While 'The Avengers' may have opened in theaters before director Christopher Nolan's epic conclusion to the 'Batman' trilogy, 'The Dark Knight Rises' is by far the better movie.In the eternal battle between Marvel and DC superheros, Nolan and his cast are the clear victors in this round. Don't believe us? Read on for the top five reasons why 'The Dark Knight' wins the victor's laurel wreath.

1.  Batman Relies on His Own Strengths to Fight Crime

Batman VS Bane
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Unlike Tony Stark or Captain America, Batman doesn't rely on high-tech gadgets or genetically-enhanced strength to fight crime. Yes, he does have cool gadgets like Batarangs and the Batmobile, but he doesn't necessarily need them to defeat the bad guys -- he could quite easily rely on his own ninja training and intelligence. Sorry Tony and Steve, but if you didn't have your toys and super strength, you'd be nothing. Well, Tony would still be filthy rich, but you get what we're saying.

2. Catwoman Is a Stronger Character Than Black Widow

Catwoman
Examiner.com, Warner Brothers
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Let's face it, when it comes to femme fatales in comic book movies, Catwoman could mop the floor with Black Widow in a fight. She's sassy, has the reflexes of a lioness, and could steal your valuables in a a blink of an eye without having to worry about getting interrupted by S.H.I.E.L.D. Plus, she shot Bane; let's see if Black Widow could've done that. Also, let's face it: Anne Hathaway is a much better actress than Scarlett Johansson. Yeah, we said it.

3. Bane is the Better Villain

Bane
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Much like his predecessor the Joker in 'The Dark Knight,' Bane is absolutely terrifying as a villain. Loki? Not so much. He didn't really do much aside from lead a small force of Chitauri aliens against Earth and try to mind-control a few people. Meanwhile, Bane is the only one who has ever broken Batman and he took over NYC. Not even Loki could manage that. While both Tom Hiddleston and Tom Hardy are superb actors in their own right, Hardy manages to convey a wide arrange of emotion with a mask covering half of his face and his voice distorted.

4. Better Director

Christopher Nolan
Vince Bucci, Getty Images
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While some praise Whedon for works such as 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer,' 'Angel,' and 'Firefly,' let's face it: Christopher Nolan has the better big screen career. With unforgettable films such as 'Memento,' 'Batman Begins,' 'The Dark Knight' and 'Inception,' he is an instantly recognizable household name with a distinctive cinematic style. Whedon lacks Nolan's visual flair, and directs 'Avengers' like it's the world's most expensive TV pilot. A fun TV pilot, but still a TV pilot.

5. Better Cast

Dark Knight Rises Cast
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Not that Robert Downey Jr., Tom Hiddleston, or Mark Ruffalo aren't great actors, but 'the Avengers' is mainly comprised of younger stars who haven't had the experience of Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman or Gary Oldman yet. Nolan's cast is incredibly talented and most, if not all, are established actors whose skills are acknowledged. They've also had three movies to full gel as as cast. 'The Avengers' cast hasn't had that chance yet, but perhaps they will surprise us in the future.

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