The Dark Knight is the wildly successful sequel to the movie 'Batman Begins' which was released in 2005.

Having grossed well over $530 million in the US alone, the term "wildly successful" might just be an understatement to describe how this movie performed on the worldwide box-office charts.

Based on the popular DC Comics character "Batman", The Dark Knight (and Batman Begins) movies are best described as a darker version of the original Batman film series.

This film follows the heroics of the lead character Bruce Wayne/Batman in his fight to protect both his alter ego and the city of Gotham from the murderous rage of the psychopathic clown The Joker whose character was superbly portrayed by the talented Heath Ledger.

For all Batman fanatics, it is well known that The Joker is the caped crusader's ultimate nemesis and the movie gave a superbly sinister background to both hero and villain characters.

Although Heath Ledger died after the making of the film due to an accidental prescription drug overdose, his acting legacy was forever stamped with the release of this blockbuster movie.

While it was unclear as to how the Joker's character developed in the movie, one thing is crystal clear- the chaos that followed ultimately put Gotham and the Dark Knight in a mad dash to uphold order and survive the terror that The Joker and his mafia buddies had wrought upon the city.

It also introduces the character of Two-Face and how he became one of Batman's adversaries.

The movie shows just how dark the Batman character can be as our hero becomes a fugitive and a wanted target not just by the authorities but by the mob as well.

This makes it difficult for our caped crusader to protect the weak and the innocent from the evil elements yet at the same time evade the law.

Bruce Wayne's is also faced with the dilemma and un enviable decision as to whether he should continue sacrificing himself as Batman for the better good or hang up his cape and become just a normal person again.

Batman Begins and The Dark Knight have truly brought the caped crusader screaming and kicking into the 21st Century.

This "new" darker version has a much wider audience appeal and is truer to the original comic series and finally allows him to shake of the "Biff" "Baff" "Pow" comic image of the previous films and animated series.

I for one am glad to see this more "realistic" and human Batman and look forward to the next installment in the franchise.

As a result of its huge success The Dark Knight has spawned a whole industry of merchandise around it and the collectibles market has more than its fair share of products.

There are numerous Batman action figures, statue, busts and memorabilia available ranging from the mass produced to the mega-limited runs.

Many of these are excellent in their detail, sculpting and quality and represent some of the best collectibles on the market.

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