Batman pays a visit to the victims from the Dark Knight shooting spree (PICS/ VID)

Batman himself, Christian Bale, went to a hospital last night in Aurora, Colorado to visit some of the victims that were at the midnight screening of The Dark Knight Rises when the massacre happened. And he did this all on his own, not as some kind of good publicity for the movie. Warner Brothers issued a statement saying, “Mr. Bale is there as himself, not representing us.”

He stayed at the hospital for more than two hours, visiting seven patients. He talked to the victims, posed for pictures, signed autographs. The hospital staff said that everyone was really pleased with his surprise visit.

After he left the hospital, he and his wife visited a memorial for the victims and joined a prayer circle. They didn’t announce or call attention to themselves and he refused to give interviews to the TV crews that happened to be there.