That Website In The Batman Is Real — Here's What Happens When You Go To It
Spoilers ahead. If you haven't seen "The Batman" yet and happen to care about that sort of thing, turn back now. If you have seen what is easily the best big screen "Batman" adaptation — or you're like me and don't care about spoilers either way — then proceed.
In "The Batman," The Riddler can technically be described as an aspiring social media influencer with presumably self-taught tech skills and excellent taste in greeting cards. He also really likes riddles, which should go without saying. At one point in "The Batman," he takes his cryptic messages to Robert Pattinson's Batman out of the greeting cards and onto his homebrewed website, "Rataalada.com." There, the two vigilantes engage in a brief conversation before the weirder of the two logs off to wreak more havoc on Gotham City or plan his next livestream shoutouts.
If you didn't get enough of "rataalada.com" in the movie, then you'll be pleased to know that The Riddler's Web 1.0 styled website is not only a real web address, it also allows users to experience The Riddler's cryptic antics firsthand. What could be better than the gift of simulating uncomfortable online interactions with an obsessive and inquisitive weirdo? Many things, but here's why the site is totally worth visiting anyway.
Riddles and rewards
The site first appeared in December 2021, a few months ahead of "The Batman's" theatrical release as part of the film's amusing marketing campaign. When it first popped up online, the website simply displayed The Riddler's ">" symbol, but it has been regularly updated with different riddles and Easter eggs alluding to the events and characters found within the movie.
At the time of writing, the website will ask visitors if they'd like to play a game, and then prompt them to answer a series of riddles in exchange for a reward. If you manage to get the answers right, you'll get a "reward" in the form of one The Riddler's cyphers or a file download. I don't want to give away the answers, but I'm happy to list the three riddles I encountered when visiting the Rataalada.com:
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"I am first a fraud or a trick. Or perhaps a blend of the two. That's up to your misinterpretation."
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"What was new, is new again. Rebirth. Restoration. Reformation."
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"Fear he who hides behind one."
I managed to answer two of the three without having to turn to Reddit for the answers, and for my efforts, I received a password-locked zip file download as my reward. After that, I visited the site again. This time there was a single yes or no question:
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"Do you think Thomas Wayne is a great man?"
For those who may not remember, Thomas Wayne is Batman's dead dad. It's understandable if you didn't know — we've watched Batman's parents die so many times, but do we really hear their names that often? Depending on your answer to The Riddler's inquiry concerning Dead Daddy Wayne, you'll get either praise or advice from Riddler, but still receive the same "reward" for having answered.
Do you need to see the movie to solve the riddles?
You don't necessarily have to have seen the movie first to be able to solve the riddles — and you may end up googling them even if you immediately hopped online after seeing the very brief post-credits Easter egg — but it definitely wouldn't hurt to have a little more context and familiarity with the source material.
After you've successfully answered the riddles and given your opinion on the degree of Thomas Wayne's greatness, you'll be informed that there are no more riddles and instructed to "keep your eyes peeled" for The Riddler's return. This message is a callback to the conversation that takes place between The Riddler and the mysterious "friend" who comforts him by saying "Gotham loves a comeback story" after he has a whiny meltdown about Batman and the gang thwarting his plans and stealing his thunder.
Possible hints at a sequel
Both the events of "The Batman" and the "Rataalada" site all strongly suggest a sequel for the most beautifully brutal, horny, melodramatic feature film of everyone's favorite brooding bat cosplayer. In addition to the aforementioned "comeback story" line and the ominous "keep your eyes peeled for my return" message on The Riddler's website, there's also the fact that one of the rewards for answering the site's riddles features the word "HUSH." This could simply be a reference to the "Batman: Hush" comic book story arc that also features The Riddler.
It may also just be alluding to the plot point about Thomas Wayne's desire to keep the family secrets under wraps and the resulting tragedies that followed. Perhaps most intriguing is the theory that it is a reference to another "Batman" villain who could make an appearance in a possible sequel. This theory comes from the fact that in "Batman: Hush," The Riddler teams up with a fellow supervillain who goes by the name "Hush." That particular "Batman" story has already been given an animated adaptation, but there's no reason why elements of it couldn't appear in a sequel to "The Batman" — or one its planned spin-offs. Since the Rataalada website has been updated periodically leading up to the premiere of "The Batman," I definitely suggest keeping an eye on it for future updates.
"The Batman" is currently playing in theaters, and The Riddler's website is currently accepting new visitors.