Will Ledger's Joker Be the Next in a Long Line of Great Gotham Villains?

Posted on: Sunday, 13 July 2008, 12:00 CDT People are talking about "The Dark Knight," but they're not talking about Batman. That's no slur on Christian Bale, whose brooding performance as gentleman superhero Bruce Wayne gave a soulful center to "Batman Begins," and who'll reprise the role in Christopher Nolan's sequel (opening in Seattle theaters late-night Thursday). But "The Dark Knight," and the buzz that surrounds it, looks to be all about the Joker -- which is to say, all about Heath Ledger. Part of this is, of course, because of the aura of tragedy surrounding the performance, which was the 28-year-old Australian actor's final completed film before his death in January of an accidental prescription-drug overdose. But the anticipation began well before Ledger's death, with the release of the film's trailer in late 2007.... [read full story]