3. CAST AND CREW OF THE DARK KNIGHT
In 1939, cartoonist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger created the brooding urban vigilante known as Batman as a comic-book rival to the medium's hottest property — the brighter, happier Superman. Now, thanks to The Dark Knight, which was imbued with provocative new meaning and must-see urgency following Heath Ledger's tragic death in January and went on to gross $528 million, Batman stands masked head and caped shoulders above his fictional superfriends as the pinnacle of Hollywood superhero pop. To the filmmakers and stars behind this triumph, we offer a toast. —Jeff Jensen

Pictured (clockwise): Heath Ledger, Christian Bale, Chris Nolan, Michael Caine, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman