Nolan's masterpiece transcends the "comic" genre and lands squarely as an almost-realistic crime drama. See this film for Ledger's magnetic performance alone - his Joker is one of the most compelling villains in film history and will be talked about for decades. Aaron Eckhart and Gary Oldman also deliver powerfully. The film isn't perfect - a little top-heavy on plot, and Bale shouldn't be given tons of dialogue as Batman (the growl grates after a minute or two) - but the minor flaws are insignificant in this magnificent epic. Nolan is the right man to helm the franchise - he gets the dark, intense tone and knows how to make the characters real. Bravo!