Now Playing Podcast Presents: The Batman Retrospective Series

While struggling with his dual identity, Arthur Fleck not only stumbles upon true love, but also finds the music that's always been inside him.

When his attempt to save his family inadvertently alters the future, Barry Allen becomes trapped in a reality in which General Zod has returned and there are no Super Heroes to turn to. In order to save the world that...

In his second year of fighting crime, Batman uncovers corruption in Gotham City that connects to his own family while facing a serial killer known as the Riddler.

Determined to ensure Superman's ultimate sacrifice was not in vain, Bruce Wayne aligns forces with Diana Prince with plans to recruit a team of metahumans to protect the world from an approaching threat of catastrophic proportions.

During the 1980s, a failed stand-up comedian is driven insane and turns to a life of crime and chaos in Gotham City while becoming an infamous psychopathic crime figure.

Fuelled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman's selfless act, Bruce Wayne and Diana Prince assemble a team of metahumans consisting of Barry Allen, Arthur Curry and Victor Stone to face the catastrophic threat of Steppenwolf and...

From DC Comics comes the Suicide Squad, an antihero team of incarcerated supervillains who act as deniable assets for the United States government, undertaking high-risk black ops missions in exchange for commuted prison sentences.

Fearing the actions of a god-like Super Hero left unchecked, Gotham City’s own formidable, forceful vigilante takes on Metropolis’s most revered, modern-day savior, while the world wrestles with what sort of hero it really needs. And with Batman and Superman...

The adventures of many of DC Comics greatest superheroes and villains. In the first episode, The Challenge, the superheroes must race against time to stop the diabolical super-villains' plot to destroy the world. In the second episode, The Roast, the...

Liquidated after discovering a corporate conspiracy, mild-mannered graphic artist Patience Phillips washes up on an island, where she's resurrected and endowed with the prowess of a cat -- and she's eager to use her new skills ... as a vigilante....

Following the death of District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman assumes responsibility for Dent's crimes to protect the late attorney's reputation and is subsequently hunted by the Gotham City Police Department. Eight years later, Batman encounters the mysterious Selina Kyle and...

Batman raises the stakes in his war on crime. With the help of Lt. Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman sets out to dismantle the remaining criminal organizations that plague the streets. The partnership proves to be effective,...

Driven by tragedy, billionaire Bruce Wayne dedicates his life to uncovering and defeating the corruption that plagues his home, Gotham City. Unable to work within the system, he instead creates a new identity, a symbol of fear for the criminal...

Batman and Robin deal with relationship issues while preventing Mr. Freeze and Poison Ivy from attacking Gotham City.

Batman must battle a disfigured district attorney and a disgruntled former employee with help from an amorous psychologist and a young circus acrobat.

When a powerful criminal, who is connected to Bruce Wayne's ex-girlfriend, blames the Dark Knight for killing a crime lord, Batman decides to fight against him.

While Batman deals with a deformed man calling himself the Penguin, an employee of a corrupt businessman transforms into the Catwoman.

Batman must face his most ruthless nemesis when a deformed madman calling himself "The Joker" seizes control of Gotham's criminal underworld.

The Dynamic Duo faces four super-villains who plan to hold the world for ransom with the help of a secret invention that instantly dehydrates people.

This was an early Now Playing Podcast review, shorter and spoiler-free. It was not intended to be part of our Batman Retrospective Series. The superhero summer hits full stride with The Dark Knight, Christopher Nolan’s highly anticipated sequel that shattered box office records and pulled in serious critical praise. Picking up after Batman Begins, the film pushes Gotham into darker territory, trading origin-story groundwork for moral chaos, escalating stakes, and a villain who refuses to play by the rules. At the center of it all is Heath Ledger (Brokeback Mountain) as the Joker, delivering a performance that has sparked debate, admiration, and no small amount of hype. But does his turn dominate the movie, or does The Dark Knight succeed because of its larger themes, ensemble cast, and grounded approach to superhero storytelling? Arnie and Marjorie compare the film to its Marvel-ous competition, break down Nolan’s ambitions, and ask whether this sequel truly elevates the genre or outclasses its peers through sheer intensity.