A few things that can be seen when viewing this trailer frame by frame:

1. Opening clip: Bruce Wayne, standing atop the skyscraper, does not have his 'Bat-helmet' on yet. He's holding it in his right hand. Also, it's not totally clear, but his belt appears to have a pair of hand grips on the front, ala Kingdom Come.
2. 11 sec: Batman, now with helmet on, has an unusual backpack on instead of a cape (you probably noticed this at full speed. Just making observations)
3. 21 sec: Again, this is probably obvious, but a police funeral is taking place... I wonder who died?
4. 22 sec: Jim Gordon is wearing 'pounds', or a bullet-proof vest, as he exits the car. He's attending the funeral, I think.
5. 25 & 30 secs: The Joker enters a room full of crime bosses from Gotham. Note that they are extremely diverse; representatives from the mob, European gangs, African Americans and even Asian crime lords are all present. Much broader group than one might usually think of when the words 'organized crime' are uttered.
6. 34 sec: panic overtakes the many cops attending the funeral; what could make so many armed law enforcement officers run in fear, I wonder?
7. 32 & 40 secs: (sorry, skipped ahead) The Joker proposes killing the Batman to the crime bosses; he appears to be offering his services to them, as he leaves his card.
8. 49 sec: The Batpod, as we have noticed, has guns! This is not in accordance with Batman's self-imposed code, so I'm curious if that will be a plot point in this film.
9. 58 sec: On a rooftop, Lucius Fox is seen escorting several Asian businessmen off of the helipad. Who are they?
10. 1:06: The van Batman drops onto has a driver in it: is it just me, or does that guy look a bit like the Scarecrow? Cameo, anyone?
11. 1:11: Alfred doesn't seem the least bit put off by the Joker's arrival. I guess he's just an old pro at this stuff!
12. 1:14: On the left, one of the Joker's thugs doesn't wear a clown mask! Seems like an odd inconsistency.
13. 1:16: Is it just me, or are there playing cards flying out of that exploding Mercedes?
14. 1:31: The Joker is standing in front of a huge pile of BURNING MONEY! Looks to me like he's not after the millions...
15. 1:35: In the background, a Gotham P.D. SWAT van can be seen, and parked in front of it, the Batpod!
16. 1:51: The guy smashing the Bat Signal is Jim Gordon, and he's accompanied by a bunch of Cops and Reporters!
17. 2:02: Yeah, everyone has already mentioned this, I know. Harvey Dent's left side is concealed, but you can see the evidence of his disfigurement on his eyebrow, nose and chin, as well as what appears to be a half-burned suit.

I know, I know... I'm obsessed. There are a couple of other noteworthy observations to be made here:

- Batman's new outfit makes virtually no appearance in this trailer, which begs the question: is most of this footage from the first half or two thirds of the movie?
- Have you noticed how often the Joker licks his lips? I thought it was just in the scene with Maggie Gyllenhall (sp?), but he does it in other shots, too! Dehydrated?
- Again, probably a 'DUH!' for many of you, but Batman is operating out of a Penthouse Apartment, as Wayne Manor is being rebuilt.

Okay, I'm done!

New Dark Knight Trailer airs, Obama fans switch teams!

The much-anticipated third trailer for The Dark Knight, which hits theaters on July 18th, was put online today, and also debuted in front of the just-opened Iron Man at many locations in the US today.

I for one have been on the edge of my seat over this trailer, ever since a viral marketing campaign launched at www.whysoserious.com offered hardcore fanatics a chance to get an early peek one week ago. The trailer was originally aired at a New York comic book convention several weeks ago, and many fans and aficionados have declared its praises since, but I have not seen it until today.

I won't go into a play-by-play of the trailer itself, but rather encourage you to view it yourself at www.whysoserious.com/happytrails

I'll also be posting some impressions and detailed analysis of the trailer soon, so keep your eyes open!