“And where is the Batman? HE’S AT HOME, WASHING HIS TIGHTS!”

The Dark Knight opened in theaters a month ago to critical acclaim and record-breaking success. I could follow-up with a rant filled to the brim with oversized words that praise the groundbreaking film, but what it would boil down to has already been said and this is not a movie review. The real question on every gamer’s (casual or hardcore) mind is: where is the The Dark Knight video game? Unfortunately, the answer is as bleak as the question…well, no one seems to know.

Actually, let me take that back. One person, at least briefly, did have something to share. Actor Gary Oldman, who plays Lieutenant Gordon in the series, has stated that he has seen the game in action. While talking to G4TV, Gary Oldman stated that a film-based Batman game was “in the works.” He described a scene in which Batman “jumps off the building and opened his wings to fly away and save the day…so it doesn’t stop and start…[it's] like you’re watching a movie.” That is great and all Gary, but are you sure you weren’t dreaming?

The Dark Knight game is a property owned by Electronic Arts, who produced the previous lackluster Batman film-to-game adaptation for Batman Begins. According to rumors, EA had been attempting to put together a coherent, “sandbox-style” game to supplement the film, but problems were constantly arising. Among other setbacks, the fighting system just would not come together. Speculation says that with the success of the film, the game could have made $100 million (take a Percocet EA, that has got to hurt!). So now, with The Dark Knight nowhere to be found on EA’s release sheet, what do we have to look forward to as far as Batman video games are concerned?

Well, there are still a couple of games on the way. First is the charming, yet refined Lego Batman set to hit shelves within a couple of months. The Lego games have all been met with high praise, both from critics and users, so look to Lego Batman to provide a fun and playful experience.

But maybe a tiny plastic Caped Crusader doesn’t appeal to your desire for a more mature, more movie-like Batman. If that’s the case, the folks over at Rocksteady Studios might have just the thing for you. In the recently announced Rocksteady title, Batman: Arkham Asylum, “the Joker will be the main villain in the story of a prison break gone awry, written by Paul Dini (Justice League, Batman Beyond).” Along with some sweet cover art, this game sounds very promising.

It looks like things are still running smooth for the Batman, even if The Dark Knight video game is nowhere to be seen. But maybe that’s a good thing, seeing as how practically every game adaptation of a Batman film (and quite a few of the films as well) have been met with harsh criticisms, at the very least. The only real saddening news is that, since Tim Burton’s Batman was released in 1989, there has always been a video game adaptation of every Batman movie – until now. But there’s always the future to look forward to.