After quieting down for awhile, The Dark Knight viral campaign is back in full force this week with a new edition of The Gotham Times online, as well as several different websites tied to information written in the many new Times articles. Most of the new stuff is focused on Harvey Dent, with articles detailing his run for Gotham's District Attorney. There's also some stuff about a recent inmate escape at Arkham Asylum, more weird deaths around the city and various stuff about Batman.

Launched along with The Gotham Times is a very funny website called Maiden Avenue Report, which riffs on The Drudge Report. (I got a good chuckle out of that one.) Additionally, there's Gotham Cable News, DanaWorthington.com (apparently, she's also running for Gotham DA), Citizens for Batman, GVA Foundation and Saint Swithuns Church*. Oh wait, we're not done. On top of all this, the Joker is back at it again texting random people, asking if they're ready to get to work. He says to look for a message before April 1 (which also happens to be April Fools Day). Hmm, I wonder what he'll do ...

Have fun figuring out all the new clues, and definitely let us know if you find anything cool in the comments section below. The Dark Knight hits theaters on July 18.

*Corrected spelling.

[via SHH]

The folks over at Empire Online are slowly revealing what appears to be a brand new image of Heath Ledger as The Joker in this summer's The Dark Knight. The link on the main site reads: "He is coming ... 3 days to go," which, we imagine, means the full pic will be revealed three days from now. (Click on the image to the right to see the full pic currently on the site.) Whether this is just a photo or the cover of their January '08 issue, we do not know, but it looks like we'll get a nice, crystal clear full-body look at Ledger's Joker by the end of the week.

Warner Bros. has been going all-out when it comes to marketing one of this summer's hottest flicks; not only have they been teasing us with images and tiny trailers, but they're apparently bringing the entire city of Gotham to the web. A few days ago, a number of sites were launched -- including a full, four-page mock-up of The Gotham Times (which included real articles), as well as a Joker-fied copy of the same paper. Additionally, other web addresses contained within the articles went live, all of which look to be setting up the film (ie: the current state of Gotham City) in some way, shape or form. You can even send email tips to the Gotham Police, as well as to The Gotham Times itself, and get replies. It's a lot of fun, and definitely one of the better marketing campaigns I've ever seen. The Dark Knight hits theaters on July 18.

As if you weren't confused already by the number of sites promoting this summer's The Dark Knight in some way, shape or form, a bunch more have been added to the list -- bringing the total number of Dark Knight viral sites up to 7,968. Actually, there's only about 10; but if you dig this kind of marketing, I'm sure you'd gladly welcome several more. The Gotham Times website launched yesterday with a four-page spread full of articles about the goings-on around Gotham City. Located on the left side of the first page is a tear which can be pulled back to reveal the link to The Ha Ha Ha Times -- a version of The Gotham Times that's been tainted by the joker.

Additionally, the articles within The Gotham Times itself contain other websites: We Are The Answer sends people to a site that deals with reporting crooked cops; Gotham National Bank takes you to the landing page for the Gotham National Bank; Gotham Police is a site where you can apply to become a cop in Gotham; Gotham City Rail takes you to a page for the city's mass transit system; and Remembering Gina is a memorial site for a woman who was slain due to gang violence. Finally, and this was fun to play, there's the Joker's Personality Profile; a 14-question quiz that tests how jokingly insane you are. I made it up to laugh riot, but there were still four more levels above that. I'm sure each of these sites will tie into the movie somehow; we already know the bank plays a crucial part, but who is this Gina chick? Either way, I find it fun to immerse yourself if this fictional world prior to seeing the film. Kudos to Warner Bros. for having a blast with this.

[via First Showing and SHH]

A brand new featurette focusing on the scenes director Christopher Nolan shot in IMAX for his upcoming Batman follow-up The Dark Knight has arrived online over at the IMAX site. The short video features interviews with several crew members as they describe what it's like to shoot in IMAX, as well as what it will look like up on that gigantic scene. We don't see much of the actual film (mostly interviews and money shots of the IMAX camera), though we do catch a glimpse of Batman jumping from a building along with a quick snippet of the Batmobile racing up a street. Apparently four scenes were shot using IMAX cameras, and though they're rumored to also be in 3D, that's never been confirmed. Additionally, a seven-minute slice of The Dark Knight is rumored to be playing in front of I Am Legend IMAX screenings.

In other Dark Knight news, the contest that asked folks to submit photos of themselves dressed as Jokers has ended, and the winners received print editions of The Gotham Times. The flick's Unofficial Movie Blog has pics of the paper, sent in to them by the winners (you can see one of the images above), and a website for The Gotham Times -- www.thegothamtimes.com -- claims the first online edition will go live at some point today. Among a number of fictional articles (which are pretty cool, and look to serve as a prequel to the actual film; setting up the goings-on around Gotham City), a few different websites also appear. The first, as we mentioned above, points toward The Gotham Times homepage, and another -- www.wearetheanswer.com -- hasn't gone live yet. Oh, and there's an email address (humanresources@whysoserious.com) which sends back the following cryptic message:

See you found my little message. So, do you think you have what it takes to be a part of my circle of friends? Are you a backstabbing, self-promoting, ambitious clown who will do anything to prove yourself to me? If so, the first step of your application process awaits...if you know where to look.

Have fun playing along, and definitely let us know what you find. The Dark Knight arrives in theaters on July 18.