When the credits rolled on “The Dark Knight” I was saddened because I knew there was no way the conclusion to the trilogy could match it. After years of mediocrity coming out of comic-book-movie-land, here was finally the type of movie that was loaded with quality at multiple levels and was more than an homage to the source material. It stood on its own and Heath Ledger’s performance was legendary.

Now, the talk of the next couple of weeks will be about whether or not “The Dark Knight Rises” can match or surpass its predecessor. Rarely is the third part of a trilogy the best, but for once there is hope and a lot of the attention is based upon bits and pieces we’ve seen in the trailers of Tom Hardy’s Bane character. Just as I was getting wrapped up in the hype, I came across this image and remembered just how perfectly sinister The Joker was. I’m hoping for the best. I think there’s a good chance that this installment can meet or beat expectations. It certainly will in the box office.

Still, this image is a sad reminder of one of the best villainous performances in movie history.