The latest Batman film, “The Dark Knight Rises,” opens at midnight screenings tonight, and no matter how the cinematic critiques play out, it will probably go down as the best of the series for car-crazy viewers. The new film is a scavenger hunt for interesting and lethal vehicles, from Batmobiles, bikes and buses to a range of flying machines.

People who have longed for the return of the heavily armed Batwing aircraft from director Tim Burton’s 1989 “Batman” should look for the caped crusader’s upgraded ride — a sort of flying car people have been calling the Bat. The exotic, Lamborghini-like Batmobile is present as is the Batpod motorcycle and armored Tumbler cars seen in previous episodes.

There are so many vehicles on screen it could be difficult to keep track. And you may have to wait for another movie to sort them out.

“The Batmobile” is a documentary about the development of Batman’s rides from his comic origins in the late 1930s. Since he can’t fly Batman has always needed a way to get around, and in early comics he went through a number of mildly modified street cars that looked like standard models of the period with bat badges and extra fins added here and there.

With the 1960s Batman television series the Batmobile, with sleek styling, flaming exhaust and high-tech crime-fighting features, began playing a stronger supporting role. It was a bit li