I like the fact that we start out with an "I Am Vengeance!" fear-inducing Batman, who in many of his behaviors and internal monologue reminded me of Rorschach from Watchmen. But Batman learns and grows over the course of the film to recognize that this could have negative, unintended consequences. But beyond that fear, I think he developed some empathy as well for the Riddler and the other disaffected extremists. Batman initially sees himself as a tragic hero, who has to be a martyr to himself in order to "save Gotham." But he has some blinders on as to the kind of trauma that others in the world are going through, and what might be driving their behaviors. Batman may need to be part social worker in the next movie.
I'm also reminded of the diner scene in A History of Violence. As an audience, your first instinct is to cheer on the "hero" as he violently dispatches murderous, unsalvageable scum. But in that case Cronenberg forces the viewer to see the real consequences of violence. So at the same time, you are repelled and disgusted. This kind of stuff is messy and complex.
