The secrets of the Dark Knight

Two new books about the gothic world of the Dark Knight offer a behind-the-scenes glimpse of gritty Gotham, the caped crusader, his allies and enemies.

First, let’s take a look at The Art and Making of The Dark Knight Trilogy, specifically, at a page of sketches depicting possible masks for the Bane character:

Of course, the book boasts similar concept sketches for other characters, including possible designs for Catwoman’s costume and visor, and lots and lots of behind-the-scenes photography.

Books like this should appeal to fans of the films who are interested in filmmaking, or who appreciate the creative process in general. One can get a good sense of the many directions the film could have gone, and really see the challenge of the Hollywood visual designer.

The other book is The Dark Knight Trilogy: The Complete Screenplays With Selected Storyboards. This is a scene from the third film, which was filmed, but didn’t make it into the final release:

 

This book contains the full original screenplays from all three of Nolan’s Batman films and, as the title implies, many of the storyboards. Books like this are targeted at hardcore fans interested in the canon itself who wish to glean every story detail from the original scripts, notes and storyboards.

The Art and Making of The Dark Knight Trilogy is available now, while The Dark Knight Trilogy: The Complete Screenplays With Selected Storyboards will be available on August 17th. Preorders can be placed here.