The Batman Movie Announces Riddler Prequel Story

By Richard Nebens Updated:
Batman, Riddler

While the DC Extended Universe is still a few months away from restarting its story, Warner Bros. is currently reaping the benefits from Matt Reeves' The Batman in theaters. Robert Pattinson's Caped Crusader saw himself facing Gotham's worst criminals all at the same time, most prominently featuring Paul Dano's take on the Riddler.

The Batman is certainly making waves based on its theatrical release alone, having already earned the biggest opening weekend for any non-Disney movie in almost three years at the box office. Additionally, the film's post-credits scene gave fans a fun real-life riddle to work through, adding to what the Riddler brought upon Gotham City within the film itself.

This largely came with the website rataalada.com, which presented a challenge for visitors to work through before providing new in-universe imagery and photos from the movie to enjoy.

Now, in the most recent update, the site is teasing a new Riddler-related story that's coming in the not-too-distant future.

The Batman Announces Riddler Prequel Comic

DC Comics officially announced a new prequel comic for The Batman, titled Riddler: Year One. The story will release in October as a six issue limited series, and is penned by The Batman's own Paul Dano.

rataalada.com, the real-world website tied into The Batman, first released new imagery for the prequel comic centered on Paul Dano's Riddler.

After users enter the answers "Veritas," "Exposure," and "Honesty," an animated image shows up with the Riddler's glasses highlighting the phrase "Riddler: Year One."

Riddler Year One
The Batman

Reloading the page reveals a new cipher that translates to the phrase "Just Kidding Yourself" along with a hidden message at the bottom translating to "You’re Part of This." The cipher's file name is “just_6_more_days.jpeg,” and the site updates with a timer after reloading, potentially teasing a timeframe for another announcement down the line.

Riddler, The Batman
The Batman

 

Warner Bros. Bringing a Riddler Tie-In Comic

Comics tying into major superhero movies are nothing new, as both Marvel and DC have proven over the past few years with the MCU and the DCEU. This one is particularly interesting considering how intricately Warner Bros. is utilizing the tools at its disposal to share this information with fans.

It's currently unclear what the six day countdown will bring, but perhaps it could lead to another announcement related to the comic, like a first look. The story that will come in this comic is still a mystery, although the "Year One" subtitle teases that fans may see more of the Riddler's origin story that was only teased in the movie.

The Batman is already setting up multiple spin-offs on-screen, such as Colin Farrell's Penguin series and a show centered on Arkham Asylum. Thanks to the positive reviews coming for Paul Dano's Riddler, this comic may just be the first new story his character sees, especially considering his predicament in Arkham next to Barry Keoghan's Joker.

The Batman is currently playing in theaters worldwide.

- About The Author: Richard Nebens
Richard Nebens joined The Direct in March 2020, now serving as the site's Senior Writer and also working as an assistant editor and content creator. He started his journalism career as a hobby in 2019 and is passionate about sharing news and stories from the entertainment industry, especially comic book movies, comedy, and sci-fi. Richard looks to expand his knowledge about movies and TV every day, and he is eager to stay locked into the latest releases and breaking news at every opportunity.