‘The Dark Knight Rises’ Mega Post: All the Trailers, Clips, TV Spots and Posters

The time has come to finally see if 'The Dark Knight Rises' will beat out 'The Avengers' for the unofficial title of Best Summer 2012 Movie. Warner Bros.' PR team has done perhaps too well of a job promoting the finale to Christopher Nolan's 'Dark Knight' Batman trilogy. So, just like we did right before the team of Marvel heroes hit the big screen, we're giving you the ultimate roundup of all the trailers, TV spots, clips, photos and posters from 'The Dark Knight Rises' -- because who needs to see the movie when you've basically already seen it spaced out over multiple media forms?

The final installment sees the Caped Crusader coming out of retirement to battle Bane, a ruthless killer who spent his entire life -- yes, even his baby years -- living in prison. Now free to wreak havoc, this brutal criminal, who's comic book character was created for the sole purpose of "Breaking the Bat," seeks to drive Gotham city into the ground. But the main question plaguing our minds is, Will this final battle claim Batman's life?

Trailers

'The Dark Knight Rises' trailers did most the most leg work in teasing us for the July 20 premiere. The combination of the thunderous chanting, snapshots of prison flash mobs and clips of Gotham's savior swooping in to save the day never failed to send shivers down our spines and send us spiraling into an excitement frenzy.

Clips

There weren't too many straight clips this time around for 'The Dark Knight Rises,' certainly not as many as 'The Avengers,' but what the movie lacked in movie footage, it made up for in TV spots. (See what we mean below.) That being said, the clips that were released -- a closer look at "The Bat," what Catwoman whispers in Bruce Wayne's ear, etc. -- are definitely worth a few minutes of your time.

TV Spots

When it comes to TV promotion, Warner Bros. was all over it for 'The Dark Knight Rises.' According to them, they released a total of 15 TV spots (although a couple eluded the internet's grasp), all of which aired at some point between now and the end of last May. If you string them all together, you'd probably get one full-fledged trailer. Plus, after you add it to all the clips, trailers and that 13-minute-long featurette (see below), there's really no need for you to actually see the movie.

Featurette

The one thing 'The Dark Knight Rises' did beat 'The Avengers' on was releasing a 13-minute behind-the-scenes featurette. Although, maybe that gave away a little too much information on the movie. Featuring interviews with the cast and Christopher Nolan, the footage provides a look at the filming and making of 'The Dark Knight Rises.' Check it out in full below.

Photos

Now it's time for all the images and movie stills that made 'The Dark Knight Rises' one of the most hyped-up movie of the year. With every slightly different photo released, fans got more and more amped to spend their hard-earned money on a $13-$15 IMAX ticket ('cause why would you want to see Catwoman riding on a motorcycle in 2D?)

Posters

'The Dark Knight Rises' posters were where Warner Bros. had a lot more fun with the promotional material. Although, we think we had the most inventive movie poster worthy of Batman's legacy. Seriously, who doesn't want to see the Caped Crusader take on the entire 'Avengers' team? Now that would've been an even better finale (hint, hint, Christopher Nolan). Mondo came in second place (in our minds) with their awesome recently released illustrated poster for Comic-Con 2012, but you can check out all the posters below and decide for yourself.

Premiere

All the trailers, all the behind-the-scenes looks and all the promotions reached their peak when 'The Dark Knight Rises' movie premiered in the real Gotham City on Monday, July 16. It was a bittersweet moment for most of the cast members, who filmed the very first 'Dark Knight' movie some eight years ago. As for Anne Hathaway and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who both made their first and final appearances in the Batman flicks, felt honored to be invited by Nolan into the epic franchise.

But no matter what they say or do now, their work is done. It's up to the critics and fans to decide if the final product was worth all this hype. That being said, check out our review of 'The Dark Knight Rises.'

All Photos Copyright © 2012 Warner Bros. Pictures