Series, originally known as simply Batman, is an American animated series adaptation of the comic book series starring the DC Comics superhero, Batman. The series is noted for being the first to take place in the DC Animated Universe. It was produced by Warner Bros. Animation.

The visual style of the series is based on the artwork of producer Bruce Timm. The original series aired on Fox from September 5, 1992 to September 15, 1995. When the first season of the series aired on weekday afternoons, it lacked an on-screen title, and was referred to as only Batman in open narration for the second half of a two-part episode ("Previously on Batman..."). When its timeslot was moved to weekends (on some Fox channels) for the second season, it was given the on-screen title The Adventures of Batman & Robin.In a list of the 25 greatest animated shows of all time, TV Guide placed Batman as 12th.


Development

The original series was partially inspired by the Frank Miller comic Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, the Tim Burton films Batman and Batman Returns, and the acclaimed Superman cartoons produced by Fleischer Studios in the 1940s. Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski designed the series by closely emulating the Tim Burton films' "otherworldly timelessness," incorporating period features such as black-and-white title cards, police blimps (even though no such thing has existed, Timm has stated he found it to fit the period they were going for), 40s influenced look and a "vintage" color scheme in a largely film noir-influenced style. The series initially took a variation of music written by Danny Elfman for the Burton films Batman and Batman Returns as its theme; later episodes of the series used a new theme with a similar style by Shirley Walker (who was occasionally Elfman's conductor on the films they worked on). The score of the series was influenced by Elfman and Walker's work on Batman and Batman Returns and the music of 40s film noir. The other major element inspired by the 1989 film is the series interpretation of the Joker character as half way between psychotic killer and prankster clown versions of the comic book character. His real name in the series, like the film, is given several times as Jack Napier, although it is later suggested that it is simply his primary alias.
Batman, as depicted in the series.

The program was much more adult-oriented than some previous typical superhero cartoon series. It was the first such cartoon in years to depict firearms being fired instead of laser guns (only one person has ever been actually depicted as shot; Commissioner Gordon in the episode "I Am the Night" was seen to have a gunshot wound after the firefight was finished), Batman actually punching and kicking the antagonists, as well as the existence of blood; in addition, many of the series' backgrounds were painted on black paper. The distinctive visual combination of film noir imagery and Art Deco designs with a very dark color scheme was called "Dark Deco" by the producers. First-time producers Timm and Radomski reportedly encountered resistance from studio executives, but the success of Burton's first film allowed the embryonic series to survive long enough to produce a pilot episode, "On Leather Wings", which according to Timm "got a lot of people off our backs."[8]

The series received critical acclaim for its distinctive animation and mature writing. Fans of a wide age range praised the show's sophisticated, cinematic tone and psychological stories. Voice-actor Kevin Conroy used two distinct voices to portray Bruce Wayne and Batman, as Michael Keaton and Christian Bale have done in the live-action films. The series was also notable for its supporting cast that included major actors performing the voices of the various classic villains, most notably Mark Hamill, who defined a whole new career for himself in animation[10] with his cheerfully deranged portrayal of the Joker. The voice recording sessions were recorded with the actors together in a studio, like a radio play, unlike most animated films, in which the principal voice actors record separately and never meet (various interviews have noted that such an arrangement (having the cast record together) was a benefit to the show as a whole, as the actors were able to 'react' to one another, rather than simply 'reading the words'). This method would later be employed for all subsequent animated series in the DC Animated Universe.

The key to the series' artistic success is that it managed to redefine classic characters, paying homage to their previous portrayals while giving them each a new dramatic force. The characterization of villains such as Two-Face, Poison Ivy, and the Riddler as well as heroes like Gordon and Robin demonstrate this. One of the series' most famous innovations was the Joker's assistant, Harley Quinn, who gained such popularity that DC Comics later added her to the mainstream Batman comic book continuity. The Penguin also underwent change for the series. His appearance was remodeled after the version seen in Batman Returns, which was being released at the same time as the series. New life was additionally given to nearly forgotten characters for the series such as the Clock King. In addition, dramatic changes were made to villains such as Clayface and Mr. Freeze. With the help of the series, the character of Mr. Freeze was turned around from a clichéd mad scientist with a gimmick for cold to a tragic figure whose frigid exterior hides a doomed love and vindictive fury. Part of this tragedy aspect of Mr. Freeze was later mimicked throughout the story-line of Joel Schumacher's infamous movie Batman & Robin, although much of the film's drama was lost with the resurrection of the pun-quipping mad scientist image.

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Batman Beyond 1999

Batman Beyond, also known as Batman of the Future, is an Emmy Award-winning American animated television series created by The WB Television Network in collaboration with DC Comics and Warner Bros. Animation as a continuation of the Batman legacy. It began airing on January 10, 1999, and ended its run on December 18, 2001. After 52 episodes spanning three seasons and one direct-to-video film, the series was put on hold for the new Justice League animated series despite the network having announced plans for a fourth season. However, there was a short-lived spin-off, The Zeta Project. In The Zeta Project's first season episode "Shadows", there is a crossover with Batman Beyond; in this continuity, the story takes place between the episode "Countdown" and the series finale "Unmasked."

Batman Beyond is set in the chronological future of the DC animated universe, although it was released before Justice League, Justice League Unlimited, and Static Shock. Some characters from the series appeared two years later in "Future Shock", an episode of Static Shock, and then again in "The Once and Future Thing", episodes of Justice League Unlimited. The character of Terry McGinnis was revisited a final time in the JLU episode "Epilogue", which tells much about the future of Batman.

Batman Beyond is said to exploit the darker side of many Batman projects, playing on key elements such as emotions, personal relations, the fear of the unknown and technological malfunctions. As such, it was considerably darker than most other children's programs at the time, although producer Bruce Timm recalls it was conceived as a kid-friendly Batman cartoon. It is also the first Batman series to portray the hero as a teenager. IGN named the show 40th on their list of "Top 100 Animated TV Series".

Batman Beyond will be shown on The Hub network in the Fall 2010 season. The show is currently airing on the UK channel Kix! under the title of Batman of the Future.


Story

The pilot episode begins in 2019, where an aging Batman, equipped with a high-tech Batsuit, takes on the kidnappers of Bunny Vreeland (the daughter of Veronica Vreeland, one of Bruce Wayne's many girlfriends). During the battle, Batman suffers a heart attack which leaves him unable to fight, forcing him to betray a life-long principle by threatening a criminal with a gun. By this point, Bruce Wayne's assistants, Alfred Pennyworth and Lucius Fox, had both passed away. It is implied by virtue of his lengthy career as Batman, and his retaining the Robin, Nightwing and Batgirl costumes, that a tragic occurrence had transpired that caused Bruce to sever his ties with the Justice League and forbid his allies to assume their alter-egos (the events which caused all of this are revealed in Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker). Afterward, Bruce then decides that his time as Batman is over and vows "never again" and he shutters the Batcave.

The story fast-forwards to 2039 in Neo-Gotham, a futuristic megalopolis equipped with staggering high rises and flying vehicles. Bruce Wayne is a recluse living in bitter isolation with no companion but his guard dog, Ace. Terry McGinnis is an athletic 16-year-old high school student and reformed troublemaker with a deeply ingrained sense of personal justice. His first act in the series is to defend a fellow passenger on a commuter rail from a member of the Jokerz gang. After trying to defend his girlfriend from a gang of Jokerz, Terry engages in a high-speed chase which ends on the grounds of Wayne Manor, where he runs into the elderly Bruce Wayne. Bruce and Terry fend off the Jokerz side-by-side, but the exertion aggravates Bruce's heart condition. Terry helps Bruce back to the manor, and, after Bruce nods off for a bit, stumbles upon the entrance to the Batcave. He is chased out by a recovered and angered Bruce.

Terry returns home to discover that his father had been murdered, apparently by the vengeful Jokerz. Soon after, he finds out that the man actually responsible for the murder was Mr. Fixx, the bodyguard of Derek Powers,—CEO of a merged Wayne-Powers and his father's employer—because he possessed knowledge of illegal chemical weapons being produced by Powers. Terry "borrows" the Batsuit, intending to bring Powers to justice. Bruce initially opposes his efforts and vehemently demands Terry return the suit (at one point paralyzing the suit while Terry is wearing it), but Terry convinces Bruce to let him take on the Batman mantle, and he subsequently defeats Mr. Fixx. Realizing that crime and corruption are running rampant in Gotham without Batman's presence, Bruce offers Terry the chance to assume the role of Batman.

Terry's first foe is Derek Powers, now mutated through a combination of deadly chemical gas and radiation into the radioactive monstrosity Blight. Terry soon comes to have his own rogues gallery: the seductive shape-shifter Inque; the hypnotist Spellbinder; the bitter, deaf sound expert Shriek; the deadly assassin Curare; the insane terrorist Mad Stan; the African hunter Stalker; the nerdish Willie Watt; a new version of the Royal Flush Gang; and the Jokerz, a gang idolizing the notorious Clown Prince of Crime. On occasion, Terry is also forced to face his mentor's old foes, such as the rejuvenated Mr. Freeze; common criminals using Bane's strength-enhancing Venom substance in the form of slap-on patches; the immortal Ra's al Ghul; and, almost inevitably, the Joker himself.

Bruce also reveals to Terry some details behind the death of Alfred Pennyworth. He explains that shortly before the incident in the first episode of Batman Beyond (where Bruce retires as Batman), Alfred had left Gotham City for England to attend his son's graduation at Oxford University. Despite Alfred's promise to return, he never did, and Bruce never hired another manservant. When asked by Terry as to why Alfred failed to return, Bruce typically refused to answer.

Terry also makes allies in Neo-Gotham: Maxine "Max" Gibson is a 17-year-old computer genius who discovers Batman's secret identity and helps Terry with everything from computer hacking to babysitting. Max plays an integral part in Batman's war on crime, essentially as Terry's ersatz Alfred. Terry also forms a begrudging partnership with Police Commissioner Barbara Gordon, the former Batgirl. She is unhappy with the idea of a new Batman, especially a teenager, as she is still haunted by the same subsequent events that led Bruce to retire. However, she knows that she and the police under her command need Batman, whether she likes it or not. Furthermore, she understands from personal experience that she can not deter Terry any more than she could have been deterred from being Batgirl. Passing conversation between Barbara and Bruce suggests that, at the time of Batgirl's retirement, the suit had bullet holes in it that have since been repaired.

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The Dark Knight 2008 Film

The Dark Knight is a 2008 superhero film directed and co-written by Christopher Nolan. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, the film is part of Nolan's Batman film series and a sequel to 2005's Batman Begins. Christian Bale reprises the lead role. The film follows Bruce Wayne/Batman (Bale), District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), Assistant D.A. Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal), and Police Commissioner James Gordon (Gary Oldman) and their struggles and journey in combating the new rising threat of a criminal who goes by the name of the "Joker" (Heath Ledger).

Nolan's inspiration for the film was the Joker's comic book debut in 1940, and the 1996 series The Long Halloween, which retold Two-Face's origin. The Dark Knight was filmed primarily in Chicago, as well as in several other locations in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Hong Kong. Nolan used an IMAX camera to film some sequences, including the Joker's first appearance in the film.

On January 22, 2008, after he had completed filming The Dark Knight, Heath Ledger died from a toxic combination of prescription drugs, leading to intense attention from the press and moviegoing public. Warner Bros. had initially created a viral marketing campaign for The Dark Knight, developing promotional websites and trailers highlighting screen shots of Ledger as the Joker, but after Ledger's death, the studio refocused its promotional campaign.

The Dark Knight was released on July 16, 2008 in Australia, on July 18, 2008 in North America, and on July 24, 2008 in the United Kingdom. Critically acclaimed, it set numerous records during its theatrical run and is currently one of only three films to have earned more than $500 million at the North American box office. With over $1 billion in revenue worldwide, it is the seventh highest-grossing film of all time (unadjusted for inflation). The film received eight Academy Award nominations and won for Best Sound Editing and Best Supporting Actor for Ledger's performance.

Plot

In Gotham City, the Joker and his accomplices rob a mob bank. Batman and Lieutenant James Gordon decide to include new district attorney Harvey Dent, who is dating Rachel Dawes, in their plan to eradicate the mob. Bruce later meets Harvey and offers him a fundraiser after realizing his sincerity. Mob bosses Sal Maroni, Gambol, and the Chechen meet with other criminals to discuss the new pressure on their crime operations. Lau, a Chinese mafia accountant, informs them that he has hidden their money and fled to Hong Kong in an attempt to preempt Gordon's plan to seize their funds and hide from Dent's jurisdiction. The Joker barges into the meeting, warning that Batman will come after Lau, and instead offers to kill Batman for half of the funds. They flatly refuse, and Gambol places a bounty on the Joker's head. Not long after, the Joker kills Gambol and takes control of his men.

In Hong Kong, Batman captures Lau and makes his escape with a skyhook and delivers him to the Gotham City police where Lau agrees to testify, letting Dent and Gordon arrest the mob. In retaliation, the Joker issues an ultimatum to Gotham that people will die each day unless Batman reveals his identity, resulting in the deaths of Commissioner Gillian B. Loeb and the judge presiding over the mob trials. Gordon foils Joker's assassination attempt on the mayor and is apparently killed. As a result, Bruce Wayne plans to reveal his persona, but Dent instead reveals himself as Batman to protect the truth and is taken into protective custody. Escorted across the city, Dent is pursued by the Joker while Batman rushes to aid. Gordon, who faked his death to lure the Joker, arrests him with Batman's help and is promoted to Commissioner. However, Dent goes missing and the Joker reveals that both Dent and Rachel have been taken to separate buildings on opposite sides of town which will explode at the same time. Batman goes after Rachel, while Gordon and the police go to rescue Dent. At the same time, the Joker escapes custody with Lau using a smuggled bomb. Batman finds Dent and rescues him, even as Dent begs him to save Rachel instead. The buildings explode; Rachel is killed while half of Dent's face is burned in his escape, leaving him disfigured.

After killing Lau and the Chechen, the Joker threatens to destroy a hospital if Coleman Reese, an accountant at Wayne Enterprises who has discovered Batman's identity, is not dead within an hour. Bruce saves Reese, while the Joker visits Dent in the hospital and convinces him to take revenge against those who played a part in Rachel's death. The Joker blows up the hospital and leaves with a bus of hostages, while Dent — now calling himself "Two-Face" — confronts and kills Maroni and the two corrupt cops who gave him and Rachel to the mob.

That night, as civilians are evacuated from the city, the Joker has two ferries rigged with explosives, offering both civilian and prisoner passenger groups a chance to live if they destroy the other boat. Batman asks his confidante Lucius Fox to find the Joker using a signal tracking device that will effectively spy on the entire city; Fox reluctantly agrees, but says he will resign from Wayne Enterprises immediately afterward. After discovering the Joker's location, Batman stops Gordon's SWAT teams from taking out the Joker, in order to protect the hostages and to capture the Joker himself. The ferry passengers ultimately refuse to kill one another, and Batman apprehends the Joker, who nevertheless says that he has won "the battle for Gotham's soul"; he reveals what he has done to Dent, stating that the citizens of Gotham will lose its newly found hope once Dent's rampage becomes public knowledge.

At the remains of the building where Rachel died, Batman finds Two-Face holding Gordon and his family at gunpoint. Two-Face judges the fate of Batman, himself, and Gordon's son with three coin tosses. As the result of the first two flips, he shoots Batman in the abdomen and spares himself. As Two-Face flips the coin to determine the boy's fate, Batman (who is wearing body armor) tackles him over the side of the building, killing him. Batman convinces Gordon to hold him publicly responsible for the murders; moments later, the police swarm the building, and a manhunt for Batman ensues. Gordon later delivers the eulogy at Dent's funeral and smashes the Bat-Signal, while Fox watches the signal-tracking device self-destruct and Alfred Pennyworth destroys a letter written by Rachel revealing her plans to marry Dent.

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Batman Begins 2005 Film

Batman Begins is a 2005 superhero film based on the fictional DC Comics character Batman, directed by Christopher Nolan. It stars Christian Bale as Batman, along with Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Cillian Murphy, Morgan Freeman, Ken Watanabe, Tom Wilkinson, and Rutger Hauer. The film reboots the Batman film series, telling the origin story of the character and begins with Bruce Wayne's initial fear of bats, the death of his parents, and his journey to becoming Batman. It draws inspiration from classic comic book storylines such as The Man Who Falls, Batman: Year One, and Batman: The Long Halloween.

After a series of unsuccessful projects to resurrect Batman on screen following the 1997 critical failure of Batman & Robin, Nolan and David S. Goyer began work on the film in early 2003 and aimed for a darker and more realistic tone, with humanity and realism being the basis of the film. The goal was to get the audience to care for both Batman and Bruce Wayne. The film, which was primarily shot in England and Chicago, relied on traditional stunts and miniatures—computer-generated imagery was used minimally. A new Batmobile (called the Tumbler) and a more mobile Batsuit were both created specifically for the film.

Batman Begins was critically and commercially successful. The film opened on June 15, 2005 in the United States and Canada in 3,858 theaters. It grossed $48 million in its opening weekend, eventually grossing over $372 million worldwide. The film received an 84% overall approval rating from Rotten Tomatoes. Critics noted that fear was a common theme throughout the film, and remarked that it had a darker tone compared to previous Batman films. A sequel titled The Dark Knight was released in July 2008 and also saw the return of both Nolan and Bale to the franchise.

Plot

A young Bruce Wayne falls down a well and is attacked by bats. Bruce then awakens from this nightmare of his past and is revealed to be a prisoner in Bhutan. He is approached by Henri Ducard, who speaks for Ra's al Ghul, leader of the League of Shadows, and invites him to train with the elite vigilante group. The narrative returns to Bruce's childhood, to the fateful night he witnessed his parents' murder by a mugger named Joe Chill. Chill is later arrested and Bruce is taken home and raised by the family butler Alfred Pennyworth.

Years later, Bruce returns to Gotham City from Princeton University, intent on killing Chill, whose prison sentence is being suspended in exchange for testifying against crime boss Carmine Falcone. Before he can act, however, one of Falcone's female assassins posing as a reporter kills Chill. Rachel Dawes, Bruce's childhood friend and now an assistant district attorney, is disgusted with Bruce's intent, telling him his father would be ashamed of him. That night, Bruce confronts Falcone, who tells the young man that his criminal empire is invincible because it runs on fear. Inspired, Bruce decides to travel the world for several years, learning the various ways of the criminal underworld, before himself becoming a criminal and being arrested. After Bruce's training in the League of Shadows, Ra's and Ducard tell Bruce his purpose: He must lead the League to destroy Gotham, which they believe is corrupt beyond saving. Bruce refuses to become a murderer and battles Ra's, burning the temple in the process, before making his escape. Ra's is killed by falling debris, but Bruce saves an unconscious Ducard and returns to Gotham.

Falcone now dominates the city. Bruce enlists the help of Sgt. Jim Gordon, one of the city's few honest police officers, and befriends Lucius Fox, a former board member of Wayne Enterprises. Fox helps Bruce acquire a prototype armored car and an experimental armored suit. With Alfred, Bruce finds another entrance to the cave under the well and creates a workshop, modifying his equipment to take up the identity of Batman. On his first night out as a vigilante, he intercepts a drug shipment, captures Falcone and provides Rachel with the evidence to indict him. Falcone and his men are transferred to Arkham Asylum with the help of the hospital's corrupt administrator, Dr. Jonathan Crane, who has been paying off Falcone to ship a toxic hallucinogenic into Gotham City; Crane uses the toxin in his experiments, using his patients as guinea pigs. When Falcone demands a bigger share, Crane gasses Falcone with the same toxin, literally driving him insane with fear. While investigating the drugs, Batman encounters Crane, who also sprays him with the fear toxin. Alfred rescues him, using an anti-toxin developed by Fox. Crane later summons Rachel to Arkham and shows her that the toxin has been introduced into Gotham's water supply from Arkham for weeks, and then infects her. Batman doses Crane with the toxin, saves Rachel, and then takes her to his cave giving her vials for Gordon: One for inoculating himself and the other for mass production.

At Bruce's birthday celebration at Wayne Manor, he is confronted by Ducard, who reveals himself to be the real Ra's al Ghul, and has now arrived in Gotham personally to destroy the city; he had conspired with Crane to poison Gotham's water supply with the toxin, vaporizing it with a stolen device from Wayne Enterprises. After Bruce pretends to be drunk to get everyone to leave, he and Ra's fight. Ra's' men burn down the mansion, release all the inmates at Arkham, and vaporize the hallucinogen into the atmosphere. Although Wayne Manor is destroyed, Bruce escapes the inferno with help from Alfred. Rachel delivers the antidote to Gordon and wards off Crane, now calling himself Scarecrow, with a taser. Batman reveals his identity to Rachel and then has Gordon drive the Batmobile to Wayne Tower, the central hub of the Gotham elevated rail system. Ra's boards the train; his objective is to reach Wayne Tower with the vaporizer as it is also a major water hub. As Batman confronts Ra's on the train, Gordon destroys the elevated tracks. Batman jams the controls and escapes the train as it crashes, leaving Ra's to die.

Following the battle, Batman becomes a public hero and Bruce gains control of his company; he fires the former CEO, William Earle, and replaces him with Lucius Fox. However, he loses Rachel, who cannot bring herself to love both Bruce and Batman. Gordon, now a Lieutenant, shows Batman the Bat-Signal and mentions a new criminal who leaves Joker playing cards at crime scenes. Batman promises to investigate, and disappears into the night.

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Batman & Robin 1997 Film

Batman & Robin is a 1997 American superhero film directed by Joel Schumacher. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, the film is a sequel to Batman Forever (1995), with George Clooney replacing Val Kilmer as Batman. Batman & Robin also stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Uma Thurman, Chris O'Donnell, Alicia Silverstone, and Michael Gough. The film tells the story of Batman and Robin struggling to keep their relationship together. At the same time, they have to stop Mr. Freeze, Poison Ivy and Bane from covering Gotham City with ice and vegetation.

Development for Batman & Robin started immediately after Batman Forever, and Warner Bros. commissioned the film for an adamant June 1997 release. Principal photography began in September 1996 and finished in January 1997, two weeks ahead of the shooting schedule. Batman & Robin was released on June 20, 1997, and was critically panned. Observers criticized the film for its toyetic and camp approach, as well as possible homosexual innuendo added by Schumacher. Batman & Robin received 11 nominations at the 1997 ceremony of the Razzie Awards, including one for Worst Picture, and frequently ranks among the worst superhero films of all time.[2][3] After this, Warner Bros. canceled the unproduced Batman Triumphant, and the film series was eventually rebooted with Batman Begins (2005) by director Christopher Nolan.

Plot

In Gotham City, Batman and Robin attempt to stop Mr. Freeze from a robbery attempt, but he escapes. In South America, Pamela Isley is working under Dr. Jason Woodrue, experimenting with the Venom drug. She witnesses Woodrue use the formula to turn a diminutive convict into a hulking monstrosity dubbed "Bane". Woodrue and Isley argue over the use of the drug and Woodrue overturns a shelf of various toxins on to her. She transforms into the beautiful and seductive Poison Ivy before killing Woodrue. She finds that Wayne Enterprises funded Woodrue, thus she takes Bane with her to Gotham. Meanwhile, Alfred Pennyworth's niece, Barbara Wilson, makes a surprise visit and is invited by Bruce Wayne to stay at Wayne Manor until she goes back to school. Alfred is revealed to be suffering from the fictional MacGregor's Syndrome which will eventually kill him.

Wayne Enterprises presents a new telescope at a press conference interrupted by Isley. She proposes a project that could help the environment, but Bruce declines her offer, as it would kill millions of people. That night, a charity event is held by Wayne Enterprises with special guests, Batman and Robin, and she decides to use her abilities to seduce them. Freeze crashes the party and steals a diamond from the event. However, he is captured and sent to a chamber prison in Arkham Asylum, but escapes with the help of Ivy and Bane. Batman and Robin begin to have crime fighting relationship problems because of the presence of Ivy's seductive ability with Robin. Ivy is then able to contact Robin once more, but fails to seduce him. Robin becomes trapped. Batman shows up but is also captured. Batgirl shows up and begins duking it out with Ivy, eventually defeating the part plant menace. Batgirl reveals that she is Barbara and knows the location of the Batcave.

Batman, Robin, and Batgirl decide to go after Freeze together. By the time they get to the observatory where Freeze and Bane are, Gotham is completely frozen. Robin and Batgirl confront Bane and defeat him, while Batman and Freeze begin to fight each other, with Batman winning. Batgirl and Robin unfreeze Gotham and Batman shows Freeze a recording of Ivy during her fight with Batgirl. Freeze learns that Ivy has betrayed him over the death of his wife. Ivy blamed Batman for Nora's death, but she informs Batgirl that it was her idea. Freeze is angered by the betrayal and is informed by Batman that his wife is not dead; she is restored in cryogenic slumber and has been moved to Arkham waiting for him to finish his research. Batman proceeds to ask Freeze for the cure he has created for the first stage of MacGregor's Syndrome, the disease that Freeze's wife is suffering from, for Alfred. Freeze atones for his misunderstanding by giving him medicine he had developed. Ivy is shown imprisoned in Arkham with a vengeful Freeze as her cellmate. Alfred is eventually healed and everyone agrees to let Barbara stay at the mansion.

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Batman Forever 1995 Film

Batman Forever is a 1995 American superhero film directed by Joel Schumacher and produced by Tim Burton. It is the third installment of the Batman film series and stars Val Kilmer as Batman. The plot focuses on Batman trying to stop Two-Face (Tommy Lee Jones) and the Riddler (Jim Carrey) in their villainous scheme to drain information from all the brains in Gotham City. He gains allegiance from psychiatrist Chase Meridian (Nicole Kidman) and orphaned ward Dick Grayson (Chris O'Donnell).

The film had a change in tone compared to the previous installments, more family-friendly, since Warner Bros. considered that the previous film, Batman Returns, underperformed at the box office due to its violence and dark overtones. Production was troubled, with many actors considered for the main roles, and Kilmer entering in conflicts with the director and the rest of the crew. Batman Forever received mixed reviews upon release, but was a success with audiences, out-grossing Batman Returns with over $336 million worldwide and becoming the second-highest grossing film of 1995.

Plot

Batman stops a hostage situation in a bank caused by Two-Face, the alter ego of physically/emotionally scarred former district attorney, Harvey Dent. Unfortunately, Two-Face escapes. Later on, Edward Nygma, a researcher at Wayne Enterprises, develops a device to beam television directly to a person's brain; Bruce Wayne rejects the invention, noting that it "raises too many questions," and Edward resigns from his position.

After meeting psychiatrist Dr. Chase Meridian, Bruce invites her to a charity circus event. While there, Two-Face and his henchmen storm the event in an attempt to discover Batman's secret identity, and in the process the acrobat family, The Flying Graysons, are murdered. The youngest member, Dick, survives and throws Two-Face's bomb into the river. Upon his return, he discovers that Two-Face killed his family and escaped the scene. Bruce assumes responsibility for Dick and allows him to stay at Wayne Manor. Dick declares his intention to kill Two-Face and avenge his family's murder, and when he discovers Bruce's secret identity as Batman, he insists on becoming his sidekick, "Robin".

Meanwhile, Edward has become psychologically obsessed with Bruce, and he begins to leave riddles for him. He decides to become a criminal known as the "Riddler" and become allies with Two-Face. Using his invention that Bruce had rejected earlier, Edward could read and control people's minds, and steal their intelligence quotient. At a business party, Edward discovers Bruce's secret identity. Two-Face then attacks the party and nearly kills Batman, but Robin comes just in time to save his life. However, Two-Face and the Riddler later converge into Wayne Manor. The Riddler enters the Batcave and destroys most of the equipment, and he and Two-Face then kidnap Chase. They also leave Bruce another riddle.

After solving the last riddle, Batman and Robin locate the Riddler's lair, where both are separated upon reaching the island. Robin then encounters Two-Face and manages to beat him to the ground; Two-Face clings on for life, and realizing that he cannot kill him, Robin helps the villain back up. Doing this allows Two-Face to get the upper hand, and he captures Robin. Meanwhile, Batman manages to make his way into the Riddler's lair and meets the Riddler himself; he reveals Robin and Chase as hostages, and gives Batman a choice of saving one hostage, but not the other. Batman finds a way to save both hostages, and manages to destroy the brainwave-collecting device and warp the Riddler in the process. During the battle, Two-Face falls to his death. The Riddler is finally sent to Arkham Asylum, and Chase is asked to consult on his case. Riddler offers to reveal the identity of Batman to her, but he thinks himself Batman. Chase then meets Bruce Wayne outside and tells him his secret is safe.

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Batman Returns 1992 Film

Batman Returns is a 1992 American superhero film directed by Tim Burton. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, it is the sequel to Burton's Batman (1989), and features Michael Keaton reprising the title role, with Danny DeVito as the Penguin and Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman.

Burton originally did not want to direct a sequel because of his mixed emotions toward the previous film. Daniel Waters delivered a script that satisfied Burton; Wesley Strick did an uncredited rewrite, deleting the character of Robin and rewriting the climax. Filming started at Burbank, California in June 1991. Batman Returns was released to financial and critical success, though it caused some controversy for being darker than its predecessor.

Plot

A deformed baby boy is thrown into Gotham City's river by his horrified parents. Thirty-three years later, the child, Oswald Cobblepot, has been transformed into the hideous Penguin (Danny DeVito), who blackmails Max Shreck (Christopher Walken) into helping him discover the identity of his parents. When the Penguin's plight becomes news, he's propelled into running for Mayor. Batman (Michael Keaton) is unconvinced by the Penguin, believing that he and his gang are responsible for several child murders. Meanwhile, Shreck throws his secretary, Selina Kyle (Michelle Pfeiffer), from the top of his company's building when she discovers his plan to build a super power station and drain Gotham of its electricity.

Resuscitated by a group of cats, Selina returns home and designs a new costume, becoming Catwoman. Selina, meanwhile, is being romanced by Batman's alter-ego Bruce Wayne, a situation complicated by Catwoman's teaming with the Penguin in an effort to rid Gotham of Batman. When Batman exposes the Penguin's villainous ways, thereby ruining his political chances, the Penguin mounts an attack to kill all of Gotham's first-born infants. Batman foils his scheme and Catwoman, after killing Shreck, is presumed dead. The Penguin, having been wounded during his fight with Batman, dies from his injuries. Some time later, Bruce is driving around the city at night with butler Alfred Pennyworth (Michael Gough), thinking he sees Selina's shadow on a wall. Alfred stops the car and Bruce searches for Selina in vain. He does find Selina's cat, however, which he takes with him and leaves. The camera then pans up to the top of the city, amidst the sky scrapers. As the Bat-Signal lights up the night sky, Catwoman appears.

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Batman 1989 film

Batman is a 1989 superhero film based on the DC Comics character of the same name, directed by Tim Burton. The film stars Michael Keaton in the title role, as well as Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl and Jack Palance. The film, in which Batman deals with the rise of a powerful villain known as "The Joker", is the first installment of Warner Bros.' Batman film series.

After Burton was hired as director, Steve Englehart and Julie Hickson wrote film treatments before Sam Hamm wrote the first screenplay. Batman was not greenlit until after the success of Burton's Beetlejuice (1988). Numerous A-list actors were considered for the role of Batman. Nicholson accepted the role of the Joker under strict conditions that dictated a high salary, a portion of the box office profits, and his shooting schedule.

Filming took place at Pinewood Studios from October 1988 to January 1989. The budget escalated from $30 million to $48 million, while the 1988 Writers Guild of America strike forced Hamm to drop out. Uncredited rewrites were performed by Warren Skaaren, Charles McKeown and Jonathan Gems. Batman was a critical and financial success, earning over $400 million in box office totals. The film received several Saturn Award nominations and was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe. It also inspired the Emmy Award-winning Batman: The Animated Series, paving the way for the DC Animated Universe, and has influenced Hollywood's modern marketing and development techniques of the superhero film genre.

Plot

As a child, Bruce Wayne (Michael Keaton) saw his parents killed by a young criminal. He vows to avenge their deaths in a lifelong battle against crime in the guise of Batman while concealing his secret identity, working in Wayne Enterprises. Years later, Gotham City is under control by crime boss Carl Grissom (Jack Palance). Despite the best efforts of newly-elected district attorney Harvey Dent and police commissioner James Gordon (Pat Hingle), the police department remains corrupted. Reporter Alexander Knox (Robert Wuhl) and photo-journalist Vicki Vale (Kim Basinger) begin investigating the rumors of a shadowy vigilante figure dressed as a bat who has been terrifying criminals throughout the city.

Vicki and Knox attend a benefit at Wayne Manor, where Bruce is taken by Vicki's charms. Knox, however, appears somewhat jealous of the chemistry between Bruce and Vicki. That same night, Grissom's second in command, Jack Napier (Jack Nicholson), is sent to raid the Axis Chemicals factory. After the police receive a tip-off and arrive to arrest him, Jack realizes he has been set-up by his boss, angered by his affair with Grissom's mistress. In the midst of the shoot-out, Batman arrives and takes out Jack's henchmen.

In a bizarre accident caused by his own ricocheting bullet, deflected by Batman's metal-reinforced gauntlet, Jack's face is ripped open. Reeling from the pain, he topples over a platform rail but manages to grab a lower rail with one hand. Batman momentarily clutches Jack's free hand, but the grip is soon broken, and he falls into a large vat containing an unknown chemical solution. Shortly thereafter, he emerges from an adjacent reservoir, his hair and skin discolored. Following a surgical attempt to repair his face, Jack is left with a permanent and twisted grin, giving him the appearance of a grotesque clown. Driven mad, he fashions himself as "the Joker".

After killing Grissom, the Joker takes over his empire and holds the city at his mercy by chemically altering everyday hygiene products, causing those using a certain combination of products to laugh to death. Batman attempts to track down the Joker, who has become romantically interested in Vicki. It is revealed that the Joker, as a young criminal, was the man who killed Bruce's parents. Batman destroys the factory the Joker used to make the poisoned products. The Joker holds a parade through Gotham, luring its citizens on to its streets by dispensing money, intending to kill them with lethal gas. Batman foils his plan, but the Joker kidnaps Vicki and takes her to the top of a cathedral church. After a fight with Batman, the Joker falls to his death from the bell tower. Commissioner Gordon unveils the Bat-Signal along with a note from Batman read by Harvey Dent, promising to defend Gotham whenever crime strikes again.

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