This is a big one, folks. What better way to kick off 2023 than with a deep dive into The Dark Knight? Christopher Nolan's take on The Empire Strikes Back captured the accelerating pace and constant anxiety of the War on Terror, all while gesturing toward--for better and for worse--the Obama era to come. There's also a really badass truck flip.  We have a Patreon! You can find The Black Casebook on Twitter @blackcasebook and Instagram @blackcasebookpod, and you can write in to [email protected] to share any Bat-thoughts you have. Music by Black Plastique. Intro ambient sound by e0fd96. You can find Spencer Ackerman's outstanding history Reign of Terror, which was an essential resource for this episode, here. I highly recommend it, as well as Spencer's appearances on the CEREBRO podcast.