Fans of Bob Kane's comic book creation (protector of dystopian Gotham City known as the Batman) like to describe their admiration for the cowled vigilante by saying that he is a superhero with no superpowers. By this they mean he technically can be actualized in the world and is thereby all the more relatable and engaging. Bruce Wayne has a dark side, as many of us have, he cares about maintaining a civilized society, as many of us do, yet he alone has the tenacity and drive (and disconnect) to become a fearsome something that makes a difference. We all wish to be superheroes, but Batman, to an infinitesimal degree, is someone we can emulate and become without relying on massive doses of gamma radiation.

What struck me after watching the packed midnight showing of Chris Nolan's second Batman feature, titled The Dark Knight, was that Batman, being mere mortal just of extraordinary spirit, encounters villains who are equally of the flesh but retain their supervillain status through misadventures of the mind. Batman's greatest nemeses aren't individuals who fly or possess colossal strength or control weather