World exclusive image of Tom Hardy as Bane in The Dark Knight Rises

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The Dark Knight Rises is, hands down, the most anticipated film of the year. So it's fitting that the film's incendiary anarchist should help kick off our very own revolution...

What better way to launch the brand new interactive iPad edition of Total Film magazine than with an exclusive look at Tom Hardy’s monstrous villain, Bane.

The close-up image offers an unparalleled look at his freaky facewear. Part Hannibal Lector mask, part Predator mandible and wholly unlike the lycra luchador look he sported in the comic, it's destined to make the character an instant icon.

And those eyes… there’s something deeply unsettling about the manic stare Hardy’s locked in here, hinting a level of feral intensity not yet revealed in the trailers. Pray you're not caught in that line of sight...

[ Click on the Bane image to see it in hi-res ]

On the mask, Hardy told us: “It’s not as bad as you might think. You just put it on. Work out where you drool goes. That’s it. Mask work is good fun. This one wasn’t painful; there was the stunt mask and there was the up-close on for the sexy glam shots.”

And he also shared some startling insight into the unforgiving regime he stuck to when we asked: what was required to attain the Bane bulk? “Eating entire villages of chickens.

“When I started I was about 160-something pounds. When I was done I was 190. You lift weights. You eat. You lift some more weights. You don’t run anywhere because if you do cardio, you drop weight. So it’s really good for heart attacks!”

There’s much more from Hardy, his fellow Dark Knight Rises castmembers and director Christopher Nolan – as well as more exclusive shots - in the new issue of Total Film magazine, and the brand new interactive iPad edition.

And, in celebration of this launch, you can get the brand new interactive issue of Total Film on your iPad for the special price of £1.99 for a limited period of two weeks (regular price £3.99), so there’s no better excuse to try it out.

On top of our full Dark Knight Rises coverage, Issue 194 also features our unique look at Batman: Past, Present And Future. Our Caped Crusader celebration takes in his 73-year history, and includes unseen behind-the-scenes shots from Batman Begins and The Dark Knight .

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Buy the interactive issue of Total Film from Apple Newstand – (at the discounted price of £1.99 for two weeks only!)

And if you a fan of good old-fashioned paper magazines, fear not – your regular Total Film is going nowhere! Head here to subscribe to Total Film magazine !

The Total Film team are made up of the finest minds in all of film journalism. They are: Editor Jane Crowther, Deputy Editor Matt Maytum, Reviews Ed Matthew Leyland, News Editor Jordan Farley, and Online Editor Emily Murray. Expect exclusive news, reviews, features, and more from the team behind the smarter movie magazine.