I thought it was a step in the right direction. I think following the "freaks" angle would have been difficult following Heath Ledger and his untimely death. I can't imagine another remotely goofy villain being successful, especially in a series of movies that was darker than other batman treatments. It would also be pretty bad to have a more well-known villain with goofy tendencies like The Riddler, who would be compared to the Joker instantly.

I agree that Batman should have been scrutinized more in Rises, but maybe this disappearance at the beginning of the film was a part of addressing that. His guilt was likely a big part of the reason he went recluse.

I also really liked Bane, the twist (if you can call it that) at the end was kinda lame and felt rushed, and I wish they had done more with Bane.