I think the reason Watchmen ranks a little lower for me (and I love the shit out of that movie too) is because it really doesn’t do anything the comics didn’t do (besides making everyone super tough/strong). Most of the dialogue was word for word what it was in the comics so the first time through I already had this weird feeling I’d already seen the movie.
On the other hand I’ve been a fan of the bat-family of books my whole life and The Dark Knight incorporated all that into it’s own story. Of course fans would have been pissed if you do something like that with Watchman so it’s understandable and definitely the right choice.
I think more than anything The Dark Knight was about the power of hope and for all the good Batman does he’s just not a symbol of that. In the end he knows that he has to be the guy that strikes fear into people’s hearts. Just because he’s letting the world perceive him as a villain doesn’t mean he is one.
I can’t think of a character in Watchmen who really blurred the lines between hero and villain.
