I really like the movie, but mainly because of what it adds to the character. I was never a Batman fan before The Dark Knight. Why? Because all I had ever seen was the animated series and Adam West. I did not (and still do not) like the fact that no matter what happened, Batman had a gadget for everything. I had never even glanced at a Batman graphic novel before, because I thought he was cheesy. Plus, his so-called greatest villain, The Joker, was a weirdo who had joke-ish crimes, more funny than intimidating. Also, being immature, I didn't like Batman's (often) brutality towards criminals. In a nutshell, I thought I was a Spider-Man fan for life.
But then I saw The Dark Knight. I had seen the first movie, but when I was ten, and was scared to death of Scarecrow. I saw The Dark Knight with a friend, and only because he wanted to see it. I came into the theater with an open mind after seeing its four starred review in the paper, and loved it. I have hyped it up a lot, and I realize that, but it is only because it was the very thing that converted me to Batman at all. A good analogy to this was when I heard Dark Side of the Moon for the first time. It got me thinking "Hey! I'm cool! This album is acclaimed, and I like it too!" I suddenly loved Pink Floyd. Then I picked up Wish You Were Here, which Rolling Stone doesn't like. I love it. I have since forgotten Dark Side of the Moon.
Sorry to rant a bit there.