Why So Serious? is an Alternate Reality Game that lasted from 2007 to 2008. Taking place in the universe of The Dark Knight Trilogy, the ARG was released to promote the then-upcoming The Dark Knight and bridges the gap between it and Batman Begins.
Taking place sometime after the events of Batman Begins, Gotham is thrust into chaos by both the lingering effects of the fear toxin and by a mob war after Carmine Falcone's absence leaves a void for a new kingpin. During the chaos, attorney Harvey Dent runs for District Attorney and sets up a joint effort with GCPD's Internal Affairs to help remove corruption from the department. And unbeknownst to anyone, a certain clown gradually builds up his power behind the scenes.
The ARG was highly immersive, consisting of various websites, news articles, police reports, and a web series spinning off from the In-Universe news program Gotham Tonight which featured numerous actors from the trilogy reprising their roles. A recap of the ARG can be found here
, as well as a wiki serving as a guide. Gotham Tonight can be found here.
Tropes applying to Why So Serious?
- Amoral Attorney: Roger Garcetti, the current District Attorney following Carl Finch's death. He's more than willing to wage a smear campaign against Harvey Dent and is later exposed as being in bed with Sal Maroni.
- Arc Words: "I believe in Harvey Dent", Dent's campaign slogan, recurs throughout the ARG.
- Ascended Extra: Al Rossi is a minor character in the film, but plays a major role here with his part in masterminding a smear campaign against Harvey Dent.
- Big Bad: Sal Maroni serves as the primary antagonist of the ARG and the one responsible for most of the conflict, with the Joker being more of a Greater-Scope Villain.
- Boxed Crook: Participants tried to hack into Acme Security's website and disable an alarm system for the Joker. Guess who was waiting for them?Lt. James Gordon: This is Jim Gordon, major crimes, Gotham Police Department. Not the voice you were expecting...huh? We have your name. We have your number. We have your computer's IP address. So what I'm saying is, we have you. Consider yourself the Gotham Police Department's newest recruit. You see, this works one of two ways, either you're going to jail for conspiracy in a criminal enterprise, or, you'll work for me. We'll be in touch. Oh, (Mocking tone) have a great day!
- Butt-Monkey: Frederick Alder, a carjacker who winds up being severely injured by Batman and later dies of asphyxiation, heavily implied to be at the hands of the Joker.
- Continuity Cameo:
- A letter to The Gotham Times written by Edward Nashton (the civilian identity of the Riddler) shows up at one point.
- Jim Corrigan and Peter Grogan (corrupt GCPD cops from the comics) are mentioned among those investigated for corruption.
- Corrupt Politician: Roger Garcetti, the current District Attorney, is in bed with the mob and masterminds a smear campaign against Harvey Dent. He's eventually exposed and forced to resign.
- Demoted to Extra:
- Batman himself. Justified, as it takes place from the general public's point of view; Batman is mysterious to pretty much everyone and Bruce Wayne is widely dismissed as an unimportant Upper-Class Twit.
- Gambol and the Chechen are prominent figures in The Dark Knight, but are Out of Focus with Sal Maroni getting most of the limelight.
- Early-Installment Weirdness: Very early in the ARG after one of the big events a police report is released, detailing the events of the day. In it Dent is referred to as a DA. He isn't elected as a DA until two-thirds of the way through the ARG.
- Evil Is Petty: The Joker, who among other things has his subordinates terrorize and rob Girl Scouts of their cookies and poisons various cakes just to screw with people.
- Explain, Explain... Oh, Crap!: The hostage who gives the first password to the Joker's followers reads out one last "joke".
- Fate Worse than Death: It's revealed that over-exposure to fear toxin has left Arnold Flass a vegetable, and he's been permanently remanded to a mental asylum.
- Greater-Scope Villain: The Joker. While he does cause plenty of havoc on his own, he spends most of the ARG gradually building his power base and setting up the plans he enacts in The Dark Knight.
