If you made it out to “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol” at IMAX venues this weekend, you likely saw the opening prologue for “The Dark Knight Rises.” The new trailer for the film was also attached to prints of Brad Bird’s actioner, as well as prints of WB’s own “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.”

That trailer has now popped up (officially) online, and more and more, it seems obvious this will be Christopher Nolan’s version of Frank Miller’s “The Dark Knight Returns.” We already know the film takes place eight years after the events of “The Dark Knight,” but in the new trailer, I’m pretty sure we see Bruce Wayne walking around with a cane, and we definitely see the graying of the hair.

It’s time for old man Wayne to come out of retirement and kick some ass, it seems, just like in Frank Miller’s industry-changing series.

The new trailer is far and away the best to be cooked up for any film in the franchise (which, to be perfectly honest, I think the trailers throughout have been pretty weak). It’s nicely structured, not at all messy, a real construction with a “wow” moment that is sure to help get more butts in seats. And it’s brave for a tentpole trailer. But it has earned the capital to be as much.

I’m excited. Obviously. And I’m also happy to see whatever this flying machine is without dealing with hilarious out-of-context footage shot by foaming-at-the-mouth fanboys looking to get as much pre-release material from this film onto the web as possible.

Check out the new trailer at Apple or watch the embed below. And tell us what you think in the comments section, or by rating the trailer above.

For year-round entertainment news and awards season commentary follow @kristapley on Twitter.

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