Always enjoy reading your posts, my friend...I agree about the wear and tear on Batman...I think that's why I loved these films, cause you see his humanity. It's totally unbelievable to see George Clooney jumping off the walls and doing back flips on iced-over surfaces like that nonsense previously. I love that Bruce Wayne was just devastated emotionally d/t the death of Rachel, bearing the burden of taking one for the team (i.e. Gotham), and on top of that the guy's got no cartilage in his knees and walks with a cane. I think it makes for a character you can connect with on a deeper level than Batman George. I've thought about what people have said about Bane and how he ended up just being some pawn for Talia/Raz...but I just don't see it that way. Again, Nolan doesn't allow take the easy way out and just allow Bane to exist as some cerebral monster. He treats him with more respect than that and gives him more depth.
I dunno, I really thought that once the initial excitement wore off and I started contemplating some of the criticisms that my thoughts on the film would change, but I stand by my view of it. I think it's an excellent film and edges out the last one by just a hair.