Batman: The Animated Newsletter
Week of July 5 – July 17/18, 1999
Volume 2,
Rated: PG for some “low-key coarse language and occasional griping”
THIS ISSUE’S SUBLIMINAL MESSAGE: “BATMAN: THE ANIMATED NEWSLETTER. OVER 1000 SUBSCRIBERS CAN’T BE WRONG.”
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SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
Wow…as of one week from today it’ll be the one year anniversary of “Batman: The Animated Newsletter”! A year has gone by already? That sure went quickly, didn’t it? I remember last July when we started, our first issue had 50 to MAYBE 100 subscribers at the most. Now, a year – or thirty-two issues later – we have 1055! Thank you to all our contributors, subscribers, and those who promoted our newsletter around the world by any means. This means a great deal to us, for without our subscribers, we wouldn’t have a reason to MAKE a newsletter, now, would we?
Well, one year is now behind us – who knows what we’ll have in store over the next twelve months. Take care – and thank you for your continuing support!
PS – Happy Canada Day (July 1st) and Independence Day (July 4th) to all our subscribers! (NOTE: Our segregated editor doesn’t know of any other national holidays that happen in July, or any other time of the year, so don’t get medieval on his hiney if he has overlooked your country’s national holiday…K? We wish you a happy holiday as well! 🙂
OK, I’m rambling now…so, without further adieu, THE NEWSLETTER!
-Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton, editor.
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INTRODUCTION
Welcome to another issue of “Batman: The Animated Newsletter”. Enjoy!
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NEW EPISODE(S)
This section will just basically give an insight into what the new episodes are about and hopefully a synopsis of the episode. This section will feature both new Superman and new Batman episodes.
THE LOSS OF THE WB ON WGN: Beginning this fall, the WB will no longer be carried on WGN-TV’s national feed to avoid conflicts with other WB affiliates. WGN-TV will continue carrying the prime time WB in the Chicago area. If you’re outside the Chicago area and know of no other way to pick up the WB, you may call them at (818)977-5000 for more information. This is taken from the info section of the WGN website, http://www.wgn.com . Thank you for Peter Destructo for pointing this out.
KidsWB will soon be shown on a new channel called “WeB” – I know little about this – but if you can get that channel, I’m pretty sure the WB shows would be on.
‘ONCE BURNED’
Batman Beyond #14?
Air Date: 1999-2000 season
Ten returns to rekindle her love for Terry, and the Royal Flush Gang returns to once again kill Batman – but then again, is there more than meets the eye this time?
‘THE DEMON REBORN’
Superman #44?
Air date: Fall of 1999
BATMAN’S FINAL CURRENT-DAY ANIMATED APPEARANCE! This episode features Batman and Superman teaming up to take down Ra’s Al Ghul, who has plans to send the world back to its natural, pre-human state. WOOHOO! THE BAT IS BACK! Airs in May or September.
‘LEGACY (Pt. 1 & 2)’
Superman #48, 49?
Air date: Fall of 1999
This two-parter features the final showdown between Superman and Darksied in which he strips Superman of his memory and adopts him as a son in an effort to take over Earth. Now it seems this won’t air until September! Argh!
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WB ANIMATION SCHEDULES:
(courtesy of Brian Cruz and/or the official BTAS/STAS site)
This section of the newsletter highlights the schedule and times that WB airs The New Batman/Superman Adventures. For most affiliates it airs Monday – Friday at 4pm (ET) and Saturdays beginning at 8am (ET). WGN airs Batman/Superman Monday – Friday at 10am (ET) and Sundays beginning at 8am (ET). There’s a chance that your local WB channel airs it at a differant time. To find out when, we recommend you follow this URL (provided by Toonzone): http://www.toonzone.net/brian/stations/index.html
PS – Remember that “Batman Beyond” airs 30 minutes AFTER “Batman/Superman” is over, because “Men In Black” has been squeezed in between.
THIS WEEK:
Mon 7-05-99: Batman #74 Catwalk
Superman #15 Ghost in the Machine
Tue 7-06-99: Superman #16 Action Figures
Batman #85 Batgirl Returns
Wed 7-07-99: Batman #67 A Bullet for Bullock
Superman #30 Bizarro’s World
Thu 7-08-99: Superman #07 Feeding Time
Batman #93 Growing Pains
Fri 7-09-99: Superman #37 Little Girl Lost (Pt. 1)
Superman #38 Little Girl Lost (Pt. 2)
Sat 7-10-99: Superman #52 Little Big Head Man
Batman #108 Beware the Creeper
B-BEYOND #03 Black Out
NEXT WEEK:
Episode schedules for the week of July 12 to July 18 were unavailable at the delivery date of this newsletter. For current schedules, go to Brian Cruz’ site, via the link provided above.
All episodes #86 and onward of BATMAN are considered THE NEW BATMAN ADVENTURES while the original 85 are considered BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES (BTAS) episodes.
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CARTOON NETWORK WB ANIMATION SCHEDULE:
“Yabba Dabba Doom”
(courtesy of Brian Cruz)
THE CARTOON NETWORK was able to get the exclusive rights to 52 episodes of the classic BTAS, as well as both animated movies. BTAS airs Monday-Friday at 6pm (ET) and then repeated again at midnight. If our schedule listings is not complete or up to date then please go to TOONZONE for the complete episode schedule at:
http://www.toonzone.net/brian/schedules/batman-cn.html
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EPISODE REVIEW: (SPOILERS!)
(by Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton)
All of Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton’s reviews of the new-style BTAS episodes and BATMAN BEYOND can be found via these links, which link to “Two-Face’s Tower of Tranquility and Terror”:
MAIN PAGE: http://www.angelfire.com/tx/TimTwoFace/index.html
BTAS PAGE: http://www.angelfire.com/tx/TimTwoFaceText/bats.html
GOLEM
Written by Hilary J. Bader
Directed by Butch Lukic
Animation by Dong Yang, KOKO
Original air date: February 6, 1999
My rating: ****
Willy Watt, typical high-school nerd with his nose in a book, glasses, greasy hair and gangly stance, has a crush on one of his fellow classmates – who also happens to be the apple of the school bully’s eye. Nelson Nash, the afformentioned bully, gets fresh with the girl (was her name “Blade” or something?), and she refuses to go for a “ride” with him (he wasn’t talkin’ about his car, his prize-possession, either). To get back at him, she goes to a school dance with the nerd – she doesn’t care for him, but only wants to hurt Nelson’s ego. Ouch, on both accounts.
Nelson still doesn’t stop tormenting Willy, so Willy decides to do something about it. His father is a construction worker, which uses large robots known as “Golems” to do the heavy-duty work. (They look a lot like Lex Luthor’s robot in “Last Son of Krypton (Pt. 3)”.) Willy steals the robot from his father and spends the rest of the episode tormenting Nelson with it, and eventually has to fight off Terry (as Batman) with it in a giant amusement park.
As stereotypical as some may say this episode is, I liked it. It’s the first time in any Batman or Superman episode that the school-life is depicted with such detail. It may be just a rehash of the usual “nerd wants the girl, bully gets in the way, nerd defeats bully, gets girl” type story, but it struck a chord with me – it made Willy the first sympathetic villain to appear on “Beyond”.
We also get to see Nelson’s character develop a bit. Before, all we knew was that he was a tough guy (as seen in “Rebirth”), but here, we find out that he’s a self-centred jerk that no one wants to be around. He’s a coward (granted, being attacked by a 50 ft. robot is scary) because he didn’t even care for his “girlfriend’s” well-being – he just made sure that he was out of harm’s way.
As usual, the action scenes were very well done. I’ve noticed that Butch Lukic is terrific at directing action sequences in the episodes he does (on BTAS, “You Scratch My Back” and “Mad Love”).
Other cool observances were:
-Seeing the Golem destroy Nelson’s car. What a jerk.
-I liked how Willy’s father was nearly as much of a jerk as Nelson – after he was nearly killed and the amusement park was destroyed, he said something along the lines of “At least my son’s not a wimp any more”.
-Anyone sorta see the similarities between the faces of Willy Watt and Victor Fries (i.e., the glowing glasses)?
-I just figured out how this series alludes to “The Simpsons“. Terry is Bart, Nelson is…well…Nelson, and Willy is Milhouse.
-Willy seems to have “electrical” powers, like Livewire.
So don’t mock me for enjoying this episode. Beyond the usual nerd/jock stereotypes, it’s a good one, in my books.
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EDITORAL #1
(by Laura Hysert, aka “Phoenix”)
Ms. Hysert was unable to submit an editorial in time for delivery of this issue of “Batman: The Animated Newsletter”. She will return in the near future.
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EDITORIAL #2
(by Michael Mandeville)
batboym@wtp.net
Mr. Mandeville was unable to submit an editorial in time for delivery of this issue of “Batman: The Animated Newsletter”…he’ll return shortly.
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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! *EVIL LAUGH* 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.
As I type this, some TIME/LIFE commercial trying to sell never-before-seen footage of WW2 is on the TV in the background, so that inspired me to do a quiz ALL ABOUT WAR! Let’s see how this works out, K?
146. In which BATMAN BEYOND episode are various war scenes shown?
A: MELTDOWN
B: REBIRTH (Pt. 1)
C: SPELLBOUND
D: A TOUCH OF CURARE
E: ASCNESION
147. Which of the following BTAS characters has a family member who works in the military?
A: Selina Kyle
B: Veronica Vreeland
C: Dick Grayson
D: Leslie Thompkins
E: George Costanza
148. “This means war.” Which BTAS character says this at some point?
A: Batman
B: Robin (Tim Drake)
C: Batgirl
D: Nightwing
E: No one
149. “P.O.W. – Prisoner of War.” Which entire BTAS episode title is just an abbreviation, a la the P.O.W. abbreviation at the beginning of this question? (Does this question even make sense? Don’t answer that…)
Answer: _____________
150. OK, as you can tell, I’m running really low on questions here…OK…here goes. In which episode does someone OTHER than the Joker TOUCH one of his Joker-grenades?
A: TRIAL
B: WORLD’S FINEST (Pt. 1)
C: RIDDLER’S REFORM
D: HARLEY’S HOLIDAY
E: BEWARE THE CREEPER
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ANSWERS TO THE TRIVIA
Answer to #146: C
Answer to #147: B
Answer to #148: E
Answer to #149: P.O.V.
Answer to #150: D
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LITTLE FACTS
(by Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton)
Here is a section that just points out various little facts that we have noticed while watching BTAS and STAS countless times. If you have anything to contribute, feel free to do so! Enjoy!
CONBTRIBUTED BY STAFF:
CONTRIBUTED BY OTHERS:
(“The Lady Amalthea”)
1. In “Mask of the Phantasm”, remember the “Jujitsu” scene? In that scene Andrea is wearing a sleavless gown – but there are some shots within that scene that show her in a gown WITH SLEAVES! What gives?
(“Gpolieman”)
2. In the scene of “Double Talk” where Arnold Wesker (Ventriloquist) is walking through the park, Lois and Clark are having a picnic in the background.
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BATMAN: THE ANIMATED FIGURES
(by Kevin Smith)
Oh_Ho77@hotmail.com
Mr. Smith was unable to submit an article for this issue of BTAN. But fear not, he will return shortly!
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COMIC REVIEWS
(by Aaron Maurer)
BATMAN BEYOND #6 (of 6)
TITLE: “Permanent Inque Stains”
WRITTEN BY: Hilary J. Bader
PENCILED BY: Joe Staton
INKED BY: Terry Beatty
ISSUED: June 16, 1999 (Cover date is August)
RATING: ** (out of 5)
NOTE: Mr. Maurer was unable to submit a review by the time of the delivery of this issue, so editor Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton has filled in for him. Expect Mr. Maurer to return in !
So, the mini-series is over. And what can we say? Average, at best – and it’s a real shame because I really enjoy the animated episodes of BATMAN BEYOND. Why do I feel this way? Simple – I’m not a big fan of Hilary J. Bader. I enjoy the occassional story she writes, but for the most part, I find them meandering and average, at best. Her stories are far too wordy, making the action seem sluggish. I can honestly say that when she DOES do good work, it’s AMAZING, but as far as these issues are concerned, I’m not all too impressed.
Perhaps this isn’t a fair assessment of the mini-series, seeing how the first two comics were just a re-hash of “Rebirth”, and Issues #4 and 5 were too far-fetched, even in a futuristic setting. The issues featuring Blight and Inque were my favourites; they are my two favourite BEYOND villains.
The Inque issue, in particular, bugged me. Inque? Saving the hero? No matter HOW it could be advantageous to her down the road, I never thought she’d do ANYTHING kind for someone else – that’s why I loved her on the series, she was so cold and calculating. Here she was actually playing nice at times – and, through that, lost a lot of her appeal.
The main thing that bothered me was Inque’s new design. Look carefully – she has a COLLAR? Why are the artists trying to make it look like the Living Lava Lamp is wearing clothes? Was that just added so this comic would get past censors? “Oh no! A naked ink blot! This book ain’t for the kiddies!”, I hear the parents and critics say. Geez – maybe I’m picking on something very trivial, but this little addition really subtracted from the pleasure I got from this issue.
I still support BATMAN BEYOND, both in the animated AND comic book form, but I sincerely hope that the quality of the comics greatly improves when the ongoing series debuts this September.
PS – Congrats to co-editor “Dick Grayson” for getting a letter printed in this issue. Yayyyyy Richard!
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COMIC SCHEDULES & COVERING THE BASICS
This section gives a little bit more indepth look into each monthly issue of BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES and SUPERMAN ADVENTURES. Below each comic listing is a link to the cover of that comic. TALK ABOUT SERVICE!
The price is $1.99 in the US and..grrrrr…a whopping $3.25 in Canada. (Both our editors and many subscribers are Canadian, hence the “grrr”.)
BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES #16
July 7th
Alfred’s been kidnapped! But why doesn’t Batman seem concerned? That’s the question on the minds of Nightwing, Batgirl and Robin, who can’t come to Alfred’s aid until they battle their way through hordes of heavily armed thugs.
Cover: http://www.toonzone.net/comics/covers/bga/bga16.jpg
NEXT MONTH: –
Synopsis: Batman finds himself in the middle of a family matter when a mob leader tries to kidnap the young son of immigrants — a boy the leader claims is his son. What if the evidence proves this to be true? Can even a super-hero change a person’s nature?
Cover: http://www.dccomics.com/directcurrents/comics/covers/download/dbmga17.jpg
BATMAN BEYOND #1 (ongoing)
Uhhh…don’t know much about this…it’ll be out in September, though.
NEXT MONTH: Issue #2. That’s all we know.
SUPERMAN ADVENTURES #35
July 7th
The Toyman’s toys are pulling off a rash of crimes throughout Metropolis, but the Toyman insists he isn’t behind it. Now Superman must find out if there’s another mastermind at work, or if the Toyman’s just playing games to hatch a bigger, deadlier scheme.
Cover: http://www.toonzone.net/comics/covers/sa/sa35.jpg
NEXT MONTH:
Synopsis: This whole issue looks like a job for Superman — bank robberies, plane hijackings, people trapped in mine shafts, and oh yeah, a kid’s missing dog. Can even the Man of Steel cover all these bases, or will he have to choose one emergency over the other?
Cover: http://www.dccomics.com/directcurrents/comics/covers/download/dsma36.jpg
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NEWS AND RUMORS
ALL-ENCOMPASSING/OTHER
-A BATMAN BEYOND soundtrack CD is in the making! Various artists will be contributing songs (and scores?) for this CD, due out August 17th, 1999.
-Paul Dini was listed in Entertainment Weekly’s ‘It List’ of 100 Most Creative People In Entertainment. Paul is listed as the ‘It Bat Revivalist’. Congrats! You deserve it! I wonder why Joel Schumacer didn’t get mentioned…
-The Don Thompson Awards were recently announced. Voted for by the members and visitors of the Compuserve Comics/Animation forum the results included:
*Favorite Animated TV Series: The New Batman/Superman Adventures
*Favorite Publisher: DC Comics
*Favorite Comic-Book Work for All Ages: Batman: Gotham Adventures
-Terry Beatty has been and will be selling Gotham Adventures and Batman Beyond original art on ebay. His Seller ID is: wlee@muscanet.com Do yourself a favor and check out some great art!
“CURRENT” ANIMATED SERIES’
-The STAS episodes LEGACY and DEMON REBORN have been left for next season. Great. Three more episodes to be scattered throughout the season. Perfect. Blech.
BATMAN BEYOND
-Look for the season premiere of BATMAN BEYOND to be on either Sept. 18th or 25th. Also look for the final three SUPERMAN episodes to begin on those dates as well. The dates may change, so stay tuned to this newsletter for future updates.
-Curare, Spellbinder, Shriek, the Jokerz, and the Royal Flush Gang are among the villains which will re-appear. The return of both Blight and Inque have been put on hold. There is no plan to revisit any of the present day Bat-villains at this point, either.
-On the hero front, more details on the past of Batman and Batgirl will be revealed. AND Superman will show up. Someone else is also going to learn the secrets of the Batcave…but who? My guess is either Ten or Dana.
ANIMATED COMICS
-Man-Bat FINALLY re-appears in of “Batman: Gotham Adventures”.
-Look for the yet untitled BATMAN BEYOND ongoing comic series to launch the same time the new season starts. This means it’ll most likely start in Late-August/Mid-September.
OTHER COMICS
-A prelude to “Batman: Dark Victory” (the follow-up to “The Long Halloween”) will be available in of WIZARD magazine…watch for it!
-For more, see the “Road Through No Man’s Land” section below.
MOVIES
*Batman 5: The Joker’s Revenge (cheesy tentative title):
-The film is set at the end of the millenium
-This is one of the few scripts which does not feature “The Scarecrow” as a villain (which sucks as he’s one of the best), in fact he doesn’t even cameo.
-The Joker is somehow resurrected after the fall from the Cathedral belltower. How this is possible I do not know and its not been revealed in detail yet, though one scene is set in the city morgue a few hours after the Joker’s death plunge. The way this is done will really have a major impact on the film, and while other scripts used the clever trick of bringing back The Joker via a hallucination induced by Scarecrow’s fear gas, the writer is going to have to come up with something darn clever to appease ardent fans
-There will be three other villains cameoing in the film. Mr. Zsasz, the serial killer who cuts a mark into his flesh for every victim he kills, is one. Another villain from a previous film will make a brief appearance in Arkham Asylum. The third villain plays a vital part in the ‘resurrection’, one which Bat-fans will know but the general public is unlikely too.
-No Bruce Wayne love interest, that storyline is being saved for The Joker who gets his own squeeze. (Guess who).
-Commissioner Gordon will be very different, more of a down-to-earth personality (sort of like the Animated Series version).
-Two major action sequences will be set in Gotham Square Park and Gotham’s Tropical Casino
*Superman 5:
-According to Variety, scribe Bill Wisher (Terminator 2: Judgment Day, The Exorcist Prequel) has been brought on board to take a stab at writing a script for the film. Furthermore, word has it that Wisher actually met and pitched his Superman movie idea to Nicolas Cage, suggesting that the potentially controversial actor is still up for playing the Last Son of Krypton. The trade also reports that Wisher will begin work on the Superman script as soon as he finishes up writing what is called “a top-secret assignment for director Robert Zemeckis and ImageMovers at DreamWorks.”
-In additional developments, confirming comments by Jon Peters made to Cinescape last year, Tim Burton is said to be permanently departed from the project. The parties involved won’t be seeking out directors until a script is approved. The bad news is that Warners is also said to still be set on a story that would have Supes dying at the hands of Brainiac only to be resurrected “in a new incarnation.”
TOYS & MERCHANDISE
-The Playstation version of the SUPERMAN video game has a tentative release date of September 16, 1999. Thanks to THX1138 for submitting this info!
-Check out “Two-Face’s Trading Post” if you’re interested in purchasing figures…lists provided below.
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THE ROAD THROUGH NO MAN’S LAND
(by Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton)
Yes, I know this isn’t really an animated topic, but I thought, hey, it’s Batman’s 60th anniversary, and this is the big event that celebrates it, so I should have a section dedicated to this year-long crossover. Besides, so far it’s been excellent in every issue. We have this section split up into two parts – the first saying what has already happened, the second previewing what’s to come. Enjoy!
UP UNTIL NOW…
JANUARY – APRIL: For synopses of what happened in the first four months of NO MAN’S LAND, go see Issues #26 and #27 of “Batman: The Animated Newsletter”. Follow this link: http://www.toonzone.net/wbc/btan
MAY: The Penguin and Two-Face make arrangements to expand their territories in Gotham; in the end, the Penguin gets shot, losing half his territory, and Two-Face trounces Batman, taking his entire chunk of land. Two-Face also releases a new villainess, named Echo, from Blackgate prison.
Next, a new assassin named “Cain” wreaked havoc in Gotham. Batman confronts Batgirl about letting Two-Face take his territory, and then confronts Two-Face himself – but let’s him off the hook for the time being. Cain is eventually defeated; it is revealed that Tally-Man is another man working for Two-Face; Tally-Man was the one that “killed” Black Mask in March.
And finally, in BATMAN CHRONICLES #17, stories featuring Francine Langstrom becoming the Man-Bat, Gotham’s only remaining cable access TV show, and a man who tries to strike a deal with Two-Face, claiming to know Batman’s true identity.
JUNE: Batman assembles Robin, Nightwing, Azrael, Oracle, and the NEWER Batgirl (#3) together, before they set off to reclaim Gotham from the totalitarian supervillains and their warring gangs. Batman and Commissioner Gordon FINALLY meet, and it’s clearly revealed that Gordon and Two-Face HAVE been working together (even though Gordon didn’t like the idea); Batgirl #2 is revealed to be none other than the Huntress.
In “Fruit of the Earth”, Clayface has taken over Ivy’s territory – the park – and holds her captive. We also learn that Ivy has been providing food for the Penguin, making his desire to have a stranglehold on Gotham’s black market a lot more easy. Batman and Robin enter the park, breaking into a “Batcave” held deep under the park, to save Ivy and defeat Clayface. In another part of the story, all the Blue Boys (save for Bullock and Montoya) have abandonned Commissioner Gordon. The story concludes with Ivy beating Clayface – using him as fertilizer for plants of hers – and the items Batman was looking for in his “cave” have been destroyed. Batman and Ivy come to an understanding – he lets her rule the park as long as she keeps all other gangs out of it, and provides fresh fruit for the city. Meanwhile, it is learned that Bane will be returning to Gotham, as will Catwoman, by Batman’s request; Gordon is cutting off his ties with Two-Face, but Two-Face won’t let him. It’s then revealed that the reason Montoya is gladly working for Two-Face is because he’s holding her entire family hostage.
In “Robin”, we see how Robin and Nightwing find their own way back into Gotham.
“Bullock’s Law”, a one-shot featuring none other than, you guessed it, Harvey Bullock, was also released. This issue, set in the “Road to No Man’s Land” time period, hints at what tipped Black Mask over the edge before his appearance in “Mosaic”, back in March.
That’s 30 issues of NML so far. For a complete list, e-mail us.
WHAT’S TO COME…
-July: Like April, it’s another month filled with one-part stories, one for each week. Batman and Mr. Freeze battle in the heat of the summer at the power plant, determining who controls Chinatown. He then goes on to fight Killer Croc. Bane resurfaces, and Nightwing has a little tussle with Lock-Up. Robin fights off the Ratcatcher and Spoiler’s identity is revealed to her mother.
-August: The month begins with Batman trying to save the children of NML from a gang known as “Lynx”. Then, things start to really shake up when Harley Quinn finally makes her debut in the mainstream, with the Joker and Poison Ivy coming along for the ride. Meanwhile, Azrael and Batgirl continue to try to make a dent in Nicholas Scratch’s operations. Nightwing is trapped in Blackgate, and Robin is still out searching for food.
-September: “The Underground Railroad”, in LOTDK #123 and SOTB #91. Batman hardly appears at all in this story; Robin, Penguin, and Joker have larger roles. Then in “Goin’ Downtown”, Two-Face, Penguin, and Bane collide in another major turf war – in BATMAN #571 and DC #738. And don’t forget “Batman: No Man’s Land #0”, featuring what Batman did in the first 100 days of NML before re-appearing to confront Scarface.
-See below for more.
AS FOR THE OTHER HEROES:
-Nightwing is ordered by Batman to take control of Blackgate Prison after returning to Gotham in July; Lock-Up is unhappy with this, obviously. All this in Nightwing #35.
-Batman sends Robin out to get emergency food rations BUT is confronted by Mr. Freeze and the Ratcatcher in the process in Robin #68. Also, Spoiler’s mother finds out her true identity. Robin then goes up against Killer Croc in Robin #72.
-Azrael and Batgirl team up to take down Nicholas Scratch, in a giant comic also featuring Batman, Robin, Nightwing, Joker, Penguin, and Two-Face. This is all in Azrael #56 and #57.
-The Huntress takes on the Joker and Harley Quinn in August.
-Leslie Thompkins and the Huntress are the focus of BATMAN CHRONICLES #18, in August.
-Superman will return to Gotham in SHADOW OF THE BAT #92, in October.
AND AS FOR THE REMAINING VILLAINS…
-The Ratcatcher confronts Robin and Nightwing as they try to break back into Gotham.
-Catwoman returns to Gotham in Catwoman #72, this July.
-Killer Croc is confronted by Batman in Shadow of the Bat #89 in July.
-Bane tries to gain control of the city – again – but has to break in from the outside – across the river filled with land mines. Batgirl also has a significant role. This is in Detective Comics #736, in July. Bane later returns in September to destroy Gotham – and finally fulfill his plans – in “Goin’ Downtown”.
-Lock-Up is in trouble when Nightwing tries to take over control of Blackgate Prison in July!
-Mr. Freeze seizes control of the power plant to stay alive – and to have something valuable to trade with the rest of society. His story involves – a plumber? Freeze also controls Chinatown. (LOTDK #121) Freeze will also appear in Robin #70, in September.
-BATMAN: HARLEY QUINN, the one-shot comic featuring Harley Quinn’s intro to the mainstream Bat-universe will come out in August.
-The Joker doesn’t appear as a major player until close to the end, along with the new, improved Harley Quinn – whom will appear with the Joker AND Poison Ivy in August. (BATMAN: Harley Quinn, Batman #570, DC #737). Also, it looks like Ms. Quinn will going up against the Huntress.
-Killer Croc and a wounded Mr. Zsasz re-appear in BATMAN CHRONICLES #18 in August.
-Two-Face re-surfaces in September in “Goin’ Downtown”, another major turf-war story, also featuring Bane and Penguin. He later re-appears in another big way later on in No Man’s Land, apparently as the second-last villain to be defeated. (How fitting.)
-The Penguin also returns in “Goin’ Downtown”.
-Ra’s Al Ghul, meanwhile, is in Washington D.C. battling Anarky in his new ongoing series.
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TWO-FACE’S TRADING POST
(by Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton)
I know that there are many people out there that collect Batman OR Superman items – like
myself. I only started a year ago and, believe me, finding some of these items (like action figures) that were released a couple years ago is pretty tough! So, I decided to start up a
little section in the newsletter to help out our fellow Bat-fans. I can only personally guarantee that my entries are 100% true, for I saw these items with my own eyes. So we’re working on the honour system here. Sound fair?
ALSO if you are LOOKING for something, e-mail me and I can put your request in the “WANT TO BUY” section. There is the possibility that a fellow subscriber is willing to sell what you’re looking for!
Well, here we go! I hope this helps out someone out there!
1. KILLER CROC. Editor Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton has a spare Killer Croc figure lying around, in a mint package. Pic available. E-mail juno@direct.ca if interested.
2. THE MAD HATTER. Yup! Editor Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton has one spare BTAS “Mad Hatter” figure (in a mint-condition package) in his possession that he is willing to get rid of. This is the only Mad Hatter figure in existance (to our collective knowledge), and is a wonderful figure besides! Sure, that was a shameless plug, but it IS a cool figure. Pic available. If interested, e-mail: juno@direct.ca
3. SUPERGIRL. Yep! If you want one of these, e-mail editor Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton, and he should be able to find one for you, in a mint or near-mint package! e-mail: juno@direct.ca
4. TNBA EASTER EGG. From England. An approx. 5″X8″ box with great artwork all the way around. Contains a large red-foil wrapped chocolate Easter egg (good until 7-99) and some gum-drop-like candies. Cost is $25.00 per egg which includes shipping and insurance within the US. Email for scanned pic, or if interested: keatking@icehouse.net
5. HUGE Batman collection for sale includes animated, movie, and comics related Bat-items – so huge, we can’t list all the items here! There are movie scripts, action figures, archive books, and more. Collection is being sold as a lot for $430.00 and cannot be broken up. For full list, e-Mail Dani at Peterpan@ma.ultranet.com
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WANTS TO BUY
1. CLAYFACE. Anyone know where to get a “Legends of the Dark Knight” Clayface figure? I know it’s not animated, but it still counts for this column… Some have submitted phone numbers for Hasbro, but they only work for those in the USA, and not Canadians such as myself…can anyone help? E-mail: juno@direct.ca
2. COMBAT BELT BATMAN, and BTAS BATMOBILE. If you know where to find these figures – or a BTAS Batwing (I’m pretty sure one was made) e-mail this address: cnwitkow@concentric.net
3. BATMAN/NIGHTWING TWO-PACK. Personally, I don’t know if such a thing even exists, but I could very easily be proven wrong. If anyone can find this two-pack, e-mail one of your fellow subscribers at this address: jokerz84@hotmail.com
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FEATURED BAT-SITES FOR THIS ISSUE
SATURN’S ART RING
OK, we have yet another fan-art site to promote in this issue! A friend of mine, now going under the screen-name “Saturn” (she was the one with the “Batgirl Beyond” designs a couple newsletters ago) has now opened up a site featuring her artwork. Much of the artwork focuses on BATMAN BEYOND characters (Batman, Ten, and her own Batgirl creation), as well as her Disney art, other fan art, and links to other fan sites. The site is brand new so it’s not terribly elaborate yet…but just wait a few days and you’ll see the change. Here’s the link:
http://www.angelfire.com/mb/SaturnArtSpace
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ANIMATED BATMAN/SUPERMAN SITES:
* – indicates a shameless plug for a site a certain double-faced editor created with his bare hands – in other words, a cheap advertising technique.
OFFICIAL SITES
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THE NEW BATMAN/SUPERMAN ADVENTURES
http://www.batman-superman.com
BATMAN:THE ANIMATED SERIES
http://www.batmantas.com
BATMAN BEYOND
http://www.batmanbeyond.com
SUB-ZERO: THE DEFINTIE GUIDE
http://www.batman-subzero.com
KID’S WB
http://www.kidswb.com
DC COMICS
http://www.dccomics.com
TOON ZONE
http://www.toonzone.net
RAVING TOY MANIAC
http://www.toymania.com
VOICE CHASERS
http://www.voicechasers.org
UNOFFICIAL SITES
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*TWO-FACE’S TOWER OF TRANQUILITY AND TERROR
http://www.angelfire.com/tx/TimTwoFace/index.html
BRIAN CRUZ’ WB CARTOON PAGE
http://www.toonzone.net/brian/index.html
BRIAN’S BATMAN PAGE
http://www.batmanuk.freeserve.co.uk
GOTHAM GAZETTE
http://members.aol.com/gothamajp
BATMAN: THE ANIMATED HOMEPAGE
http://www3.sympatico.ca/quartet/home.htm
RA’S AL GHUL’S THE LAZARUS PIT
http://www.aitnet.et/lazaruspit
THE DARK KNIGHT
http://www.darkknight.ca
BATMAN BEYOND: WELCOME TO THE FUTURE
http://www.batmanbeyond.net
DCU ANIMATED
http://welcome.to/the_dcu
ANIMANIA
http://hjem.get2net.dk/twt/home.htm
HARLEY’S HAVEN OF HEDONISM
http://www.angelfire.com/hi2/harlequinhideaway
THE ANIMATED BAT
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Academy/7382/index.html
BATMAN/SUPERMAN SNAP JUDGMENTS
http://www.snapjudgments.com/batsup.html
BATMAN BEYOND MULTIMEDIA
http://www.prophecysite.com/batman.htm
THE BATCOMPUTER
http://members.spree.com/batcomputer
BATMAN: FOREVER KNIGHT
http://batman.techv.net
WORLD’S FINEST
http://members.spree.com/sip/worldsfinest
CHARACTERS ON THE ADVENTURES OF BATMAN & ROBIN
http://www.xse.com/leres/batman.html
ARKHAM ASYLUM
http://animation.acmecity.com/saturday/352
JLA: THE ANIMATED SERIES
http://animation.acmecity.com/character/375
THE NEW BATMAN ADVENTURES: THE UNOFFICIAL SITE
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Makeup/5158
ANIMATED TALES
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Dunes/2294/at
BATMAN & SUPERMAN:THE WORLD’S FINEST DISCUSSION CENTER
http://welcome.to/worldsfinest
NEWSGROUPS
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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@direct.ca
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 artcile, 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 archives contain 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/wbc/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@direct.ca and put SUBSCRIBE in the subject line.
For more information the newsletter just email juno@direct.ca
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, jokes, reviews and other articles. We hope you’ve all enjoyed it as much as we’ve enjoyed making it! See ya next time!
CREDITS FOR BATMAN: THE ANIMATED NEWSLETTER
EDITORS: Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton and “Dick Grayson”
AIR DATE SCHEDULES: Brian Cruz
BTAS REVIEWS: Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton
EDITORIAL #1: Laura Hysert
EDITORIAL #2: Michael Mandeville
COMIC REVIEWS: Aaron Maurer
TOY REVIEW: Kevin Smith
“BTAN ARCHIVES” MODERATOR: Eileen Delgadillo
TRIVIA: Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton
ROAD THROUGH NO MAN’S LAND: Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton
TWO-FACE’S TRADING POST: Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton
PROMOTIONS AND JUST GETTIN’ THE WORD AROUND: Dick Grayson, Eileen Delgadillo, Brian Cruz, Brian Davis
THOSE WHO FILL IN FOR OTHERS WHEN THEY FOUL UP:-P Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton
DELIVERY: Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton
E-MAIL RECEPTION HANDLING: Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton
BATMAN CREATED BY: Bob Kane (who else?)
Batman and all related indica are trademarks of DC Comics, Copyright c 1999.
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