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Batman The Animated Newsletter #116

Batman The Animated Newsletter #116

Batman: The Animated Newsletter
Weeks of June 30 to July 14, 2002
Volume 4, 6
Rated: PG (as with all other things Batman-related)

THIS ISSUE’S SUBLIMINAL MESSAGE: “Happy belated Canada Day and Happy Independence Day (in advance) for all of our North American subscribers!”

(Sorry, I don’t know the national holidays of any other countries out there…unless St. John Baptiste Day counts.) 🙂
____________________________________________________________________
TEN YEARS AND COUNTING

On September 5 of this year, BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES will be celebrating its tenth anniversary of production. This ranges everywhere from the show itself to the comics based upon it to books, toys, video games, merchandising…everything started on this date.

As a way to celebrate, co-editor Dick Grayson has set up a page at his WORLD’S FINEST site where he has big things planned for this momentous occasion, including creator interviews, reviews, and a poll that will ultimately decide what the “best episode ever” is. (This was recently decided as being HEART OF ICE. Quel suprise.)

To check it out, go to this URL:
http://wf.toonzone.net/btas10.htm
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EAGERLY ANTICIPATING…
New episodes are on the horizon! Here’s what we can expect in the near future…

Yeah, there are still a chunk of JUSTICE LEAGUE episodes we’re waiting for see. No definite dates have been given, though.
___________________________________________________________________
NEWS AND RUMORS
(see back issues for older info)

ALL-ENCOMPASSING/OTHER
-Wanna check out some scripts that Michael Reaves wrote for the second season of BTAS, but were never aired? Go to this link:
http://www.mindspring.com/~michaelreaves/Midpreface.htm
-Brian Cruz of Toonzone has compiled an image library of Kids WB and Cartoon Network shows. Take a look:
Kids’ WB!:
http://www.toonzone.net/shows/images/kidswb/
Cartoon Network:
http://www.toonzone.net/shows/images/cartoon-network/

-The following artists are selling artwork on eBay. The following are their names and Seller ID’s:
Terry Beatty: beatty@machlink.com
Craig Rousseau: cerousseau
Tim Levins: tlevins
Min S. Ku: min3000gt

ANIMATED SERIES (BTAS, STAS, BEYOND, JLA)
-The JUSTICE LEAGUE episode INJUSTICE FOR ALL (featuring the “Injustice League”) will air on the US Cartoon Network before the fall of ’02.
-The following is a remaining episode-title listing for the first season of JLA:
#8, 9 Injustice For All
#20, 21 A Knight Of Shadows
#22, 23 Metamorphis
#24, 25, 26 The Savage Time

ANIMATED COMICS
-For a sneak peak at the upcoming five-issue GOTHAM GIRLS mini-series (in the
animated style), follow this link:
http://www.dccomics.com/bnw/Aug_02/girls/a.html
-BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES #52
Gotham’s wild and woolly Lower East Side has a new hero…and it’s not the Dark Knight. No, these days the kids are going wild – literally – for Bane! Just what is going on here? And what is Batman going to do about it?
Cover: http://www.toonzone.net/comics/solicitations/2002-07/batman/bga52.jpg
-BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES #53
In stores August 28. Gotham gets strangled by a super-plant whose roots run clear to the Batcave. It’s got Poison Ivy written all over it…but where is she? And has she uncovered the Dark Knight’s secret? Batman must track it – and her – deep into the Amazon jungle to find out.
Cover: http://www.toonzone.net/comics/solicitations/2002-08/batman/bga53.gif
-BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES #54
In stores September 25. As a crime spree unfolds, a writer tries to get into the minds of Batman and his quarry – and only gets in the way. Will the writer get the story he’s looking for, or will she become the story?
-JUSTICE LEAGUE ADVENTURES #9
“Stepping Out,” the troubling tale of a super-hero’s dilemma: balancing a love life with his duties to the JLA. When evil strikes, it’s never convenient – and the Flash somehow must help the Justice League save the world without raising the ire of his beautiful date. This romantic catastrophe is wrapped up in a cover by Justice League animator Butch Lukic.
Cover: http://www.toonzone.net/comics/solicitations/2002-07/dcuniverse/jladvs09.jpg
-JUSTICE LEAGUE ADVENTURES #10
Superman is taken down in battle and the Martian Manhunter must replace him as a hero to millions. But does the shy, reserved alien have what it takes to inspire all of humanity?
Cover: http://www.toonzone.net/comics/solicitations/2002-08/dcuniverse/jladvs10.jpg
-GOTHAM GIRLS #1 of 5 (miniseries)
Written by Paul Storrie; art by Jennifer Graves and J. Bone; cover by Shane Glines.
In stores August 14. The women of the hit WB Online webtoon burst into the animated DC Universe in an action-packed miniseries! Unable to resist a golden opportunity to fund her beloved lion preserve, Catwoman heists a vial of a mysterious formula for a shady company – only to discover she’s actually working for Poison Ivy and mallet-wielding sidekick Harley Quinn. That sets off an every-villain-for-herself chase across Gotham’s rooftops – and attracts the attention of both Batgirl and officer Renée Montoya, who reluctantly team up to join in the fray! For more information, see the feature article.
Cover: http://www.toonzone.net/comics/solicitations/2002-08/batman/gothamgirls1.jpg

-For more animated comic updates, go here:
http://www.toonzone.net/

OTHER COMICS
-The third and final chapter of THE DARK KNIGHT STRIKES AGAIN will come out on July 31, 2002.
-Beginning in August, DC Comics will raise the price of Batman: Gotham Adventures, Justice League Adventures, and all other “animated” or “Cartoon Network” titles from $1.99 to $2.25 per issue.
-DETECTIVE COMICS #773: A story featuring Sasha Bordeaux’s time in prison. Also featuring Cucilla (one of the many Jokerized LAST LAUGH villains).
Cover: http://www.toonzone.net/comics/solicitations/2002-08/batman/detective773.gif
-BATMAN #606, 607: Batman and Deadshot meet again.
-BATMAN: GOTHAM KNIGHTS #33: Batman and Bane actually team up to destroy the last of the Lazarus Pits.

BRUCE WAYNE: FUGITIVE titles
-Chapter 16: DETECTIVE COMICS #772; released July 3. Sasha’s been in jail for months, while Bruce Wayne has long since escaped. When a mysterious stranger arrives with a proposition – implicate Bruce and walk, or rot in prison ’till the day she dies – will Sasha finally give in?
Cover: http://www.toonzone.net/comics/solicitations/2002-07/batman/detective772.gif
-Chapter 17: GOTHAM KNIGHTS #31; released July 17. Batman tracks down a lead that brings about a startling discovery: Who was behind the Bruce Wayne smear campaign and how much absolute power his enemy actually wields.
Cover: Unavailable.
-Chapter 18: BATMAN #605; released July 24. The entire Bat-crew assembles at the cave for the revelation of Vesper Fairchild’s murderer. But identifying the murderer and capturing them are entirely different matters. A mind sharp enough to frame Bruce Wayne would have to be very, very difficult to snare…
Cover: http://www.toonzone.net/comics/solicitations/2002-07/batman/batman605.jpg

MOVIES
-ONSTAR is holding a contest where a winner gets to have a walk-on role in whatever the next Batman movie will be.

*BATMAN: YEAR ONE (BATMAN 5) NEWS:
-More confirmation on the 2004 release date of BATMAN: YEAR ONE. Darren Aronofsky’s next film, LAST MAN, is being filmed this summer, and YEAR ONE is likely his next project. This should start filming by mid-2003, aiming for a summer 2004 release date. Thanks to BATMAN-ON-FILM.com and the GOTHAM WEEKLY NEWS for this tidbit!
-Aronofsky is also saying that Ellen Burstyn, the star of another of his films (REQUIEM FOR A DREAM) will appear in his next film. This could be either YEAR ONE or another film he has on his slate, “LAST MAN”.

*BATMAN BEYOND: LIVE ACTION NEWS:
-It looks like an independent movie is being made. Check out this link and see for yourself:
http://www.batinthesun.com/

*THE FOURTH ANIMATED BATMAN MOVIE
-No new news here. It probably won’t be another BATMAN BEYOND movie, though.

*CATWOMAN
-Don’t count on this one any time soon.

*WORLD’S FINEST
-Variety has revealed that the much-rumoured BATMAN & SUPERMAN movie is the front runner for release in 2004. With the second installment of the SCOOBY-DOO franchise coming as well as HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN in 2004, it still leaves three slots open that year for some big budget spectacle movies.
Here is what Variety reported:
“Batman and/or Superman”: It’s been five years since the poorly received “BATMAN & ROBIN,” and the WB now seems ready to take its superhero responsibilities seriously.
Last year, the studio brought Darren Aronofsky on board to develop “Batman: Year One” with creator Frank Stack. But the superhero project that has the greatest likelihood of moving forward, Horn now says, is “Batman & Superman,” in which the Man of Steel and the Dark Knight join forces against evil. Wolfgang Petersen is attached to produce, develop and possibly direct.

LIVE ACTION TELEVISION
-Though it is remaining in the current timeslot on the WB, in Canada, SMALLVILLE will move from its Wednesday timeslot at 8pm to a Thursday timeslot at 7pm, also on GLOBAL.

EXCLUSIVE INTERNET ENDEAVOURS:
-Nothing notable to speak of…yet.

TOYS, BOOKS, AND OTHER MERCHANDISE
-Warner Bros.’ Senior Vice President of Advertising and Promotions, Joel Ehrlich revealed that the public “won’t see a Justice League toy line this year, but will sometime in 2003.” Sounds like a plan to me!
-We can look forward to the PUPPETS OF CRIME four-pack, featuring Undercover Bruce Wayne, Nightwing, a repainted Killer Croc, and a brand-new Ventriloquist/Scarface figure! Apparently, they’re due out in mid-August. For pics, go to the following link. Thanks to Bill Curtis for the link!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?MfcISAPICommand=ViewItem&item=1726242346
-JUSTICE LEAGUE is making its way onto GAMEBOY ADVANCE! The game is entitled “JUSTICE LEAGUE: INJUSTICE FOR ALL”, and features more than 14 unique levels, as players pick from one of seven Justice Leaguers (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkgirl and Martian Manhunter) and use the individual character’s special powers and skills to defeat the Injustice League’s evil plans. The Injustice Gang consists of characters such as Lex Luthor, The Joker, The Shade, and more. Justice League: Injustice For All is in development and scheduled to ship in fall 2002 for the Nintendo Game Boy Advance. The Justice League will also be featured in video games scheduled for release in 2003 on the PS2, Xbox, and Nintendo GameCube.

SPECIAL NOTE:
For more BATMAN, SUPERMAN, JUSTICE LEAGUE, BATMAN BEYOND, and related stories and news, check out the WORLD’S FINEST NEWSPAGE at:

http://news.toonzone.net
_____________________________________________________________________
CARTOON NETWORK SCHEDULE

In coming months, the CARTOON NETWORK will have the ability to show all of the WB’s superhero series. Until these dates, only BATMAN BEYOND and JLA will be on the air. Here are the times all will be shown:

JUSTICE LEAGUE SCHEDULE:
Fri 07-05-02 JLA In Blackest Night (Pt. 2)
Sat 07-06-02 JLA In Blackest Night (Pt. 2)
Sat 07-06-02 JLA The Brave and the Bold (Pt. 1)
Sun 07-07-02 JLA The Enemy Below (Pt. 1)
* * * * * *
Fri 07-12-02 JLA The Enemy Below (Pt. 1)
Sat 07-13-02 JLA The Enemy Below (Pt. 1)
Sat 07-13-02 JLA The Brave and the Bold (Pt. 2)
Sun 07-14-02 JLA The Enemy Below (Pt. 2)
* * * * * *
Fri 07-19-02 JLA The Enemy Below (Pt. 2)
Sat 07-20-02 JLA The Enemy Below (Pt. 2)
Sat 07-20-02 JLA Fury (Pt. 1)
Sun 07-21-02 JLA Paradise Lost (Pt. 1)

BATMAN BEYOND SCHEDULE:
Mon 07-01-02 BEYOND #23 Mind Games
Tue 07-02-02 BEYOND #24 Revenant
Wed 07-03-02 BEYOND NO EPISODE TODAY
Thu 07-04-02 BEYOND #25 Babel
Fri 07-05-02 BEYOND #26 Terry’s Friend Dates a Robot
Sat 07-06-02 BEYOND #16 Splicers
* * * * * *
Mon 07-08-01 BEYOND #27 Eyewitness
Tue 07-09-02 BEYOND #28 Zeta
Wed 07-10-02 BEYOND #29 Last Resort
Thu 07-11-02 BEYOND #30 Final Cut
Fri 07-12-02 BEYOND #31 Armory
Sat 07-13-02 BEYOND #17 Lost Soul
* * * * * *
Mon 07-15-02 BEYOND #32 Sneak Peek
Tue 07-16-02 BEYOND #33 Plague
Wed 07-17-02 BEYOND #34 The Eggbaby
Thu 07-18-02 BEYOND #35 April Moon
Fri 07-19-02 BEYOND #36 Payback
Sat 07-20-02 BEYOND #18 Bloodsport

BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES
Sat 07-13-02 BTAS #27 Mad as a Hatter
* * * * * *
Sat 07-20-02 BTAS #28 Dreams in Darkness
* * * * * *

SUPERMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES
Sat 07-13-02 STAS #22 Speed Demons
Sat 07-06-02 STAS #23 Double Dose

FOR UP-TO-DATE SCHEDULES:
http://www.toonzone.net/shows/cnschedules/
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CANADIAN EPISODE SCHEDULE
(BATMAN on YTV – courtesy of our friends at YTV)

YTV has just re-added BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES to its timeslot! Set your VCRs though, kiddies, because these episodes come on at 3:30am! Ack!

YTV also has the rights to all of the BATMAN BEYOND episodes, which will air every Saturday mornings at 10:00am, and then Saturday nights (or, technically, Sunday mornings) at 12:30am.

http://www.toonzone.net/worldsfinest/worldsfinestpage/epsched.htm
http://www.ytv.com/ytvguide
news.toonzone.net

BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES
THIS WEEK:
Mon 07-01-02: BTAS #108 Beware the Creeper
Tue 07-02-02: BTAS #109 Judgement Day
Wed 07-03-02: BTAS #01 On Leather Wings
Thu 07-04-02: BTAS #14 Heart of Ice
Fri 07-05-02: BTAS #20 Feat of Clay (Pt. 1)

NEXT WEEK:
Mon 07-08-02: BTAS #21 Feat of Clay (Pt. 2)
Tue 07-09-02: BTAS #11 It’s Never Too Late
Wed 07-10-02: BTAS #22 Joker’s Favor
Thu 07-11-02: BTAS #13 The Cat and the Claw (Pt. 1)
Fri 07-12-02: BTAS #16 The Cat and the Claw (Pt. 2)

THE FOLLOWING WEEK:
Mon 07-15-02: BTAS #05 Pretty Poison
Tue 07-16-02: BTAS #03 Nothing to Fear
Wed 07-17-02: BTAS #09 Be a Clown
Thu 07-18-02: BTAS #26 Appointment in Crime Alley
Fri 07-19-02: BTAS #07 P.O.V.

BATMAN BEYOND:
THIS WEEK:
Sat 07-06-02: 10:00am #03 Black Out
Sun 07-07-02: 12:30am #21 Hooked Up

Sat 07-13-02: 10:00am #04 Golem
Sun 07-14-02: 12:30am #22 Rats
_____________________________________________________________________
EPISODE REVIEW: (SPOILER ALERT!)
(by “Belle Book”)

BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES
“Heart of Ice”
Written by: Paul Dini
Directed by: Bruce Timm
Airdate: September 7, 1992
Rating (out of 5 stars): *****

A mysterious man, wearing a cold suit and glass face covering and calling himself Mr. Freeze, attacks a Gothcorp facility, where he runs into Batman. Afterwards, Bruce Wayne pays a visit to Ferris Boyle, self-proclaimed humanitarian and president of Gothcorp, where he discovers that there is an employee who wants to destroy Gothcorp: Victor Fries, whom Boyle said was wasting company money for some purpose that Boyle refused to clarify. Bruce also realized that Boyle wasn’t the humanitarian that he claimed to be. Batman’s investigations reveal that Victor’s wife, Nora, was terminally ill, and Victor wanted to save her by freezing her until a cure could be found – and going on despite Boyle’s pulling funding on the project. When Boyle came to stop the project despite Nora’s already being put in the cryo tube, a standoff occurred which caused an explosion – and turned Fries to Mr. Freeze. Now Mr. Freeze wants revenge on Boyle – and Batman must stop him!

This is one of the most heartbreaking episodes of BTAS, in large part due to the tragic nature of Mr. Freeze. He is a character we can all sympathize with, even though we realize he must be stopped from killing Mr. Boyle. Who can really hate him? I sure can’t. Even more interesting is the fact that this episode influenced the writers at DC Comics to use the origin of Mr. Freeze from the animated series for the comic book version. Kudos are in order for Dini and Timm for their portrayal of this character.

As for the other characters, Alfred is his usual self, helping Batman out – and providing him with the chicken soup canister which enables Batman to defeat Mr. Freeze. Ferris Boyle is much more of a villain in some ways than Mr. Freeze himself is. After all, Boyle was heartless enough to pull the plug on funding to enable Victor Fries to put Nora in a cryogenic tube until a cure could be found for the disease which was killing her. And then he had the gall to tell Fries to bring Nora out of the tube when she was already in there! The perfect soulless executive, always thinking of the bottom line above anything else. I hate him – although I wouldn’t have wanted Mr. Freeze to kill him.

Batman was great in this episode! As Bruce Wayne, he was able to get the necessary info which enabled him to investigate Fries further until he discovered the truth. As Batman, he was able to express sympathy for Mr. Freeze, yet stop him when Mr. Freeze was about to kill Mr. Boyle. Two things I noticed that made him human was the fact that he saved the criminal whose legs were frozen, and the fact that he was battling a cold! Both things kept him from being superhuman, and I liked that.

As for Mr. Freeze, thanks to this episode, he became my second favorite Batman villain, behind only Catwoman. Who could blame him for wanting to save his wife by any means necessary? And who could really blame him for wanting to avenge the loss of his wife on the man who heartlessly pulled the plug? I couldn’t. The only problem was that Mr. Freeze went too far, and that’s what caused him to become a villain. After all, trying to kill the man who made you what you are is wrong, and if you try to do that, then you deserve to be stopped. That said, I still felt pity for him.

Again, kudos are in order for Dini and Timm, as well as for Michael Ansara (the voice of Victor Fries/Mr. Freeze) and Kevin Conroy (the best voice for Bruce Wayne/Batman ever). Great job, guys!

-Belle Book
____________________________________________________________________

COMIC REVIEWS
(BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES by Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton)

WANTED: A reviewer for JUSTICE LEAGUE ADVENTURES comics. Send me an e-mail at juno@dccnet.com if you’re a JUSTICE LEAGUE fan and you’d like to take a stab at it!

BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES
ISSUE: “Early Thaw” (#51)
WRITTEN BY: Jason Hall
PENCILS: Brad Rader
INKS: Terry Austin
ISSUED: June 26, 2002 (Cover date: Aug 02)
RATING: *****

I don’t know who this Jason Hall guy is or where he came from, but don’t let him get away! After a string of not-so-special issues by Scott Peterson, this new blood has instilled new life into GOTHAM ADVENTURES. Not to knock Peterson’s work or anything, because I have enjoyed a number of his stories (such as the terrific Catwoman story in ), but this is exactly what this title needed. Why?

1. Good writing. No, Peterson’s writing wasn’t poor, and we know he is capable of good stuff. Then again, I was happy to see that we didn’t discover that the real “villain” pulling the strings in this issue was a crazy unappreciated chef or a laid-pack artiste. The writing was serious and dealt with an interesting topic. Low-key “stories about nothing” with silly twists at the ending are fine, but we had been getting far too many in this title recently.

2. A different style. Look at how the mainstream titles were rejuvanated following NO MAN’S LAND when the new creative teams were brought in. In , we were without the Peterson trademark – the three opening pages of splash art, and little dialogue. Hall’s pacing worked perfectly for this story – it went very quickly, but there was still a lot of dialogue to get through. A change of pace never hurt any body.

3. Characters were developed. The focus of the story was obviously the relationship between Victor and Nora Fries, and it came off without a hitch. Freeze’s characterization was spot on; it was only a matter of time before he tried to get back to Nora. It was also great to see how Nora’s character was portrayed when NOT restricted to suspended animation…even if it was just on the final page.

The hinting at the future relationship of Bruce and Barbara was a nice touch, too. We all know that, if BATMAN BEYOND is considered “real”, these two do hit it off; never have we seen any hinting at such a thing happening. Not until now. Not only that, but I thought that Batgirl’s inclusion in this story worked. Usually I find that she is placed into any story as a “sidekick by default”, and that her character isn’t terribly strong; she worked on every level for me this time, mushy pre-romance with Bruce or not.

Oh yeah, as for seeing the Clayface/Roland Daggett thing revisited…nice touch. It’s great to see that Mr. Hall knows his continuity this well.

4. The art. Not that the art was fabulously better in this issue, or that it was poor to begin with (because it wasn’t), but I thought the shading was fabulous – particularly during the Freeze/Nora fight, and when we first meet Batman and Batgirl atop the skyscraper in the opening pages.

I, for one, hopes Mr. Hall steps in for more “filler” issues in the future!

;-Y
______________________________________________________________
COMIC SCHEDULES & COVERING THE BASICS

This section gives a little bit more in-depth look into each monthly issue of BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES and BATMAN BEYOND. Below each comic listing is a link to the cover of that comic. TALK ABOUT SERVICE! The price for any of these issues, unless otherwise posted, is $1.99 in the US and…grrrrr…a whopping $3.25 (or higher) in Canada. (Both our editors and many subscribers are Canadian, hence the well-deserved “grrr”.)

If we are unsure of the exact date of when an issue is being released, just check out “DIRECT CURRENTS” for details:
http://www.dccomics.com/directcurrents/

-BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES #52
Gotham’s wild and woolly Lower East Side has a new hero…and it’s not the Dark Knight. No, these days the kids are going wild – literally – for Bane! Just what is going on here? And what is Batman going to do about it?
Cover: http://www.toonzone.net/comics/solicitations/2002-07/batman/bga52.jpg

FOLLOWING MONTH:
In stores August 28. Gotham gets strangled by a super-plant whose roots run clear to the Batcave. It’s got Poison Ivy written all over it…but where is she? And has she uncovered the Dark Knight’s secret? Batman must track it – and her – deep into the Amazon jungle to find out.
Cover: http://www.toonzone.net/comics/solicitations/2002-08/batman/bga53.gif

-JUSTICE LEAGUE ADVENTURES #9
“Stepping Out,” the troubling tale of a super-hero’s dilemma: balancing a love life with his duties to the JLA. When evil strikes, it’s never convenient – and the Flash somehow must help the Justice League save the world without raising the ire of his beautiful date.
Cover: http://www.toonzone.net/comics/solicitations/2002-07/dcuniverse/jladvs09.jpg

FOLLOWING MONTH:
Superman is taken down in battle and the Martian Manhunter must replace him as a hero to millions. But does the shy, reserved alien have what it takes to inspire all of humanity?
Cover: http://www.toonzone.net/comics/solicitations/2002-08/dcuniverse/jladvs10.jpg

___________________________________________________________________
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Due to demand by some of our subscribers, we’ve decided to give a “Letters to the Editor” section a shot. Feel free to submit something you’d like to say to us, and each issue we’ll choose one to post and then reply to. (NOTE: It can be completely uncensored, positive OR negative, though any coarse language will be bleeped out. We want this to be a no-holds-barred column!)

* * * * * *

Tim,
I have been following your newsletter since, well, forever, it seems. I know I don’t write much, but I was wondering what you thought of the WB’s new fall show. <hack, cough> “Birds of Prey”. I dunno what to think, except I’m really unhappy at how they’re painting Batman. I mean, Bruce Wayne giving up? Leaving Gotham?? riiiiiight…. And Batman & Catwoman’s secret love child?? becoming a superhero?

OK, I’ll admit it, the premise sucks IMO, but do you think theres any hope at all for the series? Probably not, huh? If you haven’t heard about it, check out the wb home page and search for fall line up. I will give them this…they’re going for the “hot momma” bit with the stars they picked. But “Charmed” has already been done…

Ahem. Sorry about that…venting over. Thanks for keeping the true spirit of Batman alive…

* * * * * *

TWO-FACE’S SIDE OF THE COIN

What can I say about BIRDS OF PREY? Not a heck of a lot, I’m afraid. I don’t follow the comic series very closely. But hey, anything with Barbara Gordon in it is a good thing. Really. I know many people despise her shtick as Batgirl, both animated and otherwise, but after her mental transformation into Oracle, her character got deeper. I have no problem with this aspect of the series – and that’s about the only thing I can say.

Black Canary? I don’t know too much about her, so I can’t really pass judgement on her.

My problems begin with the Huntress. I think she is a great character, especially since the folks at DC have given her depth in recent years: her one-night-stand with Nightwing, her trial-by-fire to get Batman’s respect during NO MAN’S LAND, Greg Rucka’s miniseries, and so forth. A daughter of the mob that fights crime with lethal methods is a good foil to everyone else on the Bat-team. However, with this series, I’ve heard that this Huntress character will not be born into the mob but, rather, a love-child of Batman and Catwoman.

Say what?

Apparently this is what the first version of Huntress (the pre-crisis version) is all about. That’s fine. Leave it in the past. The current version in the comics is much better, though – why they’d leave this behind for the sake of comics cheese is beyond me.

Oh yeah…how does Harley Quinn fit into this? Apparently she’s a recurring character, too. Interesting. I can’t figure it out. Maybe it’s during her brief stint as a criminal psycholist, maybe not.

The other thing I don’t like is how Batman has “given up” on Gotham, thereby being the writers’ excuse for not getting him involved in the show. I know of many people that think this notion is ludicrous; I would tend to agree. However, if this “retirement” of Batman is handled in a way similar to how Frank Miller dealt with it in THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS (before Batman came out of retirement to take on some resurfacing faces from Arkham), then it CAN work. The thing is, why would they want to get rid of Batman?

Then again, my main question to the WB is, why not go all the way do a Batman show? Perhaps they want to keep him as strictly an animated or movie-only property. Perhaps. BIRDS OF PREY originates in the Batman universe on countless levels – you can’t just delve into it and ignore all the history this characters have. It’s not like SMALLVILLE where everything is starting from square one. I think this show will have a much tougher time pleasing the fans.

But that’s just me. A lot of people thought SMALLVILLE was going to bomb, but it turned out to be one of the most successful shows of this past season. BIRDS OF PREY could be another surprise hit.

Then again, there were also some people that actually thought that Arnie’s performance in BATMAN & ROBIN could be Oscar worthy because it was so dramatic.

You really can’t tell with these things until they come out. I’m keeping an open mind, myself – though I still wish they stuck closer to the comics to get some good roots for these characters.

;-Y
___________________________________________________________________
BATMAN: THE ANIMATED TRIVIA
(by Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton)

This is one of my favourite sections, where I get to boggle the minds of all our readers! (Mwuhahaha!) This trivia is all animated-related in some form, and can deal with ANY aspect of the show or comics based on the show. Remember, answer the questions WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THE ANIMATED CONTINUITY. Now have fun – let’s see how well you do! Answers are provided below.

POTPURRI

Yep, I’m blanking on any good ideas for a good trivia theme in this issue (once again), so I’m giving you all random questions! Enjoy!

756. What colour does the Mad Hatter bleed in MAD AS A HATTER?

757. Rumour has it that at some point during the animated Batman series/movies, there was a sequence where the gothic choir that was supposedly singing in Latin in the background was singing the names of the creative teams backwards. Where can this be heard?

758. When was the first time we saw Nora Fries not encased within her cryogenic tube?

759. The name “Leslie” is mentioned in one episode in which Leslie Thompkins DOESN’T appear. What episode is this, and where?

760. The actress that played Supergirl in the SUPERGIRL movie provided the voice for what character on BTAS?
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AND THESE ARE OUR FINAL ANSWERS (to the trivia)

Answer to #756: Pink, believe it or not.
Answer to #757: The opening credits to MASK OF THE PHANTASM
Answer to #758: Fooled you! It was in HEART OF ICE, when Batman looks threw
Victor’s files and finds his wedding photos.
Answer to #759: RIDDLER’S REFORM…one of the riddles led to 10 Leslie Avenue.
Answer to #760: Talia
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LITTLE FACTS AND BLOOPERS
(by Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton)

Here is a section that just points out various little facts and bloopers that we have noticed while watching BTAS, STAS and BEYOND countless times. If you have anything to contribute, feel free to do so! Enjoy!

CONTRIBUTED BY STAFF:
Wow, I think we’ve covered everything.

CONTRIBUTED BY OTHERS:
But have you?
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FIGURE THIS OUT!
(by Marc Rosenzweig)

-Marc
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FEATURED BATMAN INTERNET ENDEAVOURS FOR THIS ISSUE
(feel free to submit something for our consideration)

This space for rent.
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TWO-FACE’S TRADING POST

For the next few issues, we here at BATMAN: THE ANIMATED NEWSLETTER will be providing this space for all you subscribers for trading, buying, selling, and whatnot, just in time for Christmas (and beyond). So, without further adieu, here is what we have in store:

WANTED:
1) LOOKING FOR BTAS EPISODES:
Over the Edge, Love is a Croc, The Ultimate Thrill, Cult of the Cat, Old Wounds, Knight Time, Girls Night Out, Judgement Day, Beware the Creeper, Mad Love
Contact cagq64@hotmail.com if you can or would like to help.

2) LOOKING FOR BTAS EPISODES:
I live in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. I am looking for anyone who can help me out with obtaining episodes of any Batman/Superman cartoon – live action shows. By obtaining I mean dubs. If you think you can help me out please e-mail me at
imasuperfan@hotmail.com

3) LOOKING FOR EPISODES:
JLA episodes, particularly the upcoming INJUSTICE FOR ALL two-parter. E-mail this address if you can or would like to help: cointoss@hotmail.com

4) LOOKING FOR EPISODES:
All TNBA episodes and all Justice League episodes (Non-wide screen format only)
Contact dennisc@dcsi.net.au if you can or would like to help.

FOR SALE:
1) I am looking to sell some VHS which have some BTAS/TNBA episodes on them. These VHS tapes were originally available from Columbia House. They each come in a hard case which has information printed on it about the episodes contained.
All VHS tapes and hard case containers are in excellent condition. E-mail etiquette45@hotmail.com if interested. Tapes available are listed below.

*Tape “Title” (by Columbia House): episodes contained
COPS AND ROBBERS: P.O.V., Vendetta, Riddler’s Reform, A Bullet for Bullock
FRIENDS AND FOES: Beware the Grey Ghost, The Mechanic, The Man who Killed Batman, Sideshow

NOTE: Batman: The Animated Newsletter has takes no responsibility in business transactions. We’re working on the honour system here, people, so PLAY NICE! ;-Y
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ANIMATED BATMAN/SUPERMAN SITES:

Wow, our links section has grown so big that we’ve had to eliminate it from the newsletter! Fear not, you can still find all these links at the WORLD’S FINEST NEWSPAGE, if you follow this link…that’s hypocracy for ya!

http://www.toonzone.net/worldsfinest/worldsfinestpage/linkpage.htm

NEWSGROUPS
—–
news:alt.comics.batman
news:alt.animation.batman
news:alt.comics.superman
news:rec.arts.sf.superman
news:alt.tv.cartoon-network
news:rec.arts.animation
news:alt.animation.warner-bros
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QUESTIONS, SUBMISSIONS, AND FAN-MAIL

If you have any questions, problems, links do not work, or anything else, then please e-mail this address with your problems and we’ll try to fix them as soon as possible. Also if you’d like to send any fan-mail then please send it to this address:

juno@dccnet.com

As for submissions, feel free to submit an article or opinion on anything pertaining to BTAS.
Keep in mind that as the editors, we have the right to edit your submissions if we deem it necessary. Such instances would include problems with length, grammar, and language. If we do feel we must edit something, however, we will do our utmost to ensure that the opinion and the basic message of the submission does not change, as that is the most important part of any article, and everyone is entitled to it. And if you do submit something, please don’t just submit a basic review of an episode or a comic or something (because we have people writing for those purposes already) – write about an issue you’d like to discuss.
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BATMAN: THE ANIMATED ARCHIVES

The very kind people at TOONZONE were nice enough to give us our own little section of their huge and diverse website. The archive contains past newsletters and is semi-regularly updated with the latest one. To check it out go here:

TOONZONE’s BATMAN: THE ANIMATED NEWSLETTER ARCHIVES
http://www.toonzone.net/news/btan
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LIKE WHAT YA SEE? WANNA SUBSCRIBE? HERE’S HOW!!!

For those of you who are seeing this at the WBC HOMEPAGE BTAN ARCHIVES section and want to subscribe, just follow these simple instructions:

To subscribe email juno@dccnet.com, put SUBSCRIBE in the subject line, and put the e-mail address you’d like the newsletter to be sent to in the body of the message.

We have also set up another back-up e-mail subscription address, here:
batmannewsletter@yahoo.com

For more information about the newsletter just email either of the previous e-mail addresses – preferably the prior.

Thank you for your time, and thanks for reading! Tell your friends!

-Tim TWO-FACE Leighton and Dick Grayson, editors
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TO ALL GOOD THINGS…
…there must be an end. We would like to thank the endless amount of contributors for contributing their editorials, columns, news, reviews and other articles. We hope you’ve all enjoyed it as much as we’ve enjoyed making it! Thank you for reading! See ya next time!

CREDITS FOR BATMAN: THE ANIMATED NEWSLETTER

EDITOR AT COLLEGE, & WORKING, TOO!: Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton
CO-EDITOR AT COLLEGE, ALSO WORKIN’: “Dick Grayson”
AIR DATE SCHEDULES: Toonzone, Cartoon Network, and YTV
EPISODE REVIEWS: “Belle Book”
EDITORIAL: Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton, and anyone that writes in
COMIC REVIEWS: Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton, Dick Grayson
‘RETURN OF THE JOKER’ GIVEAWAY: Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton
FIGURE THIS OUT: Marc Rosenzweig
“BTAN ARCHIVES” MODERATOR: Eileen Delgadillo
TRIVIA: Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton
PROMOTIONS, JUST GETTIN’ THE WORD OUT: Dick Grayson, Eileen Delgadillo, Brian Cruz, Brian Davis
THOSE WHO FILL IN FOR OTHERS WHEN THEY FOUL UP:-Y Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton
DELIVERY: Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton
E-MAIL RECEPTION HANDLING: Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton
THE CREATION OF THIS NEWSLETTER INSPIRED BY: Alan J. Porter
BATMAN CREATED BY: Bob Kane & Bill Finger (who else?)

Batman and all related indicia are trademarks of DC Comics, Copyright c 2002.
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Batman The Animated Newsletter #116

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