We've got a live one here! Traveler's Tales takes the fan-favorite LEGO franchise to Gotham City with LEGO Batman. It may be hard to believe, but this could (easily) be the best Batman game yet.

Batman begins his LEGO adventure this fall on every major console, plus a unique version developed specifically for the DS.

The best breath of fresh air in gaming comes when a new title arrives with little fanfare and plenty of skepticism, but in the end, turns out to be damned great. With 20/20 hindsight, everyone was expert enough to see that Halo, Grand Theft Auto III, and even Doom were going to be hits. Then again, it's a lot easier to judge a pitch after you've taken a swing.

Well, you'd be hard-pressed to find a more refreshing home run than the kinetic and addicting LEGO Star Wars titles developed by Traveller's Tales. Suitable for all ages in the best of ways, with humor that doesn't pander and challenges that don't punish, these games smashed expectations and delivered the next iteration of platform gaming for both retro-minded and younger gamers alike.

Suddenly, with that beautiful hindsight, LEGO titles look like no-brainer hits. Lucky for us, the brand is pairing with some of the best intellectual properties in entertainment, this time with no less a cultural juggernaut than Batman. "It's been really cool to work on a Batman game," says Loz Doyle, the game's producer. "When we heard we were going to do a Batman game, the team went nuts." So have a lot of fans of the legendary Caped Crusader.

He's Batman. Dig those plastic abs