'Dark Knight' Actor Gary Oldman: Hero Of The Week

Here at Splash Page, it is literally our job to cover heroes and villains on a daily basis. Whether we're honoring an invincible alien who can leap tall buildings on a single bound, or condemning the latest random act of violence from a muffled muscular terrorist, there's no shortage of good guys and bad guys to discuss day in and day out.

But the daily news grind doesn't always cover it. Sometimes, a hero needs serious time in the spotlight. That's why we're launching Hero of the Week, a new weekly feature where we'll take some time out of your busy day and ours to honor the folks within the world of comic books, movies and television who are more than worthy of extended praise.

And who better to kick our series off than one of Batman's greatest allies: "Dark Knight Rises" actor Gary Oldman.

Of course, the reasons to salute Mr. Oldman are virtually endless. Just take a good long look at his IMDB page and consider the countless iconic characters he's given the nerd community over the years. Dracula, Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg, Sirius Black… and, of course, the memorably mustachioed Jim Gordon.

No disrespect intended to the late Pat Hingle and others who have come before, but Oldman is indisputably the greatest live-action Gordon of all time. He's mild-mannered when it's appropriate, fierce when he needs to be, commanding at all times. We covered the mustache, too. Until Bryan Cranston signs on for a live-action "Gotham Central" TV series (which, really, would be awesome, but I'll take Cranston as Mr. Freeze in a pinch), I'm pretty sure Oldman is the best Gordon we're likely to ever see.

The Hero of the Week honor comes at an appropriate time for Oldman. This is a big week for the actor, who is one of five men nominated for Best Actor at Sunday night's coming Oscar ceremony. Though many have thumbed their noses at the "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" star's chances of winning, I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss the man.

This is Oldman's first ever Oscar nomination. Somehow, it took the Academy this long to acknowledge the guy. And as I've argued both on MTV News and elsewhere, sometimes all you need to win is to get your foot in the door. Well, Oldman's foot is most squarely in the door. Don't be surprised if the man starts going by "Academy Award winning actor Gary Oldman" come Monday next week.

So here's to you, Gary, one of the industry's finest actors, and the greatest Gordon that "Batman" enthusiasts have ever seen. Enjoy Oscar night, win or lose — though I'm putting my money on win.

Welcome to Hero of the Week, our weekly salute to the heroes (and villains) who keep the comic book, movie and television scene something to look forward to day in and day out. From actual superheroes to the actors and filmmakers who bring them to life, you can tell us who your heroes are in the comments and on Twitter!