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Batman The Animated Newsletter #37

Batman The Animated Newsletter #37

Batman: The Animated Newsletter 
Weeks of September 20 – September 25/26
Volume 2,
Rated: PG for some “low-key coarse language and occasional griping”

THIS ISSUE’S SUBLIMINAL MESSAGE: “THANK YOU TO RIDDLERWB FOR SAVING US FROM THE WRATH OF THE
POKEMON!”
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SPECIAL IN THIS ISSUE
Nothing special…it’s just that on the delivery date of the previous issue (#36), Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton turned the big 2-0…yep, twenty years under his belt. Who woulda guessed? 
Many say he seems only five, tops…*GRUMBLE* In keeping with that immaturity, GIVE ‘IM PRESENTS! *COUGH* *AHEM* Well, he collects coins (no, I’m not just making a joke), so maybe, MAY-BEEEE….
It’s nice to talk about yourself in the third person, ain’t it?
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NOTICE (but it isn’t too important)
1) VERY IMPORTANT NOTICE! YTV, a Canadian children’s TV channel, has picked up BTAS, STAS, and BATMAN BEYOND for the coming year, airing ALL EPISODES!!! Check out the news/rumours section below for details.

2) Since Kevin Smith’s toy column has been vacant for quite a while (it’s not his fault – there aren’t enough figures to write about on a biweekly basis) we’ve given his column a new purpose. Smith’s column will now be about Bat-merchandise in general, not just action figures and such. In this issue we have Tim Wan, a fellow Bat-fanatic (with a kick-arse website) giving his two cents on the new BATMAN BEYOND CD.

3) In the evening of September 14, 1999, we passed our 1300 subscriber mark! WOOHAAA!

4) In I made an announcement about “Happy99.exe”. One subscriber wrote me back saying that I was wrong about how it could erase hard drives. He DID give me this link, however – so check it out if you want to keep your computer safe.

http://www.bbbclub.com/news/happy99.html
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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: The WB is 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.

‘EARTH MOVER’
Batman Beyond #14?
Air date: September 25, 1999
A new villain named “Earth Mover” – who has the power to create earthquakes – appears in Gotham to reclaim his human daughter from the man who is responsible for turning him into a mud creature.

‘ONCE BURNED’
Batman Beyond #15?
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?

‘LEGACY (Pt. 1 & 2)’
Superman #44, 48
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. This is being touted as the FINAL Superman episode EVER. However, I must say that I’ve read a synopsis of the
episode, and it’s a doozie.
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WB ANIMATION SCHEDULES:
(courtesy of Brian Cruz and/or the official BTAS/STAS site)

THE NEW BATMAN/SUPERMAN ADVENTURES airs Mondays thru Fridays beginning at 4pm (ET). It also airs every weekend at 8am (ET). BATMAN BEYOND airs on the occasional weekday at 4pm (ET), sharing the time slot with THE NEW BATMAN/SUPERMAN ADVENTURES. BATMAN BEYOND also airs every weekend at 9am (ET). Check your local listings for time and station in your area. If this newsletter section is not updated in time, please refer to either of these two links for schedule information:

http://www.batman-superman.com/batman/cmp/episodes.html
http://www.toonzone.net/brian/schedules/

THIS WEEK:
Mon 9-20-99: Superman #43 The New Kids In Town
B-BEYOND #08 Heroes

Tue 9-21-99: Batman #100 Cult of the Cat
Superman #25 Brave New Metropolis

Wed 9-22-99: Superman #13 Two’s A Crowd
Batman #69 Avatar

Thu 9-23-99: Superman #34 Heavy Metal
Batman #83 Make ‘Em Laugh

Fri 9-24-99: Superman #53 Unity
B-BEYOND #03 Black Out

Sat 9-25-99: Superman #52 Little Big Head Man
B-BEYOND #?? Earth Mover ———–NEW!!!

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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CANADIAN EPISODE SCHEDULE
(BTAS/BEYOND on YTV)
(courtesy of our friends at YTV)

-To find the episode guide and airing schedule of BATMAN on YTV then please go to http://www.ytv.com and click on the YTV GUIDE icon at the bottom of the screen. To check out the schedule then click on BATMAN in the time grid and it will have the schedule for the current week.
-To find the episode guide and airing schedule of BATMAN BEYOND on YTV then please go to this http://www.ytv.com and click on the YTV GUIDE icon at the bottom of the screen. To check out the schedule then click on BATMAN BEYOND in the time grid and it will have the schedule for the current week.

BTAS will air at 7:30am on weekday mornings (in all time zones), and BEYOND will air at 2:30pm on Saturday and Sunday. YTV has the rights to show all 109 BTAS episodes; it is still unclear as to whether they’ll be showing any of the new STAS or BEYOND episodes as of yet, but we’ll 
keep you posted!

THIS WEEK:
Mon 9-20-99: BTAS #22 Joker’s Favor

Tue 9-21-99: BTAS #13 The Cat and the Claw (Pt. 1)

Wed 9-22-99: BTAS #16 The Cat and the Claw (Pt. 2)

Thu 9-23-99: BTAS #05 Pretty Poison

Fri 9-24-99: BTAS #03 Nothing to Fear

Sat 9-25-99: BEYOND #03 Black Out

Sun 9-26-99: BEYOND #04 Golem

NOTE: It would appear that the YTV schedules are following the order in which new episodes aired on the FOX network back in 1992. Sometimes it will be impossible to get the YTV schedules in time for the delivery of this newsletter. We will notify you if this is the case; just follow example set by FOX. I shall put up a page at my website to show the order in which these episodes aired, as a rough guide to follow.
As for BATMAN BEYOND, at this point I’m just assuming that they’ll be airing those episodes in numerical order.
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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

NOTE: The schedules at Brian Cruz’ site are currently unavailable; if anyone knows of any other place where people can get listings for BTAS on the Cartoon Network, please e-mail us!
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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


NEVER FEAR
Written by Stan Berkowitz 
Directed by Kenji Hackizachi 
Animation by TMS 
Original air date: November 1, 1997 
My rating: **** 

NEVER FEAR is the first new Scarecrow episode in 3 years and is quite easily the darkest. In this episode, the Scarecrow is producing a product which he calls “Never Fear” which does exactly that…when the victim…er…um…purchaser uses the product, all of their fears disappear. Fearless. This is quite a twist to the Scarecrow’s M.O. Usually, he uses chemicals that scare the hell out of people to commit his crimes…here, he goes in the complete opposite direction. 

The victims of this gas include a man who’s wreaking havoc at Gotham Times Square (the same area seen in the climax of Harley’s Holiday, much like New York’s Times Square), and an overworking, underrecognized employee at Wayne Enterprises. Seeing what harm this product does, 
Bruce Wayne attends a showing of the product to the public: he sneaks into the restricted areas of the building to remove the supply before the chemicals are sent, but it is too late…Scarecrow enters and whacks him with his scythe, knocking him out. 

One commercial break later, we see that Scarecrow has thrown Bruce Wayne into a death-trap…he’s surrounded by alligators and has been fully affected by the “Never Fear” chemicals. It is here that we first get to see the new Scarecrow design. Long gone is the straw and his red costume. Now he wears a thin hit (much like Joker’s, but it’s black), a trenchcoat, and ragged clothes of brown, beige, and black colours underneath. He wears a noose around his neck, and carries a large wooden stick (like a bladeless scythe). His face is truly terrifying…we can only really see a faint glow of his empty eyes and few pale teeth under the shadows of his ragged, baggy clothing. He still possesses his infamous gangly body-shape, but his shoulders are huge…making him look larger than life, but still like a thin little mad…just like the character that inspired him, Ichabod Crane. The man providing Scarecrow’s voice is new, too…it’s pretty much the same, except this Scarecrow doesn’t do the cowardly screaming like the original did (like when he’s exposed to his fear gas in Nothing to Fear and Dreams in Darkness. Instead, he lets out these moans and groans and gasps from beyond the grave, kinda like something you’d hear in the PC game “Quake”. Truly scary…Scarecrow’s never been laughable, but now he’s really a horrifying villain. 

Well, Bruce escapes the trap (I won’t tell you how!) and then goes after the Scarecrow in the Batwing, with Robin in tow this time. The viewer will immediately notice that Batman is flying very recklessly through Gotham, nearly hitting hundreds of skyscrapers along the way…it is only here that Robin learns that Batman has been affected by the gas…but Batman says that he can handle it. 

Batman and Robin arrive at the warehouse where the chemicals are being kept again and they run into Scarecrow’s gang. After a quick fight, Batman grabs one of the members and hangs him out the window, interrogating him. After getting the information he wanted, he cuts the rope, letting the man fall to his death; Robin catches it, saving the man, but Batman gets away. 

It is in this scene that we see how much of a bad-ass Batman can be. He’s not even afraid to kill any more because of his exposure to the gas. He even starts talking mean to Robin…nothing coarse, but you can really see how he’s annoyed with Robin’s boy scout ways (kinda like Superman) when he keeps telling Batman not to kill the man…if this were the Dick Grayson Robin in his place, we’d probably see some type of fist fight (a la Batman & Robin) break out. 

Batman returns to the Batwing, now knowing Scarecrow’s whereabouts and the location of his gas supply. Robin sneaks up on him and tied him up, going after Scarecrow alone, realizing that Batman cannot control the gas. You can really feel the tension in these scenes. Just like in those memorable tense scenes between the heroes in Robin’s Reckoning two-parter. 

Robin interrupts a ransom broadcast the Scarecrow is making to Mayor Hill in the subway; Scarecrow is planning on releasing his “Never Fear” gas in the subways (thereby reaching all points of the city) – a city full of raving, fearless lunatics (just like in The Last Laugh). Robin is then caught and tied up…meanwhile, Batman arrives just as the subway train containing the gas leaves. Batman jumps on board and quickly throws all of Scarecrow’s chromies off of the train (they should be dead, but hey, it’s just a cartoon). He then attacks Scarecrow in the cockpit of the train and clamps down on his neck, forcing the air circulation off to his lungs and… 

I won’t tell the ending. It’s easy to guess how wins and all, but the question is how. 

My favourite line of the episode is this: 

Scarecrow: “You fool! You’re going to kill us both!” 

Batman (on the NEVER FEAR gas): “You’re not trying to scare me, are you?” 

AWESOME episode. One of the best ever. But again, the ending that follows the final fight ends far too quickly.
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EDITORAL
(by Laura Hysert, aka “Phoenix”)

Breaking news: We’ve just gotten word that Ms. Hysert is trapped down a well. Fear not, we’ve already sent out our brigade of collies to find her. Nevertheless, she’s still unable to submit an article for this issue…let’s hope our entourage of Lassies find her quickly…
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AND THAT’S THE FACTS
(by “Reliable Source”)

(Yes, I understand that the title is grammatically incorrect. So sue us. Actually, nix that. Don’t sue us.)

(DISCLAIMER: For those of you who are not yet familiar, Reliable Source is an anonymous character who first surfaced on Batman: The Animated Message Boards, spewing forth ridiculous predictions about the future of Batman Beyond under the guise of spoiler warnings. His controversial posts created quite a buzz, and have now landed him, at least at this moment, a temporary column with this newsletter. The thoughts and ideas expressed by this character are in no way officially connected to Kids WB, Batman Beyond, this newsletter, or anything that is decent or holy.)

Hello, folks. As you all know, there have been rumors flying about the future of the Batman franchise. Thanks to Joel Schumacher, a series of dark, psychological movies became a showcase for a bunch of homoerotic camp that anyone above the age of 1 could identify as garbage. The obvious solution? Take a hint from Kids WB, and do “Batman Beyond.”

Any child of the swingin’ 60’s knows there is only one true Batman – Adam West. For those nostalgia buffs, Mr. West will be cast as the dark and bitter Bruce Wayne. Rounding out the cast is child prodigy Jake Lloyd of “Star Wars” fame as Matty/Robin, Britney Spears as Ten, Arnold Schwarzenegger as Mr. Freeze, and Abe Vigoda as Derek Powers/Blight. There will be cameos by Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, and George Clooney as members of the Jokerz gang, as well as Michael Gough providing the voice of the cyborg Alfred.

Of course, the real question on everyone’s lips is who will fill the tights of animated heart-throb Terry McGinnis? The obvious choice is the real life heart-throb of “Boy Meets World” fame who provides the voice for Bruce’s young protege, Mr. Will Friedle.

“Will is perfect for the part,” gushed his new girlfriend, a head animator for the WB. “He has a great look, and since he provides the voice for the show, he is someone fans can instantly equate with the character. That, and he has great hair.”

Will Friedle himself says that he loved his role on the cartoon so much that he just had to bring it into “real life.” Trying to get wrapped up in the character, however, proved somewhat tragic. One E! gossip columnist tells me that early attempts at getting into character have landed Mr. Friedle in the ER. At press time, he was aware of his surroundings, but insisting that he was, in fact, Batman.

Friedle’s girlfriend reportedly rushed onto the scene to care for her injured superstar, but was there for what would become a dual reason. She went into labor, and has delivered a new little “Robin.” Unfortunately for fans, this means the animated movie will be delayed yet again. More as I hear it.
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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.

*YAWN* *BIG STRETCH* OK, I’m tired, forgive me. Here are some aimless ramblings of mine…have fun! Mwuhahahaha!

171. When will “NO MAN’S LAND: THE ANIMATED SERIES” debut?

172. Who will be writing for NML:TAS?

173. Which gang of villains were ORIGINALLY set to appear in BATMAN BEYOND #3?

174. Name the only new-style episode of BTAS that producer Alan Burnett got credit for writing?

175. Since the release of the movie “Batman & Robin”, how many “animated” stories has Mr. Freeze appeared in?

BONUS: Will NML:TAS be a series on KIDSWB?
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ANSWERS TO THE TRIVIA

Answer to #171: October 6, 1999
Answer to #172: Scott Peterson
Answer to #173: The Terrible Trio
Answer to #174: Judgement Day
Answer to #175: FOUR. #1: SUB-ZERO. #2: COLD COMFORT (Btas). #3: MELTDOWN (Beyond) #4: GOTHAM ADVENTURES #5
Answer to Bonus: Nope. Actually, it’s not a series at all. It’s just a story you’ll be able to find in BATMAN: NO MAN’S LAND SECRET FILES #1, a comic being released on Oct. 6.
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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 and STAS countless times. If you have anything to contribute, feel free to do so! Enjoy!

CONBTRIBUTED BY STAFF:
We’re blind, I tell you! BLIND!

CONTRIBUTED BY OTHERS:
(by “Grey Eyes”)
1) The mesa used in the THE DEMON REBORN is in fact Mesa Verde which was inhabited by the Anasazi Indians hundreds of years ago…as far as I know these Indians were adept at pottery, textiles, but NO GOLD was used in their artwork so episode is totally inaccurate 🙂
 
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MERCHANDISING: WHERE THE REAL BAT-CASH IS MADE
(by Kevin Smith) 
Oh_Ho77@hotmail.com

NOTE: Kevin Smith will return shortly. In the meantime, Tim Wan has supplied us with his words on the BATMAN BEYOND score CD, that came out on August 31st.

BATMAN BEYOND SOUNDTRACK REVIEW
(by Tim Wan)
wantim@hotmail.com
Pictures at:
http://students.washington.edu/jwan/paraphernalia/cd.shtml
TIM WAN’S BATMAN BEYOND
The Tomorrow Knight – http://come.to/batmanbeyond/

When I first heard about a Batman Beyond Soundtrack CD I knew I had to own it. After what seems like an endless period of hell filled with tantalizing previews in Wizard Magazine and Advance CDs for sale on eBay, August 31st finally rolled around and I was ripping open into the packaging outside Tower Records. With a giddy smile on my face, and $15 less in my wallet, I slapped the silicon disc into my Discman and sat back as an all too familiar theme song thumped loudly into my ears. Twenty tracks, and forty minutes of “atomic pile-driver percussion and downright nasty guitar crunches.” Make no mistake; no fan of Batman Beyond should be without this CD.

The twenty tracks are taken straight from the show, which are all composed by Shirley Walker, Kristopher Carter, Lolita Ritmanis, and Michael McCuistion. Every track is named appropriately to wherever on the show it was taken from. For example, Track #13 Inque Escapes, is from (duh) the episode where Inque escapes. Honestly though, most of the tracks are just fast paced, hard hitting, techno guitar pieces; I wouldn’t have it any other way. Whenever I listen to Track #2: Cold Vs Hot, images of Mr. Freeze and Blight pop into my head. Listening to Track #10: The Legacy Continues, reminds me of the handshake at the end of “Rebirth.” The thing that sets this music CD apart from other soundtracks where nine out of ten tracks are merely “inspired” by a certain movie, is that every one of these tracks will take you back to your favorite events from Batman Beyond. The adventures of Terry McGinnis, Bruce Wayne, Inque, The Royal Flush Gang and Blight are all compacted into a small package to go.

Is there anybody who wouldn’t like this CD? Sure, if you don’t like Batman Beyond, or don’t like the music, then don’t buy this CD. In case you haven’t noticed, Batman Beyond possesses a much different soundtrack than the neo-classical orchestral scores from The Batman and Superman Adventures. Just ask yourself: do you dance and head bang violently when Batman Beyond begins? Or do you flip to another channel? For those that need more convincing, head over to www.amazon.com and just listen to samples.

The design of the CD is simple and nice. I prefer a track listing on CD’s, but that’s just my preference. The CD case has a beautiful layout and design. (See my website for complete pictures) None of the artwork is original, but they all fit perfectly. The only problem is that the quality isn’t perfect. It isn’t horrible, but it isn’t spectacular. Perfectionists will notice “jaggies” on the straight lines, and some blurriness on the cover. It’s not really that big of a deal as it is a soundtrack, but some original art would have been nice. However, what more than makes up for it is a letter from Bruce Timm that describes the history and process of making music for Batman Beyond. It’s a nice personal touch that completes the package. He mentions that if the Batman Beyond CD sells well then perhaps more will be produced. Can a BTAS or STAS soundtrack CD be far behind?

To sum it all up, if you’re a Batman Beyond fan – “make some room on your CD rack-and remember to PLAY IT LOUD!”
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COMIC REVIEWS
(by Aaron Maurer)

BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES
ISSUE: “Daddy Dearest” (#17)
WRITTEN BY: Scott Peterson
PENCILED BY: Tim Levins
INKED BY: Terry Beatty
ISSUED: August 4, 1999 (Cover date is October)
RATING: ***.5 (out of 5)

“Any murder is unacceptable. But to target a child…never. Not in MY city.”
–Batman

SUMMARY: After an apparent mob hit is thwarted by Batman, he goes undercover to find out who was behind it and why. He finds out that the men were after the family’s son. Batman goes after the man responsible, who explains that after a rival gang hit that left him wheelchair-bound, his only son had died. Checking at the hospital revealed that it wasn’t his real son, but one who was switched at birth. The boy he is after is his real son. Batman has to give the boy the right to meet his dad, even though he’s a vicious mafia boss. However, after talking with him, the son says thanks but no thanks and leaves his father. Batman trusts the father to stay away from his son because of something he saw in his eyes.

COMMENTS: This issue actually had some good characterization, some plot, and some very good moments. It’s the first of the issues after Ty Templeton left that I can say that about. The cover is great, as well.

CRITICISMS: I think that the switched-at-birth thing is something that’s been done to death in all forms of entertainment and media lately, so I didn’t find anything all too remarkable or new to the story. Also, the art seemed a lot more cartoony than I’m used to in the animated style. It was more cartoon-like than the actual show.

BOTTOM LINE: A nice story that will entertain and maybe even make you think. Maybe.
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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”.)
If we are unsure of the exact date of when an issue is being released, just check out “DIRECT CURRENTS” at http://www.dccomics.com for details.

BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES #19
October 6th?
Synopsis: Who are the deadly Lion Man and mysterious Prairie Girl? And what part do they play in Robin’s dillusionment with crime-fighting? The answers will definitely surprise you!
Cover: http://www.toonzone.net/comics/covers/bga/bga19.jpg

NEXT MONTH:
Synopsis: Poison Ivy makes a comeback in a story featuring none other than…breakfast cereal?
Cover: Unavailable

BATMAN BEYOND #2 (ongoing)
October 13th?
Synopsis: The shadowy villainess known as Inque has found a way to get Gotham’s citizens to commit her crimes for her. She hopes to use the ill-gotten gains to finance a cure for her inhuman condition, but she doesn’t realize that becoming human again may cost more than just money. Can Batman capture her…and save her from a cure that is worse than the disease?
Cover: http://www.dccomics.com/directcurrents/comics/covers/download/dbmbd2.jpg

FOLLOWING MONTH: Issue #3. 
Synopsis: The Royal Flush Gang returns. (This issue was originally going to feature The 
Terrific Trio, but they scrapped that story, for copyright reasons.)
Cover: Unavailable

SUPERMAN ADVENTURES #38
October 6th or 13th?
Synopsis: Unavailable.
Cover: Unavailable

NEXT MONTH:
Synopsis: Unavailable
Cover: Unavailable
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NEWS AND RUMORS

ALL-ENCOMPASSING/OTHER
-The Canadian channel YTV has picked up BTAS and BATMAN BEYOND. That’s right! Beginning Sept. 18th, YTV will be showing BATMAN BEYOND, picking up where the show left off on GLOBAL (another Canadian channel). This past weekend YTV aired REBIRTH (both parts).
YTV will be airing BATMAN BEYOND every Saturday and Sunday at 2:30pm. Also, YTV is airing all 109 episodes of BATMAN, with SUPERMAN waiting in the wings. BATMAN airs every weekday morning at 7:30am. The times are the same in every time zone…but to be absolutely sure, check local listings. It looks like that for all of us Canucks, and some Americans that can access this channel, YTV has saved the day, for now!
For more info, go to http://www.ytv.com – then YTV GUIDE, then select the show title from the “HIGHLIGHT A SHOW” menu. (Note: The main page can take 5 minutes to load up, so be patient!)
-An interview with BTAS/STAS/BEYOND producers Bruce Timm and Glen Murakami has just popped up on the net! Here is the address: http://www.purpleplanetmedia.com/eye/inte/btimm.html
-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!
-For all those unable to catch BTAS on KIDSWB or the CARTOON NETWORK, fear not! If you have access to the Canadian children’s TV channel “YTV”, you’re in luck! On September 13, episodes of the original BTAS started to air, beginning with “On Leather Wings”, episode #1. Hopefully all us Canadians and lotsa ya’ll others will be able to watch!
-The Monday update for the COMIC BOOK CONTINUUM will feature the lowdown on the new BATMAN BEYOND episode ‘EARTH MOVER’, as well as all DC December comics, which includes BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES, BATMAN BEYOND, and SUPERMAN ADVENTURES. The URL is:
http://comicscontinuum/stories/9909/20/index.htm
-Confused why WB cut out the 4:30pm (ET) POKEMON and returned BATMAN/SUPERMAN back to it’s hour status on weekdays? Well, we have RiddlerWB to thank! He helped us have our voice heard on the POKEMON overkill on WB! Thank you! From everyone on the B:TAN we’d like to say: 
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, RIDDLERWB! YOU ARE THE BEST!

“CURRENT” ANIMATED SERIES’
-Want to know how SUPERMAN will end? Well then click on this link provided. But take warning: it contains VERY, VERY, VERY MAJOR SPOILERS. The review is very in detail. You’ve been warned.
http://www.anotheruniverse.com/tv/features/supesbats.html
-BTAS/STAS will return in the fall of 2001 with NEW EPISODES, when Batman Beyond goes on hiatus.
-For some background info on “THE DEMON REBORN” which just debuted this past weekend, go here 
http://comicscontinuum.com/stories/9909/06/index.htm

BATMAN BEYOND
-Wanna know some of the voice actors coming to lend a hand to BATMAN BEYOND? Try this list: John Ritter, Tim Curry, Andy Dick, Henry Rollins, Dan Castelleneta, Wendy Malik, Jill Eichenbury, Kate Jackson, Ice T – and more!
-The Huntress will make an appearance on the series.
-WB will be releasing three tapes of BATMAN BEYOND, each containg three episdoes. The tapes will be as followed:
BATMAN BEYOND: Disappearing Inque
This tape will feature Black Out, Disappearing Inque, and (not sure) A Touch Of Curare
BATMAN BEYOND: School Dayz
This tape will feature Gotham Golem, The Winning Edge, and Dead Man’s Hand
BATMAN BEYOND: Tech Wars
This tape will feature Shriek, Heroes, and Meltdown
These tapes will be available in all-stores on Dec. 21st. So if you got a huge Christmas list, then you know what to get ’em. The quality on these tapes will be top-notch and will be priced at about $9.99 – $11.99 per tape. This will be 11 episodes of BB that have been released to video so far.

ANIMATED COMICS
-Poison Ivy will be appearing in GOTHAM ADVENTURES #20.
-It’s a nearly-safe bet that Two-Face will be in BGA#22 (just as he was in BATMAN ADVENTURES and BATMAN & ROBIN ADVENTURES).
-Ty Templeton’s upcoming two-issue stint on Superman Adventures will be co-written with Dan Slott.
-The Terrific Trio was originally set to be in Issue #3 of BATMAN BEYOND, but the story was pulled because of their certain resemblance to a certain foursome of MARVEL heroes. An homage? 
Yeah, right.
-If you want pics for BATMAN BEYOND iossues #1-3 go to GOTHAM CITY LIMITS
http://www.batman.genxer.com
It has synopsis and pictures for the first three issues, and the covers look very sweet, plus it looks like DC will still be running the TERRIFIC TRIO story in BB #3. Preview section URL:
http://members.xoom.com/_XOOM/City_Limits/previews.html

OTHER COMICS
-Issue #2 of BATMAN: DARK VICTORY (in November) will feature the Riddler.
-Robin will get his one “YEAR ONE”-type miniseries, (four parts total) come next year. This will also feature Two-Face, a whole gallery of Batman’s “classic” villains, and introduce a brand new villain specifically for Dick Grayson to square off with.
-Batgirl will get a special two-part miniseries next year entitled “Batgirl: Master/Apprentice”. The villains in this story haven’t yet been revealed, but apparently one will be an apprentice trying to become his/her own villain. (I’m guessing Joker/Harley, you?)
-For more, see the “Road Through No Man’s Land” section below.

MOVIES
-Kevin Sorbo has signed on to play Killer Croc in Batman 5. He states, “My slant on the character is that this under-appreciated pillar of society will actually be a demi-god, a la the Zeus/Hercules relationship, which works perfectly since a character named Maxie Zeus will be the main villain in this picture.” Maxie Zeus has yet to be cast, but rumors state that comedian Ray Romano is very interested in the role. “Everybody loves me”, he states. (Alright, another slow week for movie news…I need to put SOMETHING in here!)

TOYS & MERCHANDISE
-The Playstation version of the SUPERMAN video game has a tentative release date of September 16, 1999.
_________________________
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/newsletters/btan

MAY, JUNE: For synopses of what how things really heated up in the fifth and sixth months of 
NO MAN’S LAND, see of “Batman: The Animated Newsletter”. Follow this link: 
http://www.toonzone.net/wbc/newsletters/btan

JULY: For synopses of the many things that happened in the month that all of the other major players in Gotham broke back into the city, see of “Batman: The Animated Newsletter”. 
Follow this link: http://www.toonzone.net/wbc/newsletters/btan

AUGUST: For synopses of the many things that happened in the final full month of summer, see of Batman: The Animated Newsletter”. Follow this link:
http://www.toonzone.net/wbc/newsletters/btan

SEPTEMBER: Leslie Thompkins has taken in Mr. Zsasz, who later runs on a rampage in the M*A*S*H* sector of NML. To complicate things, Zsasz is the man that severely injured one of Killer Croc’s friends, so, of course, Croc wants revenge. Batman and Huntress collide with Leslie, telling her to take Zsasz out of her care immediately. Huntress and the mute Batgirl meet for the first time. Petit then enters the fray, hunting Killer Croc, inadvertantly endangering everyone with his brutal crime-fighting methods. All of this was in BATMAN CHRONICLES #18.
Nightwing has finally escaped from Blackgate, and put Lock-Up, KGBeast, and all the other villains held within back behind bars, where they belong. Blackgate Prison is now once again under Batman’s control.
Then, in “Underground Railroad”, Hardback (one of the former members of the GCPD) does his best to keep his 100 blocks of Gotham safe. He soon learns that the Penguin knows of a way to leave Gotham safely, despite the destroyed bridges and mines in the river; he goes to the 
Penguin and works out a deal with him, to get his children out of Gotham. The Joker also appears.

That’s 50 issues of NML so far. For a complete list, e-mail us.

WHAT’S TO COME…
-September: “Goin’ Downtown”: Two-Face, Penguin, and Bane collide in another major turf war – in BATMAN #571 and DC #738. 
-October: Superman returns to Gotham, saving the city from Petit and his renegade ex-cops. 
Then Two-Face breaks his deal with Gordon, kidnaps him, and puts him on trial. And don’t forget “Batman: No Man’s Land #0”, featuring what Batman did when he abandonned Gotham, who encouraged him to return, and how Huntress became Batgirl.
-November: Batman confronts Gordon. The “Outside Interest” is revealed. The Joker makes his move.
-December: NML concludes with the four-part “Endgame” story.
-A MAJOR CHARACTER, HERO OR VILLAIN, WILL DIE BEFORE “NO MAN’S LAND” ENDS.
-See below for more.

AS FOR THE OTHER HEROES:
-Batman MIGHT reveal his identity to Gordon in November.
-Batman sends Robin out to get emergency food rations BUT is confronted by Mr. Freeze and the Ratcatcher in the process. Robin then goes up against Killer Croc in Robin #71 and 72.
-Azrael faces off against the Joker AGAIN in AZRAEL #60.
-The Huntress hangs out with Petit for the remainder of NML.
-Superman will return to Gotham in SHADOW OF THE BAT #92, in October.
-Apparently Wonder Woman may appear in NML in a special one-shot by the end of the year.
-Commissioner Gordon is kidnapped by Two-Face in BATMAN #572 and DC #739, in October. Batman later confronts him in LOTDK #125.

AND AS FOR THE REMAINING VILLAINS…
-Bane returns in September to destroy Gotham – and finally fulfill his plans – in “Goin’ Downtown”.
-Mr. Freeze will appear in Robin #70 in September.
-The Joker re-appears in November in the two-part “Shellgame”, just as Gotham is beginning to be re-built.
-Killer Croc appears in ROBIN #71 and 72, in October and November.
-Echo (introduced back in May in “Claim Jumping”) will be returning to Gotham before the year is through.
-Two-Face re-surfaces in September in “Goin’ Downtown”, another major turf-war story, also featuring Bane and the Penguin. In October he kidnaps Commissioner Gordon and puts him on trial in the two-part “Jurisprudence”. 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 to a prominent role in “Goin’ Downtown”.
-The “outside interest” is revealed in SOTB #93, in November.
-Catwoman seeks refuge in the Penguin’s territory in CATWOMAN #76, in November.
________________________
FEATURED BAT-SITE FOR THIS ISSUE

TWO-FACE’S TOWER OF TRANQUILITY AND TERROR

When in doubt, just shamelessly plug your own site! 16000 hits and counting! Come see! Come see!

http://www.angelfire.com/tx/TimTwoFace/index.html
________________________
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
—–
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
—–
*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
TIM WAN’S BATMAN BEYOND
http://come.to/batmanbeyond
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
THE RIDDLER – EDWARD NYGMA’S PUZZLE WEBSITE
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/prospero.milan/nygma
THE BATMAN ACTION FIGURE PAGE
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Boulevard/7659/
BATMAN/SUPERMAN SNAP JUDGMENTS
http://www.snapjudgments.com/batsup.html
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
JOKERZ TERRITORY
http://members.xoom.com/Jokerz84/index.htm
THE BATZONE
http://www.batzone.cjb.net/
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
—–
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
________________________
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.
________________________
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/newsletters/btan
________________________
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
________________________
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

EDITOR: Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton
EDITOR ON VACATION: “Dick Grayson”
AIR DATE SCHEDULES: Brian Cruz & RiddlerWB (our friend at the official BTAS/STAS site)
BTAS REVIEWS: Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton
EDITORIAL: The Ghost of Laura Hysert
COMIC REVIEWS: Aaron Maurer
TOY REVIEW: Kevin Smith
MONTHLY REPORT FROM THE UK: Brian Davis
“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 & Bill Finger (who else?)

Batman and all related indica are trademarks of DC Comics, Copyright c 1999.
_________________________

Batman The Animated Newsletter #37

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