I guess this is what I get for going to bed at a decent hour.

The #TDKR07202012 viral game I posted about yesterday ended up being a perfect success, as in just a matter of hours, fans found every piece of bat graffiti, and this means that we now have access to the final trailer for The Dark Knight Rises.

The scope is big on this one. We get looks at both Selena Kyle/Catwoman (Anne Hathaway, who seems to be really enjoying the role) and Officer John Blake (Joseph Gordon Levitt), and if there wasn’t a sense of finality to the film before, the trailer sells it.

Bane’s looking like the biggest baddie ever for Batman, Gotham looks royally screwed, things are looking quite dark for the future of the Dark Knight, and yes, by God, Chris Nolan may have done it and made a good third movie.  It’s really jarring how emotionally effecting this trailer is, you really do feel like you’re watching something that is culminating years of excitement, anticipation and storytelling into one final push, and really, that’s what it is.

Hard to believe it’s been seven years since Christopher Nolan relaunched the Batman franchise, but it’s been totally worth it, creating (at least) two of the best superhero films ever put to celluloid.  But will The Dark Knight Rises make for the hat trick? We will know soon enough.

Now, if you excuse me, I need to watch this trailer a few dozen more times.

The Dark Knight Rises hits theaters on July 20th, 2012.