Last week I took the long way to get to work.

I went west, instead of my usual east, and I boarded a flight to Los Angeles.

Later that afternoon I found myself in the penthouse suite of the Beverley Wilshire Hotel, admiring various costumes and props from the film that I was going to screen that night.

The Dark Knight.

I was very pleased to see this film early, because I did not want to be spoiled in any way. I loved Batman Begins, and I felt that this film had the potential to be very special. I also have a complex relationship with Batman- I've written him a couple of times, and I sold an unpublished Batman/Two Face story to DC several years ago, and almost twenty years ago I was on set of the first Tim Burton Batman movie, so this screening, and this junket felt very special to me.

Christopher Nolan reinvigorated my favorite comic book franchise; I thought Batman Begins presented a credible Batman, and the emphasis on emotional realism was a refreshing take on the character. I loved how the gaps in the origin story were filled in, and I loved seeing a complete portrait of Bruce Wayne.

As I settled into my seat I knew what I wanted from The Dark Knight- a rollicking confrontation between Batman and his arch nemesis, the Joker.

What I saw was so much more. No spoilers follow, but The Dark Knight manages to combine superhero elements with a very gritty urban crime drama. You should see this film in IMAX for the full effect, and the scope, vision and performances in this film are spectacular. While Heath Ledger's Joker is going to get a lot of water cooler buzz, I thought that Aaron Eckhart had the best role, and Christian Bale has cemented his status as the finest actor to portray Bruce Wayne/Batman.

In short, I was blown away.

The following day I had the pleasure to interview Christopher Nolan, Christian Bale, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Aaron Eckhart, and Gary Oldman. These interviews will show up on The Dark Knight special which I am working on right now, and on the weekly podcast