No, that's not Darth Vader, silly. It's Batman. Probably doing some brooding. It's part of a poster for this summer's The Dark Knight. I loved the last Chris Nolan Batman movie: Batman Begins. It's the only one of dozens of recent superhero big screen adaptations that I've really enjoyed. (I thought Spiderman III was the second worst big-budget movie I've ever seen; Bad Boys II being the absolute worst.) Batman Begins did such a great job of making silly aspects of the Batman story seem sensible. Like the name and the cape: Batman uses theatricality in an attempt to inspire superstitious fear, because otherwise one man doesn't stand a chance. And then coming up with a reason why it would work: a whole town having a bad acid trip. When I heard that Heath Ledger was going to play the Joker, and I saw a picture of him in his make-up, I couldn't wait to see it.

I had visions of something to match Cillian Murphy's sublimely good Scarecrow. Then when I heard Heath Ledger had died it seemed such a shame that he didn't get a chance to let rip in a part like that. But what I've only just discovered is that he'd completed filming for The Dark Knight, so this Summer I'll get a chance to see it after all. I hope it's a belter. (Plus, if it's good, I should think an Oscar might be distinct possibility. Given the circumstances.)