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Holy video disc, Batman! There have been so many variations and exclusive deals available for The Dark Knight I don't know if I can go into them all. I'll try to run through the major ones quickly so I don't bore you too terribly much.

You've got the single disc, bare-bones DVD's available in widescreen and pan-&-scan. Then you've got a 2 disc special edition DVD which will contain most of the material I list in the extras section below. There's a steelbook case variation out there as well.

Then there's the Blu-ray version (which is what I will spend the most time detailing). There's a steelbook variation of this one, too. A limited edition Blu package offers a Batpod replica (I haven't seen a DVD listing that includes this replica).

I've also seen a listing for a 2 disc special edition package with a journal of some kind and possibly a Joker card. I've only seen a DVD listing (no Blu) for it and have only seen very high after-market prices on it. Not worth that expense in my opinion. It's possible this was a store exclusive of some kind.

In addition to all those releases there have been a number of exclusive offers. I don't know all of them so I'll just hit a few of the most notable ones that I've seen currently for sale somewhere or other. I'll talk about the details as best as I can determine them later in the guide.

If you're looking to get the other Batman movies done by Nolan you have a few different options. There is an “Ultimate Collection” which appears to be the latest and greatest and is only on Blu. There is a Christopher Nolan Batman Collection which includes the first 2 Dark Knight movies. Then there the Dark Knight Trilogy which includes all 3 movies. Both of these appear to be offered on DVD and Blu. And finally, there is a Christopher Nolan Director's Collection which includes the first 2 Dark Knight movies along with some others and is only available on Blu currently.

I have the 2 Disc Special Edition Blu which is actually a 3 disc release if you get the digital copy (2 disc without it).

Video:

2.40 / 1.78 at 1080p. Note the listing of 2 widescreen ratios there? What’s unusual about this film is that it swaps between the 2.40 and 1.78 ratios for the IMAX sequences. Keep in mind certain sequences were filmed in IMAX so the HD capabilities of Blu are even better served here than on a typical release. You won't be able to appreciate that on DVD as much. I use this a lot when showing off my huge widescreen TV. It easily looks as good as anything I own on any format.

Audio:

5.1 Dolby HD, 5.1 Dolby, 2.0: The HD surround sound is fantastic. It's almost hyper-realistic with an amazingly perfect mix, mind-blowing bass rumble, and incredible surround sound immersion. This is just about as perfect as anything I could hope to own for my home video (though I have to admit I thought pretty much the same thing when I swapped from VHS to DVD, and those releases are pitiful next to this).

Packaging:

Part of the reason I went with the standard Blu over options like the Batman cowl case was because of the really cool looking box art. It uses the typical plastic case in a cardboard slip cover that is popular with DVD’s these days, however unlike the vast majority of other releases the two are not identical (a concept I’ve never really understood, by the way). The slip case is Batman themed. It features a glossy image of him on the Batpod which, by itself, is a cut above the average DVD cover art. The back features the standard DVD info.

The case sleeve is Joker themed. The front is a great image of him looking all dark and menacing. The back is a reprint of the outer cover but Joker-ized. He has scribbled all over the picture defacing Batman and exalting himself, adding comments to the specs and features list, and marking out sections of the plot summary to make a mockery of it. This is an impressively creative cover particularly for a standard packaging instead of a limited edition. The newer, cheaper versions of the release omit the outer box which is not nearly as fun.

The Blu-ray interface is simple but functional. Not as flashy as the interactive comic book I got in the Batman Begins DVD package, but I have no complaints. The movie rather than the interface starts when the disc is inserted.

Extras:

-Digital Copy: Not all of the product listings mention this, but mine came with one, and I'm pretty sure the 2-disc DVD does as well. You'll get it on an extra disc. Unlike some the code does not list an expiration date.

-Gotham Uncovered: Disc 1 of the Blu-ray has nearly an hour and a half worth of behind the scenes materials. These are production focused and look very little at the characters, actors, or story. They can be turned on and activated as the movie plays (with the benefit of seeing them within the context of the finished product), played individually from the menu, or played as one long presentation. There are 18 different segments - some of them brief, some extensive.

-Prologue (about filming in IMAX, music, sound, etc. This is one of the most thorough)

-Bat Suit (the redesign and reasoning behind it, also some of the gadgets)

-Joker Theme (coming up with the musical sound for the villain, includes samples of early sound experiments)

-Hong Kong Jump (jumping for real and making it work for the movie)

-Car Blows Up (explosion tests)

-Chase in IMAX (destroying a camera, resolution problems)

-Van in the River (what made it hard)

-Miniatures (why and how)

-Batmobile Destruction (elements and methods, Batpod birth)

-Batpod (previz shots of how it fits in the Batmobile, close ups for a good view of it, practicality, riding it – might be interesting for all the people saying it’s impossible to ride something with wheels that big)

-Copter Crash (melding practical and visual effects)

-Truck Flipping (no, that wasn’t CG – see the designs and tests)

-MCU Explosion (setup and concepts)

-Lamborghini Crash (stunt driving and CG usage)

-Hospital Explosion (blowing up a real building, with unused angles)

-Mob Car Flip (mostly about stunt driving)

-String of Sausages (setting up a tough stunt of guys going over a high ledge)

-Size (it’s actually called something else, but it’s really about making the movie bigger than its predecessor)

-Batman Tech: (46 minutes, 6 chapters) I love educational features with movies, and this release offers 2. To start off is a show called "Batman Tech." This looks like it might have been created for airing on TV. It doesn’t say as much, but it’s formatted like a TV special. It takes a look at Batman gadgets from the movie and early comic book days comparing them to real-world technology. You may be surprised with how viable some of this stuff really is. There is a notable omission of non-Nolan Batman movies, but the new Batmobile gets some good screen time. It's high-def quality and doesn't appear to be available on DVD.

-Batman Unmasked: (46 minutes, 6 chapters) The next feature is similar in presentation but more theoretical. It looks at the psychology of the characters and relates it to viewers. Perhaps the most interesting part is the look at President Theodore Roosevelt. Batman gets the most time by far, but numerous villains get a moment or two. I expected more on Joker, but I would still say he gets the most time of all the villains. It's also high-def quality and does not appear to be available on DVD.

-Gotham Tonight: Next is a group of segments called “Gotham Tonight.” These are right around 8 minutes long (give or take a couple of minutes) and are filmed as if they were part of a real talkshow / news broadcast. Sometimes reporting, sometimes interviewing, sometimes editorializing the series gives us a look at how people might really react to what happens in Gotham and includes participation by actors from the movie although the overall focus is not on them. They’re absolutely fabulous! I was wishing for another 6 of them. There’s a play all option for these.

-Election Night features a debate over Batman (the host’s opinion becomes quite clear by the end of the series, and he does make some good points) and Dent’s police investigations. Is he doing more harm than good by going after the boys in blue?

-Billionaire Without a Cause looks at the wild antics of Bruce and the history of the Wayne family as the people of Gotham would see them. Of course, the irony is in what we, the audience, know is the truth.

-Escalation seems to be somewhat of a commentary on drugs and brings up discussion about Scarecrow’s plights. Is he dead or not?

-Top Cop is dedicated to Jim Gordon (not yet Commissioner). It offers some backstory and a look at his family.

-Cops & Mobsters pits Commissioner Loeb against crime boss Maroni. Is Maroni being unfairly persecuted? This one reveals what the movie details: Dent is doing something good in this town.

-Gotham’s White Night is all about Dent: his motives, plans, and thoughts on Batman. It ends with a direct tie to the opening of the movie.

-Galleries: We get 4 image galleries. These are slideshows with manual control options. Most of them are extensive galleries.

-Joker Cards: a huge selection of different card designs but with no details given. Joker uses different cards in the movie. Are these ones that were used? Were some considered and discarded? Are they real existing designs or based on any? There is no information about them anywhere that I could see.

-Concept Art: a lot of clown masks, views of the Batman suit, etc. Some have descriptions for additional info.

-Poster Art: various designs. This is by far the smallest gallery but has some of the most interesting images.

-Production: mostly on-set shots with some props and such thrown in. This is the largest of the 4.

-Trailers: A collection of trailers includes a teaser, 2 theatrical trailers, and 6 short TV spots with a play all option for the group.

-BD-Live: These are features available for those of you with internet capabilities on your Blu-ray player. I was thoroughly unimpressed with the content offered except for one (which I'll get to in a second). There really isn't much here besides promo material for other stuff.

-Personal Commentary: Initially the site provided a way to record and post personal commentaries. Sounds like fun, doesn't it? When I started thinking about recording one to link to my review site I found that the feature is no longer supported. You can still search and play existing commentaries (though I didn't bother doing so), you just can't add new ones.

Blu Functions:

-Descriptive Text: This isn't truly an extra (or a Blu function), but it's so unusual I wanted to mention it and didn't know where else to group it. It is a descriptive narrative option. A woman describes scenes and reads text (like the credits) I assume for the visually impaired audience. I thought this was nifty at first, but I really dislike the production elements so I didn't sit through very much of it.

-Menu Sound Toggle

-Bookmark Support

Other Editions:

As far as I can tell there is no variation in specs or quality across the different versions so I will group them as much as possible.

Other Blus:

As far as the Blus go the actual disc content appears to be exactly the same no matter what package you get it in. You simply get the disc with a Batpod or a mask replica or whatever it may be. The only exception is the Target exclusive which mentions a mysterious feature on which I could find no further info. While I don't own the Batpod or the masks because I was unwilling to part with that much cash, I have seen them close up, and they have great detail. The specs and extras are the same as what I detailed above.

One steelbook variation says it's a limited edition with a look at the “The Dark Knight Reborn” documentary. The other is not limited and mentions nothing that is not in the regular Blu package.

DVD's

The DVD's list the following specs: video at 2.40 widescreen or 1.33 pan-&-scan. Audio at 5.1 Dolby digital surround sound. I haven't seen any DVD-specific comments on the quality, but I imagine it's solid based on how strong the Blu is.

The single disc versions don't appear to offer any extras at all. While some of the product listings do mention a few goodies they appear to be incorrect with the most obvious error being the Batpod listed as part of the package when it clearly is not.

The 2 disc Special Edition DVD appears to contain most of the material I listed in the extras section of the Blu with a few variations. “Batman Tech,” “Batman Unmasked,” and the BD-Live features seem to be omitted from the DVD version.

It appears that the DVD has the IMAX scenes separated out and presented individually as an extra feature on disc 2. While the scenes themselves are a part of the regular movie, the point of this feature evidently is to show off their amazingly high quality (which would take up so much space on the disc they would likely not be able to fit on disc 1 alongside the movie). The Blu doesn't have a feature like this which I assume is because these scenes are already presented in high-def quality as part of the movie.

Combo Options:

As for the various combo packages we'll start with the Dark Knight Trilogy set. The Blu version appears to contain all the extras from the standard releases. The DVD version is only 3 discs and lacks many of the extras (though I have yet to find enough details to say for sure what is or isn't on the DVD). Your main perk for buying the set, besides saving money, is a book which is an abridged version of The Art and Making of the Dark Knight Trilogy.

The Christopher Nolan Collection appears to include the standard Blu release in a set with 4 other movies. It includes 10 art cards and a book with info about the movies that are included. While I haven't see all of the art cards, the Batman related ones I've seen look really sharp.

The Ultimate Collector's Edition trilogy appears to include everything that has come before it as far as extras plus about 90 minutes worth of new material including new interviews and a documentary on the trilogy. Most interesting are the 3 Hot Wheels replicas of vehicles from the films. There are also some art cards and a hardback book. Reviews suggest that the package is interesting but probably not worth the cost if you already own the movies.

Exclusives

Here are a few details about some of the store exclusives. There may very well be more out there than what I've been able to find.

--Wal-Mart: What caught my eye was a 2 Face coin replica. I would have loved to have had that. There is also a comic book with it. Unfortunately, as it common practice with them, Wal-Mart packages their stuff in with the regular single-disc version of the movie. Not only can you not get these goodies with the Blu, you can't even get it with the 2 disc DVD; so you either get the DVD extras or the Wally World exclusive items. They need to realize that the people buying the exclusives are typically the people who do not want the bare-bones DVD's (calling those “collector's editions” couldn't be farther from the truth of what they are). So… pass. But if you do want it you can get a widescreen version or a pan-&-scan one.

--Target: These guys have been doing really really neat special cases. Batman’s cowl is the case this time. I would have gone with this exclusive, but I liked the regular packaging too much. This is for the 2 disc DVD and Blu-ray versions. They both appear to include a disc with a digital copy of the movie, and the Blu mentions an exclusive feature though I could find no specifics about it.

--Best Buy: They have the most. I found out about it too late, but with a preorder you could get a free poster. I missed out. Supposedly there was going to be an exclusive Joker playing card to go along with any DVD purchase, but my Best Buy had nothing of the sort. What they did have were 2 different replicas in special boxes with really cool exclusive artwork. One is the Batman cowl and one is the mask Joker wears in the bank heist. The only catch is that they cost more than the regular movie packages. I opted to save my money, but if you’re a collector of shelf memorabilia these look like they would be nice additions. They are available for the 2 disc DVD and Blu-ray editions.

Final Thoughts:

While there are a few enticing extras, the immense success of the movie had me expecting a bit more. I’ve heard a lot of people complaining about the lack of good features on the DVD in particular. Since they lack the educational documentaries all they really offer is some behind the scenes clips and the Gotham Tonight segments. No commentary, no deleted scenes, no Heath Ledger memorial. We hear almost nothing from any of the actors. We don’t get the first glimpse of the 2 Face face effects. What was the process for coming up with the new looks of these classic villains? As wildly loved as this movie has been I’m surprised we don’t get a more extensive look at it. Despite that downside this is a terrific movie to own on Blu-ray due to its IMAX sequences.

Deciding between releases is a chore. There are a few obvious decisions like if you want cheap with no extras go with the single-disc DVD. You'll get more extras if you can do Blu instead of the 2 disc DVD. I say go for the Ultimate Collector's Edition if you're in the market for the whole trilogy.