Holy bowling balls, Batman!

Holladay resident Sean Leslie and his friends were among 28 people around the world to score some loot in an online treasure hunt centered on the new movie "The Dark Knight." And there is apparently promise of more as they anticipate further instructions in the ongoing contest.

Right now Leslie has a Joker-colored bowling ball (that would be green and purple) imprinted with the code word "Sassypants," a joker playing card, a cell phone and a telephone number.

"It's like a Golden Ticket," said Leslie, a graphic designer. "We were just ecstatic."

Leslie, 31, a self-described comic book geek who has seen all the Batman movies, knew from following superhero gossip Web sites that some sort of contest was in the works before "The Dark Knight" premieres in July.

Sitting at his computer Tuesday awaiting cyber clues at a site called Clown Travel Agency, Leslie directed his uncaped but crusading buddies to Ritz Classic Lanes, 2280 S. State, where they found the items in a locker.

Where it all leads, Leslie doesn't know. And though the treasure hunt took place on April Fools' Day, it isn't clear if it's the work of a wily Warner Bros. promotions team or a crafty Internet joker. Maybe it's The Joker. Whatever the source, Leslie and his friends are having a ball and hoping for a bigger reward at the end of the line.

Bowling balls were stashed in bowling alleys in 23 U.S. cities in addition to sites in London, Paris, Hong Kong and Sao Paulo as part of the viral marketing campaign.

"It's just cool that Salt Lake was picked among those 28 places," said Leslie, a graphic designer. "There wasn't that many balls to begin with. Being one of the 28 was just awesome."

And so the Batman tale begins. Or does it return? Maybe it goes on forever.

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E-mail: romboy@desnews.com