Since releasing the first images of Tom Hardy as Bane, fans of Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises started asking, "What's up with that mask?"  A new article in Rolling Stone seems to have answered the question along with a point-by-point graphic detailing just why the muscle-bound madman needs a mask at all (and the answer provides a key plot point).  On the other side of the spectrum is the also-masked vigilante known as Batman (Christian Bale), and in this new wanted poster supposedly released by Warner Bros., we see exactly what the Caped Crusader is accused of doing.The Dark Knight Rises also stars Anne Hathaway, Michael Caine, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Gary Oldman and Liam Neeson.  Look for the bat to bow on July 20th.  Hit the jump to check out the images.Update: Thanks to a number of readers emails, we've been informed the Wanted Poster was part of the earlier viral marketing campaign.First up from dark-knight-rises-bane-maskRolling Stone magazine (via Batman-News) comes a look at Bane and his mysterious mask.  While the comic version of Bane links the South American menace to a forced addiction to the experimental drug, Venom, Nolan's version takes a more "realistic" approach, as the director himself commented to Rolling Stone:

Bane is someone ravaged by pain from a trauma suffered long ago, and the mask dispenses a type of anesthetic that keeps his pain just below the threshold so he can function.

And, as if we needed confirmation for Mr. Nolan's bat-knowledge, costume designer Lindy Hemming revealed a similar notion in an earlier interview with Empire magazine:

He was injured early in his story. Hes suffering from pain and he needs gas to survive. He cannot survive the pain without the mask. The pipes from the mask go back along his jawline and feed into the thing at the back where there are two canisters of what ever it is…the anesthetic.

There you have it, Bat fanatics.  Bane isn't a super roided up freak in this iteration, but rather a fit fighter who can simply dial up his medication to the point that he can't feel pain.  Which would you rather fight? (And do you think Bane's weakness will be the same in The Dark Knight Rises as it is in the comics, considering this new information?)

Also new on the internet frontier is a wanted poster supposedly provided by Warner Bros.  I've had a tough time tracking down the source, so for now it was found at Films Worth Talking About (via Sound on Sight).  Check it out below in its grayscale, self-explanatory glory:

dark-knight-rises-wanted-poster

Don't forget to check out all of our continuing coverage on The Dark Knight Rises, such as:
Here’s the official synopsis for The Dark Knight Rises:
Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ “The Dark Knight Rises” is the epic conclusion to filmmaker Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy, Leading an all-star international cast, Oscar(R) winner Christian Bale (“The Fighter”) again plays the dual role of Bruce Wayne/Batman. The film also stars Anne Hathaway, as Selina Kyle; Tom Hardy, as Bane; Oscar(R) winner Marion Cotillard (“La Vie en Rose”), as Miranda Tate; and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, as John Blake. Returning to the main cast, Oscar(R) winner Michael Caine (“The Cider House Rules”) plays Alfred; Gary Oldman is Commissioner Gordon; and Oscar(R) winner Morgan Freeman (“Million Dollar Baby”) reprises the role of Lucius Fox. The screenplay is written by Christopher Nolan and Jonathan Nolan, story by Christopher Nolan & David S. Goyer. The film is produced by Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan and Charles Roven, who previously teamed on “Batman Begins” and the record-breaking blockbuster “The Dark Knight.” The executive producers are Benjamin Melniker, Michael E. Uslan, Kevin De La Noy and Thomas Tull, with Jordan Goldberg serving as co-producer. The film is based upon characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by Bob Kane.
dark-knight-rises-bane-mask dark-knight-rises-bane-teaser-poster