Batman: The Animated Newsletter
Weeks of October 11 – October 16/17, 1999
Volume 2,
Rated: PG for some “low-key coarse language and occasional griping” THIS ISSUE’S SUBLIMINAL MESSAGE: “HMPH. SO SUE ME IF MY CREATIVE WELL IS DRY. SO SUE ME IF I
COULDN’T USE A BETTER CLICHE.”
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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.
‘HIDDEN AGENDA’
Batman Beyond #19
Air date: October 16, 1999
Fellow high school student “Max” (Maxine) learns that Terry is Batman, when he saves her from the threat of a vengeful Joker.
‘BLOOD SPORT’
Batman Beyond #18
Air date: October 23, 1999
The Stalker – a cybernetically enhanced wild animal hunter – grows bored with Big Game and goes after the only challenge left in the world: Batman.
‘ONCE BURNED’
Batman Beyond #20
Air date: November 6, 1999
Batman/Terry’s emotional resolve is put to the test when an old girlfriend, who also happens to be the notorious Ten of the Royal Flush Gang, reverts back to a life of crime. The situation becomes further complicated when he learns that she’s being forced to steal to save her family from kidnappers.
‘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.
For synopses of all other upcoming BATMAN BETOND episodes, check out of BTAN at this address:
http://www.toonzone.net/wbc/newsletters/btan
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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 three links for schedule information:
http://www.batman-superman.com/batman/cmp/episodes.html
http://www.toonzone.net/brian/schedules/
http://www.ktla.com/rebuild/programming/kids_framed.htm
THIS WEEK:
Mon 10-11-99: Superman #27 The Promethean
B-BEYOND #07 Meltdown
Tue 10-12-99: Batman #107 Chemistry
Superman #42 Where There’s Smoke
Wed 10-13-99: Superman #32 The Late Mr. Kent
Batman #80 Second Chance
Thu 10-14-99: Batman #98 Mean Seasons
Superman #36 Warrior Queen
Fri 10-15-99: Superman #07 Feeding Time
B-BEYOND #05 The Winning Edge
Sat 10-16-99: Batman #106 Mad Love
B-BEYOND #19 Hidden Agenda ———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 10-11-99: NO EPISODE
Tue 10-12-99: BTAS #19 Prophecy of Doom
Wed 10-13-99: BTAS #08 The Forgotten
Thu 10-14-99: BTAS #27 Mad as a Hatter
Fri 10-15-99: BTAS #31 The Cape and Cowl Conspiracy
Sat 10-16-99: BEYOND #05 The Winning Edge
Sun 10-17-99: BEYOND #09 Spellbound
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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
To see the 52 episodes that the CARTOON NETWORK does show, go to this link:
http://www.toonzone.net/brian/eplists/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
NOTE: Due to the loss of the WGN, editor Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton has been unable to review any new episodes. Until he can once again, we’ll be having someone substituting for him. Thank you to Justin Chen for this review!
SPLICERS
Written By Eva Dorkin & Sara Dyer
Directed by: Curt Geda
Animation by Dong Yang
Original air date September 17, 1999
Rating: ***1/2 (out of 5)
After the long, bleak wasteland of television programming known as summer, BB comes back at us with the season premiere “Splicers”, and boy does it look good.
A new fad is sweeping the youth of Gotham City. Known as “Splicing”, the process involves the integration of animal DNA into the genes of humans, thus producing animal-like characteristics. The school’s loaded with spliced teens; even Dana’s friend Chelsea has had her eyes altered to look like those of a snake.
Terry and Dana, (who seem to have made up since “Dead Man’s Hand” last season) are in the minority now. Terry’s cautious about this new craze, noting that the city is trying to ban splicing. During a newscast we are introduced to Dr. Abel Cuvier, a vampire-esque freak who heads the Chimera Institute, the company that invented splicing. “I was the first test subject, and as you can see I’m perfectly fine,” he says.
Terry is creeped out by Cuvier and this entire splicing fad. Bruce agrees in this case, and makes an ominous prediction.
“Something bad will come of this splicing. Something we’ll most likely have to clean up.”
That’s the premise for the the rest of this episode, in which it is revealed that Cuvier does not plan to stop his genetic revolution with only kids. The Chimera Institute has not only created some funky looking youths, but also some very hardcore followers of Dr. Cuvier’s dream. Two punks spliced with bull and snake DNA respectively enter a brief battle with Terry. He wards them off, but the spliced pair warns the normal people that “their time will come”.
Under the cover of accompanying Dana to explore Splicing, Terry observes Bull and Snake speaking to Dr. Cuvier in the Institute. Through Terry’s investigation as Batman, he discovers the Doctor’s plans to take out District Attorney Sam Young, who is Barbara Gordon’s husband as well as the leader of the crusade against Splicing. Before he can do anything, Terry is sensed and captured by a cat-spliced employee of Dr. Cuvier. As he awakens, he sees Cuvier injecting something into him. Whatever it is, Terry drops in pain to the floor and is beaten by Cuvier until he narrowly escapes.
Sam Young from “A Touch of Curare” takes an important role in this episode, with the bloodthirsty followers of Cuvier attempting to assassinate him at his residence. Batman flies in and stops them, but then begins to go over the edge in beating them. Barb Gordon tries to tell Terry to stop, but it’s of no use. Finally Terry begins to foam at the mouth and flies off into the darkness.
There’s plenty more left in this episode, including BB’s version of Man-Bat, Batman’s showdown with Cuvier, and a major role for Ace the Batdog…and Terry really does call him that! There’s no shoratge of high powered action in this episode, including Terry ripping the nose ring right out of Bull during their last battle scene. Surprisingly, I don’t think anyone bled during this episode, but that’s beside the point. Also, I was surprised that Bruce could come up with a cure for Splicing so quickly…but all BB eps have a rushed feel to them. I was expecting perhaps a reference to Kirk Langstrom and the Man-Bat of the old days, but no such luck. But like “The Winning Edge”, which focused on teen drug use, “Splicers” explores the impact of fads on young people, although not to the near-corny extent that the former one did. In all, a good, but not amazing start of the new season.
-Justin Chen, aka ‘The Overseer’
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EDITORAL #1
(by Laura Hysert, aka “Phoenix”)
Laura is still on…*EVIL LAUGH*…extended vacation. She’ll return shortly; in the mean time, editor Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton has submitted an article about a topic that’s been on his mind lately…
WHY DOES EVERYONE THINK PAUL DINI IS A GOD?
(by Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton)
Paul Dini? Thought of as a god. WHY? Let’s see…what does he do for the show? He started as a writer, later became a producer, and then wrote the “BTAS Bible”…hmmm.
So how is he a god? Someone please explain this to me. Why do people mention him and Frank Miller in the same breath? It’s insane and unjustified. Way back with the original 85 episodes, I totally DID respect the guy – a lot of his works back then were very well done. He won an Emmy for his work on “Heart of Ice”, and an Eisner for his work on the “Mad Love” comic – both of which were really great pieces. He also wrote a handful of great episodes, and co-wrote about a dozen more.
But I remember, even at the age of 14, when 1994 rolled around, he was losing his style. His obsession with Harley Quinn was going way overboard, and any story that featured her really suffered – ESPECIALLY “Harlequinade”. Long gone were Dini’s in-depth scripts, delving into the human psyche; now all his scripts were filled with lame jokes and cheap sex shows put on by the gals of BTAS.
Things got 10 times worse in 1997, when BTAS returned. “Holiday Knights”? “Joker’s Millions”? “Cult of the Cat”? What’s this crap? (OK, the latter of the three wasn’t BAD, but it wasn’t great.) But still – look at all those bad scripts. Now that Dini was a PRODUCER, it seemed that Joker and Harley were making a lot more impressions, but a lot less of an impression. “Hey look, guys! Let’s make Harley act seductive here and those foolish Bat-fans will love it, just you see!” While I feel that the lightened tone was likely enforced by the WB execs, the story quality for most episodes truly suffered because of Dini as the producer. Personally, I felt “Batman & Robin” was a lot better than these pitiful stories.
And people want Dini to write the script for Batman 5?
This season, Dini has done very little that I would consider GOOD. “Mad Love” would be included, but he wrote that in 1994. “Growing Pains” would be included, but he ALSO wrote that script (intended for Dick Grayson and not Tim Drake) back in 1994; pretty much anything found in the final print of the episode was written by Robert Goodman. “Over the Edge” is the only truly great episode that Dini wrote this season – but even there, he has to destroy the sombre mood by injecting four villains into a talk-show sequence (focusing on Harley again – what a surprise); the episode would have been PERFECT without that. Now it suffers.
And SUPERMAN? Don’t get me started. “Little Girl Lost”? “Unity”? What’s this tripe?
Oh, and let’s make something clear: Dini did NOT write “Mask of the Phantasm” – he merely helped out. Alan Burnett, a far better writer in my opinion, wrote the script. He still likes to focus on character and emotion, not gimmicks and cheesy costumes.
Dini started his work at WB with “Tiny Toons” – and in light of the recent contributions he’s made to the Bat-universe (including the upcoming not-too-promising “Harley & Ivy” mini-series), it would seem that he wants to go back. Quit destroying the show you helped create, already – you’ve made your point, now move along.
Moving along may not seem to far off, either. An article in a recent TV guide said that both he and co-producer Bruce Timm may be moving on, away from Batman, Superman, AND Batman Beyond. Know what I say? YAY! They’re not the only people that can handle these series’ now. They’re pretty much just “behind-the-scenes concept-guys” now, anyhow; I’d much rather see Alan Burnett stick around as producer of all three series’, and have Stan Berkowitz and Robert Goodman do a large chunk of the writing. And yeah, there’s a lot of OTHER writers and artists and producers out there, too – Dini’s not the only one that can handle the Bat-universe with style.
Dini’s got talent, that’s a given – but he sure as hell isn’t using it these days. It’s a true disappointment – almost EMBARASSMENT – to watch anything that he’s written any more.
I understand that a lot of you out there do really like his work, and I respect that. My question is WHY? Please give me a couple reasons as to why I should enjoy everything he writes – how wonderfully constructed and beautifully worded it is. Any takers? I’d love to change my mind on this subject – if there’s any reason to.
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EDITORIAL #2
(by Kelly Tindall)
WHY BATMAN NEEDS A ROBIN
Batman doesn’t need a Robin.
Or does he?
That was the question Jeph Loeb, writer of the hotly anticipated 13-part series “Batman: Dark Victory” posed to his collaborator, genius artist Tim Sale. Sale had fought against using the 10-year old Dick Grayson, but a message of hope was to be that of “Dark Victory”, and so Robin is in.
Frank Miller, back when he wrote “The Dark Knight Returns”, had a similar notion. Batman needs his Robin. Robin is everything that Batman is not: innocent. Small. Colorful. Talkative. Robin is Batman’s protege. Robin’s the hope that the dream Bruce Wayne started, to rid Gotham of crime forever, will live on. Robin is Batman’s legacy, his son, his teacher, and his friend.
He’s also, to some extent, Batman’s meal ticket. Kids love seeing a kid fighting bad guys. ROBIN isn’t afraid of the school bully. ROBIN could fight THE JOKER, or TWO-FACE…he’s not afraid of ANYBODY. He talks back to BATMAN, of all people. And he gets to hang around with the biggest, scariest super-hero there ever was. What kid wouldn’t want to swing around the city, following the greatest Big Brother in the world?
Fox figured this out, so in went Dick Grayson, as an aged Robin, to every episode. The Adventures of Batman…AND ROBIN. EVERY WEEK. And it worked. Kids love him.
When Fox pulled the plug, well…the kids and the fans waited. And back Batman came, with a brand-new set of kin to help him rid the night of evil. Robin was growing up, just like the kids that watched him. A new bunch of kids needed someone to look up to, so in came Tim Drake. A spunky, street-smart little boy, Tim weaselled his way into the life and heart of Batman’s collective unit. Tim got to live every kid’s dreams, all over again…a big sister who’d put her life on the line for him…a big brother who is a big scary hero all on his own, a rebel with a cause…a grandfather, a wise old man watching a third generation of crime-fighting legacy spread its wings…and, of course, a dad who happens to be the world’s greatest detective. It’s not just neat for kids…it’s COOL.
It’s cool for us, too. We can sit back and see how having a kid around changes Bruce into someone with a new mission, one of hope for the future instead of a dark tragedy down the line. Robin is living punctuation for Batman’s every quirk. He’s small, while Batman is huge. He’s bright, while Batman is black. He smiles. He laughs. He jokes around. Batman can’t. He wants to, more than anything, but the promise he made to his parents makes him separate from everyone. All but this smart little boy, who moved into the Batcave and took over. Bruce sees that the boy is like he was at that age. He knows how he feels. And he knows that the pain won’t ever go away, but he’ll do his best to make little Dick Grayson feel better about himself and the world.
And what of the comics’ Jason Todd, or Tim Drake? Shadows, mostly…Tim has become a part of Batman’s family, but he is clearly an invention, a contrivance to replace the feeling we get when we see little Dick Grayson being taught to throw a batarang by big Bruce Wayne. Jason never had a chance. Jason, like Barbara, became a character-developing point for the Joker.
What can we learn from Robin? We can learn that you can become anything you want to be. We can learn that there are ways of dealing with the pains of being a kid. We learn about the child that we used to be, and hopefully cast a light on the children that we may one day have ourselves. Most important of all, we learn about what it’s like to have somebody need us. Love us, unconditionally. And make us want to fight that much harder to make this world a better place.
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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.)
Folks, it’s time once again to reach into the Reliable Source mailbag and pull out a letter from one of the readers of this fine newsletter. This week, our letter comes from Mr. Brady Stiles of Erie, PA. Mr. Stiles writes: “Dear Reliable Source, I find your column very enjoyable. I hope you can enlighten me on a certain matter. Many people felt that Batman Beyond was going to be too much like Spider-Man. Now many people think that Spider-Man Unlimited will be a knock off of Batman Beyond. What’s up with the BB/Spidey stuff, I don’t see it?”
Well, Mr. Stiles, it’s like this. Apparently all the buzz started when the original concept plans for Fox’s new Spider-Man Unlimited series went public. The plans went something like this…
Twenty years after Spider-Man’s retirement, New York City is in need of a new hero. An old and bitter Peter Parker has hung up the webs after a traumatic incident trying out a new robotic Spider-suit to save the daughter of Felicia Hardy. However a young boy, Jerry McFinnis, is chased to Parker’s doorstep one night by a gang of Goblinz, hoods who idolize the late Green Goblin. After his father’s murder, McFinnis steals the Spider-suit to become a new hero for a new era.
Other details of the pilot involved Richard Fisk being doused with radioactive chemicals, and becoming Blightpin. The series got surprisingly far in the development stage before it was re-structured, there were even negotiations with Hasbro for a toy line. Unfortunately all the figures were to be Spider-Man variants, with maybe one member of the Goblinz gang as a villain. What else is new, right?
You too can write to Reliable Source and have your questions answered. Just drop me a line at reliable_s@hotmail.com. Thank you to Mr. Stiles for writing in, and until next time this is Reliable Source saying, as always, more as we 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.
Ahhh, Robin. Why did we somewhat dedicate this newsletter to him? Hmmm. No one but myself will ever know for sure. (It’s though, hint hint.) Anyhow, keeping with that, here’s a quiz focusing on all the Robins that have appeared on BTAS.
186. According to original air date, what was the first episode in which Robin appeared on BTAS?
A: ROBIN’S RECKONING (Pt. 1)
B: CHRISTMAS WITH THE JOKER
C: SINS OF THE FATHER
D: FEAR OF VICTORY
E: THE STRANGE SECRET OF BRUCE WAYNE
187. In which episode of BATMAN BEYOND were the original Robin’s initials mentioned?
A: SPELLBOUND
B: SHRIEK
C: DEAD MAN’S HAND
D: BLACK OUT
E: ASCENSION
188. Which of the following villains have BOTH Robins interacted with on the animated series?
A: Firefly
B: The Mad Hatter
C: The Penguin
D: Killer Croc
E: Harley Quinn
189. One of the Robins used is named Carrie. Which legendary comic-writer originally created this character?
A: PAUL DINI
B: DENNY O’NEIL
C: FRANK MILLER
D: NEAL ADAMS
E: GREG RUCKA
190. What was the name of the “animated” comics mini-series that both showed Dick’s transition into Nightwing and the introduction of Tim Drake?
A: BATMAN: KNIGHTFALL
B: BATMAN: THE LOST YEARS
C: BATMAN: A NIGHT IN BLUDHAVEN
D: BATMAN: A DEATH IN THE FAMILY
E: BATMAN: LOSS OF MY OL’ CHUM
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ANSWERS TO THE TRIVIA
Answer to #186: D
Answer to #187: A
Answer to #188: B, C, E
Answer to #189: C
Answer to #190: B
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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:
1) OOPS! Check out the end of the scene where Valestra first meets the Joker in MASK OF THE PHANTASM. When Sal is saying “Really?”, it’s the Joker’s mouth that is moving. Ahhh, our flawless Bat-movie IS flawed, after all – fie, for shame! 🙁
2) How does Lock-Up breathe through his mask? It’s skin-tight and covers both his nose and mouth – wouldn’t he have suffocated by now?
CONTRIBUTED BY OTHERS:
(by “Christine E. Wakim”)
1) Did you ever notice that in “Harley and Ivy”, the diamond that Harley is trying to steal is called “The Harlequin Diamond”?
(by “Lady Wayne”)
2) When Bats twists his knee (after his fall through the ceiling) in “Robin’s Reckoning (Part Two)”, he ties a splint around his leg that extends from his THIGH to his ankle. By the end of the episode, the splint is only about half as long, stretching from right at his knee to his ankle. Kinda weird!
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MERCHANDISING: WHERE THE REAL BAT-CASH IS MADE
(by Kevin Smith)
Oh_Ho77@hotmail.com
You’d think that with all this Bat-merchandies overcrowding our stores that we’d have SOMETHING to write about here, huh? Hmmm…we’ll get an article in here soon, we promise!
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COMIC REVIEWS
(by Aaron Maurer)
Mr. Maurer was unable to submit a review for the printing of this newsletter, so editor Tim “Two-Face” Leighton is here to fill the void.
BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES
ISSUE: “Like a Bat outa Gotham” (#18)
WRITTEN BY: Scott Peterson
PENCILED BY: Tim Levins
INKED BY: Terry Beatty
ISSUED: September 1, 1999 (Cover date is November)
RATING: **.5 (out of 5)
When I first heard that Man-Bat was reappearing, I was glad to hear it. Man-Bat has never been a favourite of mine, but I had enjoyed a number of stories in which he was featured. Sadly, this particular outing with the character did not do much for me.
I can appreciate the basic premise of the story: someone kidnapping Francine and holding her hostage, using that as an iniative for Kirk “Man-Bat” Langstrom to bow to their demands and help them out with their criminal activities.
The problem with this issue is that Peterson doesn’t seem to realize the full potential of this story. Most of this episode is dedicated to giant illustrations and very minimal dialogue; the first three pages, while nice to look at, were still a waste of space. None of the characters are given any depth, and some characters, such as Batgirl, don’t even need to be here in the first place. I was disappointed with this story not because of what it was, but because of what it could have been with just some minor tweaking here and there; it pains me to see a story come so close to hitting the mark, but a number of little things keep it from attaining this goal.
I have faith in Peterson writing good stories (as he did in Issues #15 and #17), and hope that in the near future we’ll see a stretch of time where all the issues are excellent, as this series has been known for in the past.
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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 #20
November 3rd?
Synopsis: Poison Ivy makes a comeback in a story featuring none other than…breakfast cereal?
Cover: http://www.dccomics.com/directcurrents/comics/covers/download/dbmbga20.jpg
NEXT MONTH:
Synopsis: A young girl has been kidnapped and the only “eye witness” is a blind jazz musician. Can even Batman, the world’s greatest detective, use the information the old man provides to find the girl before the kidnapper takes his revenge?
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 Terrific Trio returns.
Cover: http://www.dccomics.com/directcurrents/comics/covers/download/dbmbd3.jpg
SUPERMAN ADVENTURES #38
October 13th
Synopsis: When the Parasite steals Mr. Mxyzptlk’s powers, the Man of Steel is the only one who can help the imp regain his magic! Mxy’s been a fifth-dimensional pain in Superman’s side for years, but, with his powers in the Parasite’s hands, it’s a million times worse! How can Superman get Mxy’s powers back where they belong before the Parasite tears reality apart?
Cover: http://www.dccomics.com/directcurrents/comics/covers/download/dsma38.jpg
NEXT MONTH:
Synopsis: Unavailable
Cover: Unavailable
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NEWS AND RUMORS
ALL-ENCOMPASSING/OTHER
-An interview with Paul Dini and Bruce Timm is in the newest issue of TV Guide. I haven’t read it yet myself, but the grapevine says it doesn’t sound very promising (as far as BTAS is concerned, I’m assuming)…
-SUPERMAN IN CYBERSPACE
Warner Bros. Online has signed a deal with Brilliant Digital Entertainment to provide six animated series for their new Multipath Movie Channel online. SUPERMAN: THE MENACE OF METALLO and either a Loony Tunes or Batman series will be produced exclusively for the Warner Bros. site, with four other series chosen from the Brilliant library that includes KISS and XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS cartoons. Warner Bros. can order up to 30 additional episodes of these series for the web site if the shows prove successful. The interactive shows will allow the viewers to choose the directions of the plots. Warner Bros. Online has already made a deal with AtomFilms to broadcast their short films.
-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’
-BTAS/STAS will return in the fall of 2001 with NEW EPISODES, when Batman Beyond goes on hiatus.
-Then again, there is ALSO word that BTAS/STAS WON’T return. So which do we believe? Hopefully the first…
BATMAN BEYOND
-Synopses of episodes #17 through 36 have now been posted, thanks to the COMIC BOOK CONTINUUM. Check out of BATMAN: THE ANIMATED NEWSLETTER for a complete listing.
-Apparently there is a strong push inside WB for Batman Beyond to run in a “prime time” slot. However producer Bruce Timm thinks that it will remain in its Saturday morning slot for at least a while longer. “Yes, there is interest in Batman Beyond in prime time, but they really need Batman Beyond on Saturday mornings. It’s kind of an umbrella show; it helps raise the ratings on all the shows. They need it to help prop up Saturday mornings.”
ANIMATED COMICS
-Poison Ivy will be appearing in GOTHAM ADVENTURES #20.
-Batgirl and Commissioner Gordon will be in the spotlight for of GOTHAM ADVENTURES.
-Lock-Up is planned to be used in the near future.
-Ty Templeton’s upcoming two-issue stint on Superman Adventures will be co-written with Dan Slott.
-The Terrific Trio will appear in BATMAN BEYOND #3.
-The Royal Flush Gang will appear in BATMAN BEYOND #4.
-If you want pics for BATMAN BEYOND issues #1-3 go to GOTHAM CITY LIMITS http://www.batman.genxer.com
OTHER COMICS
-The Paul Dini/Alex Ross tale “Batman: War on Crime” will be released on November 17, 1999.
-Both Greg Rucka AND Devin Grayson will be writing the finale to NO MAN’S LAND, with the three-part “End Game”.
-Batman, Robin, Gordon, Two-Face, and Joker will have large recurring roles throughout DARK VICTORY.
-Issue #2 of BATMAN: DARK VICTORY (in November) will feature the Riddler.
-Issue #3 of BATMAN: DARK VICTORY (in December) will feature the Scarecrow.
– of BATMAN: DARK VICTORY (next year) will feature Mr. Freeze
-J. M. DeMatteis will now be taking over THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN, when current scribe and artist, Stuart Immonen leaves at 7. DeMatteis takes over with 8. This will complete the rehaul of the entire SUPERMAN line. The artist accompanying DeMatteis (at least for 2 issues) will be BATMAN: HARLEY QUINN’s Yanick Paquette until a regular artist is slated. Rumour has it that Mike McKone is topping the list for possibilities.
-For more, see the “Road Through No Man’s Land” section below.
MOVIES
-Do you really wanna hear the John Holmes thing again? No? I thought so. Therefore, I won’t even bother with making up fake news for this issue.
TOYS & MERCHANDISE
-The various combined BATMAN toy lines have become the second-best selling toy line of the 1990’s. What was number one? NOT STAR WARS! HAH! They’re #3, followed by the Ninja Turtles at #4, and GI Joe at #5. The Power Rangers took the prized #1 spot. Ack. But at least we beat the tripe known as Star Wars.
-The Playstation version of the SUPERMAN video game has a tentative release date of September 16, 1999.
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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/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: For synopses of the issues dealing with the set-up of the final crunch of No Man’s Land, see of Batman: The Animated Newsletter”. Follow this link:
http://www.toonzone.net/wbc/newsletters/btan
OCTOBER: Batman foils a scheme where some hoods promise citizens an escape from Gotham; meanwhile, Catwoman battles Maxie Zeus in New York City for the discs that are “vital to saving Gotham City”.
That’s 56 issues of NML so far. For a complete list, e-mail us.
WHAT’S TO COME…
-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 in “Jurisprudence” – BATMAN #572 and DC #739. 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. Bane appears. The Joker makes his move.
-December: NML concludes with the three-part “Endgame” story, and then a final reflection in the final issue of SHADOW OF THE BAT (#94). The hope of a new Gotham comes into view – which is when the event we’ve been waiting for finally hits. The Joker returns in a big way to “destroy hope”…by kidnapping and killing children. And this all happens during the Christmas season. Batman, Robin, Nightwing, Azrael, Oracle, Batgirl, and Huntress all have major roles. The outside interest makes his/her move.
-ONE OF THE MAJOR HEROES WILL DIE BEFORE “NO MAN’S LAND” ENDS. (This is in Detective Comics #741).
-See below for more.
AS FOR THE OTHER HEROES:
-Batman MIGHT reveal his identity to Gordon in November.
-Robin goes up against Killer Croc in Robin #71 and 72.
-Azrael faces off against the Joker AGAIN in AZRAEL #60 and 61 – both guest-starring Batgirl.
-The Huntress hangs out with Petit for the remainder of NML.
-Superman will return to Gotham in SHADOW OF THE BAT #92, in October.
-Commissioner Gordon is kidnapped by Two-Face in BATMAN #572 and DC #739, in October. Batman later confronts him in LOTDK #125.
-Tim Drake’s father breaks into NML to retrieve his son from the ghastly warzone – in December.
AND AS FOR THE REMAINING VILLAINS…
-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 cuts his deal with Commissioner Gordon and promptly kidnaps him; he puts him on trial in the two-part “Jurisprudence”, this October. Apparently he is the second-last villain to be defeated. (How fitting.)
-Bane re-appears, and the “outside interest” is revealed in SOTB #93, in November.
-Catwoman battles Maxie Zeus in CATWOMAN #75, and then seeks refuge in the Penguin’s territory in CATWOMAN #76, in November; she then faces Deadman in December.
-The Joker re-appears in November in the two-part “Shellgame”, just as Gotham is beginning to be re-built. This leads directly into the three-part “Endgame” in December, during Gotham’s Christmas season, just as NML draws to a close, to once and for all destroy Gotham and all of its citizens.
-Harley Quinn re-appears in “Shellgame” and “Endgame”, alongside the Joker.
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FEATURED BAT-SITE FOR THIS ISSUE
Want to see YOUR site in this space? You can! Just e-mail us at juno@direct.ca so we can check out your site (note: must be Batman related). If we approve, you can see your site advertised in this very newsletter! Sooooo, who’s interested?
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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
YTV’s BATMAN BEYOND Page
http://www.ytv.com/shows/batman_beyond/
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
PSYCOMICS
http://www.psycomics.com
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
BATMAN & SUPERMAN:THE WORLD’S FINEST DISCUSSION CENTER
http://welcome.to/worldsfinest
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
A TRIBUTE TO BATMAN
http://www.angelfire.com/ny2/russkafin/batman.html
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@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/newsletters/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
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: Justin Chen
EDITORIAL #1: The Ghost of Laura Hysert
EDITORIAL #2: Kelly Tindall
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.
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