This year’s trifecta of “The Avengers,” “Amazing Spider-Man” and “The Dark Knight Rises” is easily the most widespread saturation of superheroes in popular culture we’ve ever had.

Going into the season, I, like many, wondered if comic book movies would need a break. The over-familiarity of “The Amazing Spider-Man,” especially in how it retells the origin story of Peter Parker, amplified a genre fatigue that has been growing from summer to summer.

“The Avengers” and “The Dark Knight Rises” at least provide a continuation of stories, and both do a good job of further developing the characters and conflicts in their respective worlds.

Still, on the eve of “The Dark Knight Rises” premiere, with the knowledge that director Christopher Nolan would NOT return for more Batman installments, I was ready for the superhero genre to take an extended vacation.

Then I saw “The Dark Knight Rises.” Now I can’t wait to see Batman on the big screen again.

It’s not that I particularly love everything about Nolan’s trilogy capper. It may be the biggest movie in the series, but it’s also the messiest. The final act especially fails to control all the sprawling storylines and characters that are introduced over the course of its exhausting running time.

Nevertheless, the movie celebrates the influence and importance of Batman in our culture. He’s a symbol for hope; something more than a single man can ever be. We need something like Batman to remind us that we can stand against evil and madness. Rather than succumb to fear, like Bruce Wayne, we must embrace the fear and use it as a tool against what frightens us. (more…)