Batman: The Animated Newsletter
Weeks of November 1 – November 6/7, 1999
Volume 2,
Rated: PG for some “low-key coarse language and occasional griping”
THIS ISSUE’S SUBLIMINAL MESSAGE: “THIS SPACE FOR RENT.”
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UPCOMING NEW EPISODES
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 new episodes for BATMAN, SUPERMAN, and BATMAN BEYOND.
‘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 even more complicated when he learns that she’s being forced to steal to save her family from kidnappers.
‘HOOKED UP’
Batman Beyond #21
Air date: November 13, 1999
Batman has to come to Max’s rescue when she becomes addicted to a virtual reality world that is controlled by Spellbinder.
‘RATS’
Batman Beyond #22
Air date: November 20, 1999
Batman must protect Dana from a dangerous secret admirer…a lonely teenage outcast who lives underground with giant mutant rats as his only companions.
‘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 second season 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/backstage/programming/kids_framed.frm
THIS WEEK:
Mon 11-01-99: B-BEYOND #03 Black Out
Superman #42 Where There’s Smoke
Tue 11-02-99: Batman #90 You Scratch My Back
Superman #28 Father’s Day
Wed 11-03-99: B-BEYOND #06 Shriek
Superman #43 The New Kids in Town
Thu 11-04-99: Batman #89 Double Talk
Superman #26 Monkey Fun
Fri 11-05-99: B-BEYOND #15 Earth Mover
Superman #52 Little Big Head Man
Sat 11-06-99: Superman #51 Superman’s Pal
B-BEYOND #20 Once Burned
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 and BATMAN BEYOND 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 or 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 BATMAN BEYOND will air at 2:30pm on Saturday and Sunday. YTV has the rights to show all 109 BTAS episodes; it looks like they’ll be airing new BEYOND episodes (Note: Episode #14 on Oct 31), but we don’t know for sure. As for STAS, we’re VERY unsure at this point. We’ll keep you posted!
THIS WEEK:
Mon 11-01-99: BTAS #42 Moon of the Wolf
Tue 11-02-99: BTAS #45 Terror in the Sky
Wed 11-03-99: BTAS #38 Heart of Steel (Pt. 1)
Thu 11-04-99: BTAS #44 Heart of Steel (Pt. 2)
Fri 11-05-99: BTAS #39 “If You’re So Smart, Why Aren’t You Rich?”
Sat 11-06-99: BEYOND #15 Earth Mover (?)
Sun 11-07-99: BEYOND #16 Splicers (?)
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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 either of these sites for the schedule:
http://www.toonzone.net/brian/schedules/batman-cn.html
http://homes.acmecity.com/animation/saturday/352/schedule.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 virtually 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!
HIDDEN AGENDA
Written by Hilary J. Bader
Directed by Curt Geda
Animation by Koko, Dong Yang
Original air date: October 16, 1999
My rating: ****1/2 (Out of five stars)
Curiosity, intelligence and programming skills can be dangerous qualities for a high school student living in Gotham City. Maxine Gibson, Max to her friends, has written a computer program to ferret out Batman’s identity. After some Jokerz vandalize her high school and then go after her, Max rewrites the program to discover the identity of any Jokerz gang member who may be attending her school. Guess who is at the top of her possible suspects list?
Terry McGinnis is worried. How can he protect Max and still protect his secret?
GOOD POINTS:
This episode neatly illustrates the contrasting sides of good and evil. More than one character has a hidden agenda, or a secret. Like another episode, ASCENSION, the title is appropriate for both Terry and the villain.
HIDDEN AGENDA starts off with Jokerz terrorizing a hapless victim and attacking him with many sets of chattering teeth! At first the chompers look silly, but the dentures are deadly and can bite through wood and metal. The Joker would have enjoyed that little gag.
Later, at Hamilton Hill High School, Max is portrayed as an intelligent and confident young woman. A little more information about Terry is revealed when Max says that he probably did just as well in the GAT test [an SAT type exam] as she did, and she got a perfect score. At least one person at this school knows he’s a smart guy.
I liked the plot twist when Max thinks Terry is a Jokerz. His confusion at her insinuations is well done.
Several things in the final fight scene are clever. Terry, as Batman, can be seen in the background as eyes only, when Terminal, the Jokerz leader, asks Max who will help her. Then Batman materializes to answer, “Me”. Terry and Max’s short conversation during the fight scene is perfect.
The final scene in the computer lab is a gem. I especially enjoyed Max’s silent reply and the closing banter between Terry and Max. She’s quite a strong-minded redhead. The fact that this redhead shares the same computing skills and determination with an older generation red head is a nice tie-in to the earlier series. The ending reminded me of the BTAS “HEART OF STEEL” episodes, especially the ending of part two. Max’s character development in future episodes should be interesting.
After battling chemically enhanced, genetically altered, or irradiated villains, a bunch of gang members as villains is a good change. Terry doesn’t have to permanently incapacitate, dilute or otherwise destroy all miscreants. Batman fights crime, whether that involves dealing with arch-villains or capturing run-of-the-mill criminals, like the law-breaking Jokerz.
BAD POINTS:
The Jokerz leader’s identity is obvious very early in the story. No computer program is needed to deduce the secret. But, the identity is key to the story, so, unfortunately for any amateur detectives watching, the secret has to be given away.
The switch on the fountain may have been too easy of a plot ploy, but hey, it’s just a half-hour show.
Okay, Terry knows something about Alfred. What? Will we ever find out?
Sigh, there is no Bruce in this episode. Hillary Bader, the writer, shows a more independent Terry, but I want Bruce in a Batman episode.
Zanna
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EDITORAL #1
(by Laura Hysert, aka “Phoenix”)
Oh where, oh where has our Laurrrra gone? Oh where, or where can she beeeeee? Oh where, oh where has our Laurrrrra gone? I guess she’ll no longer work for freeeeeee….
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EDITORIAL #2
(by Kelly Tindall)
WHY I LOVE HALLOWEEN
It’s the one night of the year when you just ain’t you.
It’s the night of the year when you can be Batman without being an outcast. It’s the only time the Mad Hatter and the Scarecrow can walk down Main Street at 8 o’clock.
It’s the night of the year when, if you play your cards right, you’re the person that you could be during the day if you could wash your inhibitions right down the drain, just like your makeup.
Halloween is the true you. Hope you enjoyed it.
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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.)
Ladies and gentlemen, I would first off like to apologize for my unexplained absence from last week’s edition of the newsletter. I would also like to reassure everyone that I am, in fact, quite alright, and to say thank you for the many cards, letters, and fruit baskets that I have received in the past week. Everything is just dandy, and rumors of my death were greatly exaggerated. That said, let’s dive right in.
In my last report, I stated that WB had sold the rights to Batman Beyond away to Saban. In a late breaking story, WB has now acquired the rights BACK from Saban, realizing the mistake that they made.
“We realize that we can’t milk this Pokemon crap forever,” said a WB spokesman, “and we have to treat Batman Beyond with the respect it deserves.” He then proceeded to show off the brand new Outer Space Exploration Batman Beyond figure, in a nice bright green space suit.
Meanwhile, the casting call for the live action Batman Beyond movie is well under way. “We’ve cast that J. Peterman guy from Seinfeld as Derek Powers,” an official said. “I can’t think of his real name.” That’s okay, no one would probably recognize him as anything else, except maybe “that guy from the Travel Channel commercials… who was also on Seinfeld as J. Peterman.”
Unfortunately, with all the money spent buying the rights back from Saban, there is now little money in the budget left for things like good animation or decent plots. “That never really stopped us before, though,” our spokesman laughed. “After all, we have Hilary J. Bader on staff.” I was then beaten once again and asked to leave the studio, as most all of my interviews end. But, such is the life of a reliable source.
Next week, we’ll have the return of the Reliable Source Mailbag, so be sure to write in! The address, as always, is Reliable_S@hotmail.com. Thanks to everyone who keeps writing in, and keep watching because your letter may be the next one that I pull out of my sack. 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.
Ouch. I just got my wisdom teeth pulled the other day. Ouch…my gums are killing me. Keeping that in mind, I decided to centre this newsletter’s trivia section entirely around teeth. It’s a quiz about nothing! Hmmm…that sure sounds familiar…
201. In the episode/comic “Mad Love”, the Joker briefly appears in the guise of a dentist. What does his nametag read?
A: DR. JECKO
B: DR. JEKYLL
C: DR. NAPIER
D: DR. SMILE
E: He didn’t wear a nametag!
202. In the “old style” episodes, the Joker’s teeth were usually a bright yellow colour – except in one episode, where they were the off-white colour (as seen in the “new style” episode). Which episode is this?
A: MAD LOVE
B: BE A CLOWN
C: MAKE ‘EM LAUGH
D: TRIAL
E: ALMOST GOT ‘IM
203. Wow, my third question into this and my creative well is already running dry. OK, how’s this: Batman once punched/kicked someone who, as a result of this, lost a tooth. Who was this?
A: SUPERMAN
B: THE JOKER
C: BANE
D: TWO-FACE
E: THE SCARECROW
204. One certain character noticed that he/she had spinach in his/her teeth in one episode. In this episode, what was he/she stealing at the time when this spinach was noticed?
A: A LARGE AIRWAVE-DISTURBING DEVICE
B: FISH
C: TWO MILLION AND TWO DOLLAR BILLS
D: A DERGIBLE
E: A CANISTER OF VENOM
205. Who is the only woman to ever lick Harvey Dent’s teeth on BTAS?
A: Gilda Dent
B: Rene Montoya
C: Grace Lamont
D: Janet Van Dorne
E: Pamela Isley
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ANSWERS TO THE TRIVIA
Answer to #201: A
Answer to #202: C
Answer to #203: B
Answer to #204: A
Answer to #205: E
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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) In “Joker’s Wild”, in the scene where Bruce is playing Blackjack with the Joker, his hand has cards with the numbers 9 and 3; however, when he puts the cards down (and thereby winning the game), the cards are an 8 and a 3. Whoops! Someone wasn’t doing their math in this episode…
2) The Laughing Dragon statue in “World’s Finest” (the one made of Kryptonite that the Joker stole) is only 30 years old, which Alfred states. Only 30 years old? So why is it for sale in an ANTIQUE store? My understanding was that the word “Antique” meant at least over a century old!
CONTRIBUTED BY OTHERS:
(by “Matt”)
1) In the BATMAN BEYOND episode “Hidden Agenda”, Terry’s little brother is playing with two spaceship toys; one is superman’s one-man pod, the other is the space shuttle you always see in Superman, used by the other people.
(by “CKent15”)
2) In the episode “Almost Got ‘Im,” Harley reads from the phone book to make the gas-induced audience laugh, while Batman is hooked up to the electric chair. She is reading from the “A’s”… yet she is open to the middle of the book?!
(by “Ultros”)
3) In the episode “Joker’s Wild”, when the Joker steals the Jokermobile to escape Batman’s advances, he throws a sign out from within. The sign reads the following: “WAN THE CIRIN QNAL JOKERNOODLE”. What the hell does THAT mean? Hmmm.
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MERCHANDISING: WHERE THE REAL BAT-CASH IS MADE
(by anyone that wants to contribute)
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 BEYOND (ongoing)
ISSUE: “Grounded” (#1)
WRITTEN BY: Hilary J. Bader
PENCILED BY: Craig Rousseau
INKED BY: Rob Leigh
ISSUED: September 20, 1999 (Cover date is Octber)
RATING: **** (out of 5)
As I turned to page one of Issue #1 of the ongoing BATMAN BEYOND series, I knew something had changed: this story was going to be good.
I didn’t have very many nice things to say about Bader’s original BEYOND minsieries. It was poor. Really poor. Nothing really interesting happened, it was far too wordy, the art wasn’t terribly intense, and many of the plots were too far-fetched and/or convoluted for my taste. This issue was different, and was a definate crowd-pleaser.
Terry McGinnis seemingly goes insane, so Bruce Wayne has to come out of retirement (a la THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS) and has to go head-to-head with the “other” Batman (a la KNIGHTFALL) to fix things up. Half the appeal of this story was to see Bruce in the Batsuit again – but I also felt that the characterization given to Bruce and Terry, and more importantly their relationship with each other, was developed quite significantly. I would even go as far to say that this was a landmark event in their relationship.
Downside? Yes, BATMAN BEYOND is still filled with many tiny flaws, the most prevelant of which being a plethora of under-developed villains. Spellbinder is one of those villains. He’s an interesting character, and has an even more interesting gimmick, but it takes more than that to keep my interest for an extended period of time. All of the great Bat-villains have deep, disturbing origins; Spellbinder’s just a guy who’s mad that no one has ever given him gratitude for his counselling at Hill High. What’s that? Where’s the tragedy? This character, along with many other BEYOND villains, really needs something deeper to scar his psyche.
Overall, I say that this was a terrific issue. I have faith in Hilary J. Bader once again!
;-Y
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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 #3 (ongoing)
November 24th
Synopsis: The Terrific Trio returns.
Cover: http://www.dccomics.com/directcurrents/
comics/covers/download/dbmbd3.jpg
FOLLOWING MONTH: Issue #4.
Synopsis: The Royal Flush Gang returns.
Cover: http://www.dccomics.com/directcurrents/
comics/covers/download/dbmbd3.jpg
SUPERMAN ADVENTURES #39
November 10th?
Synopsis: Unavailable
Cover: Unavailable
NEXT MONTH:
Synopsis: Unavailable
Cover: Unavailable
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NEWS AND RUMORS
ALL-ENCOMPASSING/OTHER
-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!
-An 8-page preview of the NO MAN’S LAND novel will be found in DC#741, which hits shelves on December 15. This will bump up the already large issue to 48 pages; it will cost $2.50 American, and presumably $3.75 Canadian.
“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
-You can now catch BEYOND on the Canadian TV channel GLOBAL, every Saturday morning at 8:30 or so; check local listings for the exact times.
-An odd note: Global is really airing BATMAN BEYOND oddly. Myself, and two other Canadian companions saw different episodes of BATMAN BEYOND. We live in differant areas, and we all saw diferant episodes. Here’s the rundown:
OCTOBER 23, 1999
Vancouver, BC: ‘SHRIEK’
Calgary, AB: ‘DEAD MAN’S HAND’
Ontario: ???
Fredericton, NB: ‘DISAPPEARING INQUE’
For anyone who lives in Canada, did you see a different episode? If you did, then please tell us! Post what episode you saw at the unofficial BATMAN BEYOND Board:
http://www.insidetheweb.com/mbs.cgi/mb163115
-Shriek will re-appear in BATMAN BEYOND #5, in January.
-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.
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.
OTHER COMICS
-DETECTIVE COMICS will be 40 pages long from January thru May (meaning a 30 page story); in June it will drop to 30 pages, 22 of which will include the main story. It will sell for $2.50 in the USA, and $3.50 (I’m guessing) in Canada.
-BTAN has a peek at what Gotham, as well as a few bat-gadgets, will look like when the revamp hits January 2000. Here are all the links:
BATMOBILE:
http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/9910/29/batmobile.jpg
WAYNE MANOR:
http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/9910/29/waynemanor.jpg
BATCAVE:
http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/9910/29/batcave.jpg
BAT-GADGETS:
http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/9910/29/batgadgets.jpg
GOTHAM CITY:
http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/9910/29/gothamskyline.jpg
POLICE UNIFORMS:
http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/9910/29/batpolice.jpg
GOTHAM RESIDENTIAL AREA:
http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/9910/29/gothamesidential.jpg
SWAT TEAM UNIFROMS:
http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/9910/29/batswat.jpg
-Two-Face and Solomon Grundy are the focus of DARK VICTORY #4, in January. Solomon Grundy is on the cover.
-Issue #5 of DARK VICTORY has Catwoman on the cover.
-Issue #6 of DARK VICTORY features the Penguin on the cover.
-Wanna read what Rucka and Grayson have set for the final two months of NML? There are some slight spoilers and ALOT of teasers! This article will no doubt make any heavy NML enthusiast very excited for the NML finale. The URL is:
http://www.anotheruniverse.com/comics/interviews/rucka101599.html
-DC has unveiled early sketches of the new Metropolis set to debut in January of 2000. Wanna see? Well check this link: http://www.anotheruniverse.com/comics/features/metropolis102999.html Expect sketches of new Gotham soon!
MOVIES
-Apparently the straight-to-video BATMAN BEYOND movie being released in December 2000 will reveal what happened to both Tim Drake and the Joker. It will be out by November 7, 2000. -There are two live-action movies in the works right now. One is the YEAR ONE movie we’ve been hearing so much about; the other is a live-action BATMAN BEYOND film, which Keanu Reeves was referring to a couple weeks ago. (We printed that story in this column.) After his work on THE MATRIX (parts 2 and 3) is over, expect to hear more about it.
TOYS & MERCHANDISE
-If you weren’t already aware, Warner Bros. Stores have begun to receive the WB Miniature Classic Collection! There are 10 from the original BTAS: Batman, Robin, Batgirl, Joker, Harley, Penguin, Riddler, Catwoman, Mr. Freeze, and Poison Ivy!
-The new line of Batman bean bags have been out since September at least: Batman “Beyond”, Riddler, Penguin, Joker, Harley.
-The SUPERMAN video game for Playstation will be out in the first quarter of 2000.
-The first issue of the Sega Dreamcast magazine says a Batman beyond video game is due out in 2000.
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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”. Azrael aids Catwoman in breaking back into Gotham, Superman pays Batman another visit, and things heat up *WINK WINK* between Nightwing and Oracle.
Then, in NO MAN’S LAND #0, we learn that Batman abandonned Gotham for Monaco the day the bridges were blown, and Talia was the one that forced him to go back. We also learn the details as to why the Huntress became Batgirl.
Then in NO MAN’S LAND SECRET FILES we see various congress reports, newspaper clippings, character bios (including Penguin, Harley, Ivy, Dr. Thompkins, and newcomers “Mute” Batgirl, Cain, and Echo). We also see a tale of a dying man during the day the bridges were blown, where he encounters the Penguin, Poison Ivy, Two-Face, and the Huntress.
Killer Croc sets out to conquer the Penguin’s territory; only Robin stands in his way.
Two-Face then breaks into Commissioner Gordon’s home, beats Sarah Essen to a pulp, and kidnaps Gordon; he brings him into his sector to hold a trial, claiming that Gordon is responsible for war crimes. Montoya’s family is also reveals to still be alive, but imprisoned; apparently Two-Face has a crush on Rene. Meanwhile, the Penguin’s pipeline to the outside is intercepted by Batman and Robin.
Two-Face then puts Gordon on trial; then Montoya; then, himself. His two sides become angered at each other and he is self-defeated. Meanwhile, Batman, Robin, Batgirl, and Azrael have appeared, finally conquering Two-Face’s gang. Sarah Essen IS still alive. Batman and Gordon agree to finally talk.
That’s 65 issues of NML so far. For a complete list, e-mail us.
WHAT’S TO COME…
-November: Batman confronts Gordon. The “Outside Interest” is revealed. Bane assembles all the remaining villains – Joker, Penguin, and Harley – for a final blow-out. The Joker, realizing that Batman has totally neglected him since NML began, tries to get his attention in the worst way possible.
-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). TWO OTHER “NAMED” CHARACTERS WILL ALSO BE KILLED.
-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 #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.
-Commissioner Gordon’s trial, held by Two-Face, concludes in DC #739. Batman later confronts and reconciles with him in “Falling Back”, 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 attacks the Penguin’s territory in Robin #72, in November.
-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 seeks refuge in the Penguin’s territory in CATWOMAN #76, in November; she then faces Deadman in December.
-The Joker and Harley re-appear 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.
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FEATURED BAT-SITE FOR THIS ISSUE
BTAN SPOTLIGHT: FANFIC
(by Dick Grayson)
Fanfic. This is how some of the best writers start. Who knows, maybe most of the fanfic you read will become modern-day classics. In this edition of BTAN, there are two Fanfic boards I want you all to discover, and visit as soon as you read this. At THE WORLD’S FINEST DISCUSSION CENTER there are two Fanfic boards up, one called THE BATMAN/SUPERMAN FANFIC BOARD, the other called THE DARK KNIGHT FANFIC BOARD. One boards provides ‘animated’-esque toned stories, the other gives us dark, intense, ‘adult’-esque toned stories. Both are goldmines. Here’s a breif run-down of the two amazing boards:
THE BATMAN/SUPERMAN FANFIC BOARD
http://www.insidetheweb.com/mbs.cgi/mb715053
Contains ‘animated’ toned stories. Stories rate anywhere from ‘G’ to lite ‘PG-13’. There are about 5 webpags worth of story threads, and they are all good stuff. One of the highlights is the ‘Return of the Phantasm’ story. Very well done and colorful. Great stuff. If yoiu want some real ‘New Adventures’ of BATMAN & SUPERMAN, check out this board, you won’t be dissapointed!
THE DARK KNIGHT FANFIC BOARD
http://www.insidetheweb.com/mbs.cgi/mb715122
Contains dark, intense, and more adult-oriented VERTIGO-esque stories. Stories rate from hard ‘PG-13’ to ‘MA'(Mature Audiences). This board is the fledgling fanfic board, so while there is not alot of stories, they are all veyr intense, and are keppers. THE DEMON SERIES is excellent and CHILD SNATCHER is the most intense story I’ve read in a long time. I swear you’ll be pulled in simply by the prologue. Great stuff!
These two boards definatly deserve to be noticed by all fans verywhere. If you like BATMAN/SUPERMAN toned stories, check out the BATMAN/SUPERMAN board. If you like stories in the line of DARK KNIGHT RETURNS and ARKHAM ASYLUM, then it doesn’t get any better then the DARK KNIGHT FANFIC BOARD! THE FANFIC CENTER is apart of WORLDS FINEST
http://welcome.to/worldsfinest
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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://zap.to/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
HARLEY’S HAVEN OF HEDONISM
http://www.angelfire.com/hi2/harlequinhideaway
THE ANIMATED BAT
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Academy/7382/index.html
GOTHAM CITY LIMITS
http://www.batman.gexner.net
BATMAN: DEFENDER OF GOTHAM
http://www.citynet.net/personal/batman
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/
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
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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/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 AT COLLEGE: “Dick Grayson”
AIR DATE SCHEDULES: Brian Cruz & RiddlerWB (our friend at the official BTAS/STAS site)
BTAS REVIEWS: Zanna
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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