'Dark Knight Rises' Poster Signals the Beginning of the End

Ron Phillips/Warner Bros. Pictures

Warner Brothers released a final one-sheet Monday for The Dark Knight Rises via the film’s Facebook page. Accompanied by the tagline “The Legend Ends,” the poster features Batman front and center as the skyline of Gotham City is engulfed in flames behind him.

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The poster resembles its predecessor, a teaser in which a shot of the Gotham skyline resembles a giant bat. Beneath the phrase “A Fire Will Rise,” Batman stands in partial shadow while debris and fire pours down from above.

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It remains to be seen whether Warner Brothers will release individual character posters as it has done in the past. In the meantime, the studio clearly has chosen to emphasize the hero of the series, rather than high-profile villains which have throughout its history overshadowed his importance.

The Dark Knight Rises opens nationwide July 20, 2012.