In my opinion...a sequel Must surpass the original in the story and characters in order to make a great film. The Dark Knight does both. I haven't been this haapy with a true sequel since Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back. Don't get me wrong. There are other good sequels out there, but with classic storytelling and character portrayal by everyone from the beginning of the movie till the end? I see why everyone in the theater, including myself, stood up at the end of the film and applauded. Nolan did an excellent job with the realism of a comic book hero. And don't get me started on the wonderful casting Bale, Eckhart, Ledger, who will be missed greatly for his Joker rendition, Caine, Freeman, Oldman, and etc. and etc. Like I said before...in my opinion...Batman fan or not. This is truly a classic is storytelling, just when you think you know what's going to happen, a twist here and there makes you think different.