Christian Bale continues to impress. He's definately grasped the concept of drama. It will be interesting to see how he carries himself in the comedy arena some day. That said, Heath Ledger stole the show. I don't fault Bale for not carrying his own. The role of "The Joker" was definately one which provided more to work with than the dark and brooding hero. Ledger, however added more to it than Nicholson and Romero combined. His dark and chaotic personality brought an eerie mood to the film that brought it to the edge of horror.