Batman: The Animated Newsletter
Weeks of October 9 – October 22, 2000
Volume 3,
Rated: PG for some “low-key coarse language and occasional griping”
THIS ISSUE’S SUBLIMINAL MESSAGE: “SIGN THE ‘SAVE THE RETURN OF THE JOKER’ PETITION!!!”
PPS – Happy Canadian Thanksgiving and American Columbus Day to everyone!
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SPECIAL NEWS
*MAD ABOUT THE DELAYED RELEASE FOR ‘RETURN OF THE JOKER’? CHECK OUT THE FOLLOWING LINK AND WRITE TO THE WB!
http://www.aint-it-cool-news.com/display.cgi?id=7106
*TO SIGN A PETITION, GO HERE:
http://www.123petitions.com/cgi-bin/system/sign1.cgi?id=bbeyond@yahoo.com$8
*WANNA SEE THE NEW TRAILER FOR RETURN OF THE JOKER? GO HERE:
http://www.express.com/consumer/products_movies_fr.asp?NO_CATALOG=X&PRODUCTNUMBER=18379
*WANNA HEAR SOME RETURN OF THE JOKER SOUNDS? HOW ABOUT SOME OF MY OWN SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION? GO HERE:
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Film/3580/Waves.html
IT IS THE DUTY OF ALL RESPECTFUL BAT-FANS TO SUBMIT THEIR VOTE FOR THIS ISSUE’S EDITION OF ‘NO MAN’S ISLAND’. IT IS YOUR DUTY. YOUR DUTY. YOUR — DUTY!!! (No pressure).
-Tim “Two-Face” Leighton
(who also urges you to buy stamps and bonds)
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EAGERLY ANTICIPATING…
New episodes are on the horizon! Here’s what we can expect in the near future…
N/A
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KIDS WB ANIMATION SCHEDULES:
(courtesy of Brian Cruz and/or the official BTAS/STAS site)
Kids’WB! currently airs BATMAN BEYOND five or six times a week. Batman airs on weekday afternoons Monday-Friday, as well occasionally Friday morning before Pokemon. Remember, Kids’WB! is notorious for switching schedules around at the very last minutes. Batman Beyond currently airs at 11am (ET) on Saturdays and 4:30pm (ET) on weekdays.
Check out these links if our schedule is not 100% updated:
http://www.ktla.com/backstage/programming/KIDSWB.htm
http://www.geocities.com/worldsfinestpage/airdate.htm
http://www.toonzone.net/shows
NOTE:
If our schedule is not updated, then go to the following URL. It will ALWAYS contain the most up-to-date schedule possible.
http://www.geocities.com/TelevisionCity/Taping/2928/airdate.htm
THIS WEEK:
Mon 10-09-00: NONE
Tue 10-10-00: B-BEYOND #22 Rats
Wed 10-11-00: B-BEYOND #17 Lost Soul
Thu 10-12-00: B-BEYOND #14 Joyride
Fri 10-13-00: B-BEYOND #26 Terry’s Friend Dates a Robot
Sat 10-14-00: B-BEYOND #38 Ace in the Hole
NEXT WEEK:
Mon 10-16-00: NONE
Tue 10-17-00: B-BEYOND ??
Wed 10-18-00: B-BEYOND ??
Thu 10-19-00: B-BEYOND ??
Fri 10-20-00: B-BEYOND ??
Sat 10-21-00: B-BEYOND ??
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
(BATMAN and BEYOND on YTV)
(courtesy of our friends at YTV)
YTV currently has the rights to air all 109 episodes of Batman, as well as the current 52 episodes of Batman Beyond. YTV usually airs these episodes in either chronological order, or in the original order they aired on Kids’WB! and FOX. Batman Beyond airs Sunday at 2:30pm (ET). Batman now airs at 3:30am Monday – Friday. If our schedules are not updated or are inaccurate, please use these links:
IMPORTANT NOTICE: ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, NEW EPISODES OF BATMAN BEYOND BEGAN AIRING ON YTV! (These have already debuted on the WB network, just not on YTV.)
http://www.geocities.com/worldsfinestpage/epsched.htm
http://www.ytv.com/ytvguide
NEXT WEEK:
Mon 10-09-00: BTAS #69 Avatar
Tue 10-10-00: BTAS #70 House and Garden
Wed 10-11-00: BTAS #71 The Terrible Trio
Thu 10-12-00: BTAS #72 Harlequinade
Fri 10-13-00: BTAS #73 Time Out of Joint
Sun 10-15-00: BEYOND #31 Sneak Peek??
THIS WEEK:
Mon 10-16-00: BTAS #74 Catwalk
Tue 10-17-00: BTAS #75 Bane
Wed 10-18-00: BTAS #76 Baby-Doll
Thu 10-19-00: BTAS #77 The Lion and the Unicorn
Fri 10-20-00: BTAS #78 Showdown
Sun 10-22-00: BEYOND #32 Armory??
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THE CARTOON NETWORK
Cartoon Network has the right to air all 109 Batman episodes, as well as all 54 Superman episiodes. Come September, Cartoon Network will begin airing these. Shows. Batman currently airs during the weekday Toonami block at 6:30pm (ET). Superman will soon have a set airdate as well. Since Cartoon Network is unpredictable with their schedules, we are unable to keep up with them. Please, use these links to find out the schedule information you need:
http://www.geocities.com/worldsfinestpage/airdate.htm
http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/TOONAMI/lineup/batman.html
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EPISODE REVIEW: (SPOILERS!)
(by Justin Chen and/or Zanna)
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
The creative “team” for this column alternates between Zanna and Justin Chen, two loyal subscribers and great friends of ours here. Any other reviews printed here are written by editor Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton. Enjoy!
UNTOUCHABLE
Written by Hilary J. Bader
Directed by Dan Riba
Animation by Dong Yang, Koko
Original Air Date: September 23, 2000
Rating: *** of 5
DESCRIPTION: A new villain appears in Gotham that literally cannot be caught.
HIGHS: Neat visuals, good character interactions.
LOWS: Predictable story, little villain characterization.
OVERALL: Okay, but not up to “King’s Ransom”.
At a high security research lab, a strange masked man enters to steal a strange new isotope. Bullets, electricity, and even Batman fail to faze him. Bruce has an idea of what could be causing this, and he and Terry go to a Wayne-Powers facility to find out. There we meet a friendly researcher who shows off a gravity generating device, the grumpy old supervisor, and a teenage girl who’s lived in isolation her entire life.
That’s basically the background for this episode. The whole “invincible villain” plot has been seen before elsewhere. Given this, writer Hilary Bader (ugh) tries to throw in some extra aspects to improve it. Does it work? Read on to find out.
First I have to say this…the episode looked good. The villain, who seems to be named “Repeller” according to the captions, didn’t look all that special. But he produces a cool glowing aura that sparkles with energy and can be manipulated into various shapes and sizes. Also, the backgrounds here return to mostly dark colors and the animation is once again very fluid. No complaints on the visual part.
Also, the character interactions were good here, such as Bruce’s chat with the uptight supervisor.
Doc: “What makes you think you can rummage through my files like you own the place?”
BW: “Because I do. Bruce Wayne.”
When Terry takes a liking to the girl who lives in the facility, Bruce comprehends the situation perfectly…and tells Terry women used to throw themselves at his feet all the time. “I stepped over them,” he calmly explains. Dana acts like a real bitch about Terry’s predicament–there’s no other way to put it. She’s intolerant and rude about Terry’s interest in Irene (that’s the girl’s name). She lives in a bubble…does Dana really need to be that concerned? It still was rather nice watching Terry and Irene have fun though, and from the looks of it Terry must really have a thing for Asians.
Now for the negative side. The villain has very little motivation for what he’s doing. Apparently he’s only stealing rare chemicals because someone paid him to…we don’t find out who actually needs the stuff. Perhaps that will be addressed later on, but the Repeller’s persona remains thin. As an apparent one-timer, more personality ought to be given in this only chance.
The story also plays out rather predictably…we get two new male characters, one mean and one seemingly friendly. Who’s it gonna be? The “trick” might work on the kids, but most mature viewers could probably see the true identity coming.
This episode was entertaining to watch mostly because of the eye candy battles, not because the storyline was stellar. It’s not up to the level of King’s Ransom, but then again that was a tough act to follow. As far as one-shot villain eps go it’s worth watching, but don’t kick yourself if you missed it. Still, here’s hoping for an awesome INQUELING next time!
By J. Chen, aka The Overseer
overseer@pacificwest.com
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EDITORIAL
???
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NO MAN’S ISLAND
(the SURVIVOR rip-off…erm…homage)
(by Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton)
…A WALTZ DOWN MEMORY LANE…
A WORD FROM THE CAST-AWAYS:
Baby-Doll: “We’re so happy I’m out of Gotham – aren’t we, Mr. Happy-Head?”
Calendar Girl: “Get away from me, kid. Just…stop pointing that THING at me.”
Baby-Doll: “But Mistah Happy-Head wants ta say ‘hullo’!”
Calendar Girl: “I don’t think so. Taxi!”
Baby-Doll: “Where ya headed, mommy?”
Calendar Girl: “Listen, and listen good. I am NOT your mommy. REMEMBER THAT.”
Baby-Doll: “Where ya goin’?”
Calendar Girl: “Hollywood. If I didn’t get voted off I would’ve missed my audition to be Fox’s replacement on ‘Spin City’.”
Baby-Doll: “Can I come, too?”
Calendar Girl: “Sure. But say ‘Are we there yet?’ once and Mr. Happy-Head will be lodged in your rectum PERMANENTLY.”
Baby-Doll: “I don’t like wedgies.”
AND WHAT’S HAPPENED SINCE:
Everyone was under the assumption that after the two whiniest contestants of the bunch were thrown off, things were going to get a lot calmer. Not so.
The lightweight group – the Riddler, Mad Hatter, and the Ventriloquist – are relatively happy now that Baby-Doll was eliminated immediately, so they could finally get some sleep. Says Wesker, “Scarface didn’t like competing with Mr. Happy-Head to run this group. He would have offed him, EASILY, if it ever came to that, but we didn’t want to start up a riff on the island quite so soon.”
The Riddler had this to say: “Yeah, but we’re still in big trouble, here. We really have to recruit some type of muscle here, or we’re going to all get killed right away. That…and the middleweight have ALL THE GIRLS!”
The Mad Hatter didn’t say anything. He just sipped some Cool Nestea and quoted something from Lewis Carroll.
The middleweights – the Joker, Two-Face, Harley, Ivy, and the Scarecrow – aren’t faring nearly as well. “Everyone is already getting on everybody’s nerves,” Dr. Quinzelle said, quickly analyzing the situation, using every skill and technique she picked up in college when she wasn’t doing the professor. “Harv and Puddin’ just keep bantering back and forth with each other over who should be declared leader. I don’t like seeing people yellin’ at Puddin’ like that.”
Poison Ivy had this to say: “Catwoman’s already headed off on her own. I was surprised to see her try to fit in in the first place; this group isn’t big enough for two women.” Harley quickly perked up; Ivy shot her a glance back and Harley wilted down again. “Yeah. We all know who’s in control here.”
Begrudgingly tearing himself away from Two-Face and Joker’s battle of wit and words, the Scarecrow added, “I don’t care who wins. Someone’s gonna die, and as long as it’s not ME, I really could care less.”
The Penguin has mentioned that he had a quick meeting with Batman a few days after Two-Face shot him in ROUND ONE. “Yeah, I guess he still is around. Like I thought otherwise. He just stood there, omnimously as per usual, and told me to keep my beak clean – or else there’d be severe consequences. I’m getting the idea that he’s using me. AGAIN.”
Batman, Robin, Nightwing, and Batgirl have all been reported to be skulking on the rooftops on the outside of the city, circling, waiting for someone to make a move. At least that’s what Commissioner Jim Gordon states. “I’m surprised I haven’t heard from Bru…erm, Batman since this began. Maybe he’s pretending to be missing for three months again, I don’t know. He can be such a pain sometimes. Either way, I have seen something flying around my camp some nights – that’s gotta be him. But why won’t he talk to me? Bullock must be scaring him off. I swear, that whale that washed ashore last week has better breath…”
And again, no word from the heavies. Bane, Killer Croc, Mr. Freeze, Lock-Up, and Clayface are all out there, somewhere.
And one begins to wonder if the others are even on the island. I don’t think Ra’s Al Ghul’s agent ever got back to us about whether he’d be participating or not…
* * * * * * * * * *
AND AFTER A SECOND ROUND OF VOTING…
Sideshow freaks make very strange bedfellows. Rene Montoya has shared with the rest of the GCPD that she has spotted Killer Croc and Man-Bat wandering about town as a pair of nomads, searching for an ideal sector of the city to take root. “Maybe THAT was what Gordon saw last night, flying around our camp,” Montoya commented. “Last I saw, they were on the outskirts of Robinson Park, moving within the foliage.” After Gordon heard of this news, he had this to comment. “This marks the first time in ages that Killer Croc has shown that he has any brains at all. It looks like he is staying hidden on the ground and uses Man-Bat as some type of surveilance. They haven’t actually done anything criminal as of yet – at least as far as we know – so we’re letting them be, for now.”
Meanwhile, it looks as if the group of “lightweights” have acquired some new muscle in the form of Firefly. There is no other information that can be given on this development at this time; our scooper, Summer Gleason, just mentioned that both the Riddler and Mad Hatter had very crafty looks on their faces. Band-leader Scarface should keep a close eye on those two. More as we hear it…
“I swear, if they don’t simmer down soon, I’m leaving,” Poison Ivy commented, regarding what’s now being referred to as “The Great Joker/Two-Face Debate”. Not a very creative title, indeed (apparently Harley was the first to use it), but it works; as for the debate itself, it looks as if those two will never get along. Something big will surely come of this, soon. This scoop was brought to us by “honourable citizen” Roland Dagget, who then had this to say: “Yeah. I swear, this game better be over soon. Those two are going to kill each other are going to take ALL OF US with them!” Dagget was then spotted emerging back into the shadows, later resurfacing at Thorne Enterprises.
The Penguin, still resting up comfortably in his bed at the Iceburg Lounge, demanded we come to for he had news for us. We just think he was upset that he was no longer the centre of attention. “Some malignant IDIOT dropped by my place overnight and just started laughing at me. Demonically, even. No, it wasn’t the CLOWN as I originally thought – it was some idiot in yellow that I’d never seen before. Who the hell was THAT? I mean, honestly – he drew a fake moustache on me while I was asleep – at least he bragged so – and when I cast a glance over to my desk, I noticed that he had drawn genetalia on my penguin paperweight! Geez!” Riiiiight, Oswald. Surrrrre. Momma’s boy. Just be happy you weren’t nearly knocked off AGAIN this time.
Roxy Rockett was spotted last night in the vicinity of Robinson Park; it’s unknown what she was doing. She could’ve been just going out for a joyride for all we knew. Or she could be working for the Penguin, again. Either way, Man-Bat has made short work of her; he briefly left Killer Croc and chased Roxy out to sea and clawed the jet-engine on her rock ’til it was merely shrapnel. She’s presumed lost at sea. “Good. She was really starting to get on everyone’s nerves, anyway.” Killer Croc said. “Not so much that she was doing anything, per se – just the fact that she was even AROUND was reason enough to off her. Even moreso than Baby-Doll.”
Note: I, GWBS reporter Summer Gleason, went to great lengths to clean up his language – and just make it understandable.
Roland Dagget is in a heap of trouble. He had been keeping a low profile for the first few weeks of ‘NO MAN’S ISLAND’, but has now broke his silence. “Yes, I admit it. Thorne and I are in kahootz. We were planning on waiting for all the other freaks to kill each other and then split the island in half between the both of us. But I don’t want any part of it any more. Thorne has acquired this new lackey – I haven’t even seen his (?) face yet – he just stands in the shadows all the time, staring at me during my meetings with Thorne.”
“Who are you talking to, Roland?” We don’t know who said this, but we heard it come from about a block away when we were getting his scoop.
“Oh, nothing Rupe – just thinking out loud.” OK, so we do know who said this. What do you expect? I took writing at Yale. 🙂
“Really. I highly doubt that, Mr. Dagget,” Rupert said; a loud click could be heard, coming from his direction. Without another word, all we saw was Mr. Dagget’s body being riddled by bullets. We all hit the deck; when we looked up again, his body was gone.
Interesting…it makes you wonder where Batman is.
ROUND TWO
Kicked Off:
ROLAND DAGGET (13.6%)
ROXY ROCKETT (13.6%)
Those whom you DID vote for, but they’re still here:
THE CREEPER (9%)
THE VENTRILOQUIST/SCARFACE (6.8%)
LESLIE THOMPKINS (6.8%)
SUMMER GLEASON (6.8%)
FIREFLY (4.5%)
KILLER CROC (4.5%)
THE DEMON (4.5%)
ZATANNA (4.5%)
THE PENGUIN (4.5%)
RUPERT THORNE (4.5%)
MAN-BAT (4.5%)
THE HUNTRESS (2.2%)
HARLEY QUINN (2.2%)
LOCK-UP (2.2%)
BATGIRL (2.2%)
THE PHANTASM (2.2%)
And now, here’s our up-to-date list of contenders.
BATMAN
ROBIN
BATGIRL
NIGHTWING
ALFRED
COMMISSIONER GORDON
DET. HARVEY BULLOCK
RENE MONTOYA
DR. LESLIE THOMPKINS
THE CREEPER
THE DEMON
THE HUNTRESS
ZATANNA
SUMMER GLEASON
THE JOKER
THE PENGUIN
CATWOMAN
THE RIDDLER
TWO-FACE
POISON IVY
THE SCARECROW
MR. FREEZE
THE MAD HATTER
BANE
KILLER CROC
THE VENTRILOQUIST/SCARFACE
HARLEY QUINN
CLAYFACE
FIREFLY
RA’S AL GHUL
TALIA
THE PHANTASM
LOCK-UP
MAN-BAT
RUPERT THORNE
* * * * * *
OUT OF COMMISSION:
E-mail juno@dccnet.com with your votes of the TWO you’d like to see cast off. Remember, we need TWO choices! (I stress that again. TWO!)
PS – Voting for this issue closes at midnight on October 20, 2000.
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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.
POTPURRI, BABY!!!
401. In which episodes can someone aside from Ms. Quinzel herself be seen wearing a Harley Quinn costume?
Answer: _____________
402. In which season of BTAS was a Catwoman/Black Canary team-up planned (but ultimately scratched)?
Answer: _____________
403. Which Bat-character has had the most different voice actors/actresses provide his/her voice?
Answer: _____________
404. How many different voice actors/actresses have worked with this character?
Answer: _____________
405. Who currently provides this character’s voice?
Answer: _____________
406. In THE WORRY MEN, which Bat-villain charicature tried to fill Batman full of holes?
Answer: _____________
407. In the order of original air date, which BTAS episode was the first of the “new style” that featured animation by TMS?
Answer: _____________
408. “Germs” is a lacky of what Bat-villain?
Answer: _____________
409. “Moe” is a lacky of what Bat-villain?
Answer: _____________
410. “Max” is a lacky of what Bat-villain?
Answer: _____________
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AND THESE ARE OUR FINAL ANSWERS (to the trivia)
Answer to #401: JOKER’S WILD, JOKER’S MILLIONS
Answer to #402: SECOND (1994)
Answer to #403: Batgirl (3 in BTAS, 2 on BEYOND)
Answer to #404: Five
Answer to #405: Angie Harmon
Answer to #406: The Riddler (a robot under the Mad Hatter’s control)
Answer to #407: NEVER FEAR
Answer to #408: Roland Dagget
Answer to #409: The Joker
Answer to #410: Two-Face
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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!
CONTRIBUTED BY STAFF:
1) RETURN OF THE JOKER was original due to come out on October 24th, right? Right. Did you know that October 24th is also Bob Kane’s birthday (born in 1916)? That would have been a very nice coincidence, indeed. Rest in peace, Bob.
CONTRIBUTED BY OTHERS:
(by “Jade Carlyle”)
1) In “Joker’s Millions” Joker, Fake Harley, and his goons are sitting around the hideout deciding what to do after they figure out that the money is fake. At this time, Fake Harley is sitting down filing her nails OVER HER GLOVES.
TIMTWOFACE’S DIVINE INTERVENTION: Well, IS it a blooper, or was it just put in there to show just how much of an idiot Fake Harley is? I guess it can be seen both ways.
(by “Gehan”)
2) While the Guards at Arkham take Maxie Zeus to his cell, during the end of “Fire from Olympus”, he sees the Joker, Two-Face and Poison Ivy in their cells. Since when are the inmates at Arkham allowed to wear their regular ‘costumes’? (TIMTWO-FACE’S NOTE: This is also true in “Fear of Victory”.)
3) In “Shadow of the Bat(Part 1)”, Batgirl doesn’t have the yellow bat sign on her chest, but it magically turns up in the next episode.
4) There’s an estbalished chemistry between Batgirl/Barbara and Robin/Nightwing/Dick throughout the series. But in “Batgirl Returns”, Barbara’s fantasy shows us that she also has a mighty crush on Batman, but the issue is never brought up again. Hmmm…
5) ‘Robin’ was originally supposed to be shot in “I am the Night”, not Comissioner Gordon.
6) In the original “Christmas with the Joker” script, the Joker was supposed to steal a regular family, thus making it more intense and scary.
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MERCHANDISING: WHERE THE REAL BAT-CASH IS MADE
(by anyone willing to contribute)
Ahem…AHEM…A-he-he-he-he-HEMMMM…
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COMIC REVIEWS
(BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES by Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton)
(BATMAN BEYOND by Bill Curtis)
(SUPERMAN ADVENTURES by Dick Grayson)
BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES
ISSUE: “Deals” (#30)
WRITTEN BY: Scott Peterson
PENCILLED BY: Tim Levins
INKED BY: Terry Beatty
ISSUED: September 6, 2000 (Cover date, Nov 2000)
Rating: *****
What a touching story.
Clayface has never been a favourite villain of mine, YET he’s always been featured in a lot of my favourite stories. MUDSLIDE, GROWING PAINS, and now, BGA#30.
My favourite panel in the idea issue was at the bottom of page 15 where Clayface meets Tommy for the first time. The lack of dialogue – and even a background – was perfect. The sequence where Clayface teaches the boy to stabilize and solidify; terrific! Hagen is almost acting human again.
I also thought the sequences in Arkham were particularly well done. The all-out brawl between the inmates and Batman that Clayface started up was really cute; Clayface’s not-so-welcome return to Arkham was really touching, too. Of course he belongs here, after everything he’s done – but I still see him as a sympathetic villain, and he doesn’t really deserve all the rudeness he recieves from the Joker and Ventriloquist. I guess that he primarily agreed to help Batman just so he could leave his tormenting colleagues behind for a while. All he needed was some respite at any cost.
I loved this issue. It was perfection all around!
;-Y
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COMIC SCHEDULES & COVERING THE BASICS
This section gives a little bit more in-depth look into each monthly issue of BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES, BATMAN BEYOND, and SUPERMAN ADVENTURES. Below each comic listing is a link to the cover of that comic. TALK ABOUT SERVICE!
The price for any of these issues, unless otherwise posted, is $1.99 in the US and…grrrrr…a whopping $3.25 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 #32
November 1st
Synopsis: The Scarecrow is up to his usual sinister tricks as he unleashes a deadly gas that has the entire city of Gotham going completely crazy! Mass mayhem and destruction ensue as millions of Gothamites literally lose their minds. Can Batman and the gang save the masses from themselves?
Cover: Unavailable
FOLLOWING MONTH:
Synopsis: Batman begins to doubt whether his actions really make a difference in the world, and the guest-starring Phantom Stranger appears to show him what a world without a Dark Knight would look like – and believe us, it isn`t pretty! Batman sees first-hand that his quest has made the lives of his comrades much greater, as one by one they seem to follow the wrong path in the Stranger`s vision!
Cover: http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0009/19/BGothAd33.jpg
BATMAN BEYOND #14
October 25th
Synopsis: Unavailable
Cover: Unavailable
FOLLOWING MONTH:
Synopsis: Just who is the mysterious new being called Erica Electra who`s been crossing paths with future Batman Terry McGinnis? Is she friend or foe? And will Terry`s girlfriend now have reasons to be jealous?
Cover: http://www.fandom.com/multimedia/Batman/Miscellaneous/BatmanMiscellaneous226298.jpg
SUPERMAN ADVENTURES #48
???
Synopsis: Unavailable
Cover: Unavailable
FOLLOWING MONTH:
Synopsis: Unavailable
Cover: Unavailable
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NEWS AND RUMORS
ALL-ENCOMPASSING/OTHER
-The following artists are selling artwork on eBay. The following are their names and Seller ID’s:
Terry Beatty: beatty@machlink.com
Craig Rousseau: cerousseau
Tim Levins: tlevins
Min S. Ku: min3000gt
ANIMATED SERIES (BTAS, STAS, BEYOND)
-THE ZETA PROJECT, the BATMAN BEYOND spin-off, will debut on the KidsWB on October 14.
-Rich Fogel is story editor of the series.
-Fogel has written two Beyond/Zeta crossovers for this coming season
-Hilary J. Bader, Kevin Hobbs, and Paul Dini have also contributed scripts
-Season One will include 13 episodes
-For pics and more information, go to:
http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0009/26/index.htm
ANIMATED COMICS
-BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES #33:
On sale December 13. Batman begins to doubt whether his actions really make a difference in the world, and the guest-starring Phantom Stranger appears to show him what a world without a Dark Knight would look like – and believe us, it isn`t pretty! Batman sees first-hand that his quest has made the lives of his comrades much greater, as one by one they seem to follow the wrong path in the Stranger`s vision!
Cover: http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0009/19/BGothAd33.jpg
-BATMAN BEYOND #15:
(Written by Jason Hernandez-Rosenblatt; art by Craig Rousseau and Rob Leigh; cover by Brian Stelfreeze)
On sale November 29. Just who is the mysterious new being called Erica Electra who`s been crossing paths with future Batman Terry McGinnis? Is she friend or foe? And will Terry`s girlfriend now have reasons to be jealous?
Cover: http://www.fandom.com/multimedia/Batman/Miscellaneous/BatmanMiscellaneous226298.jpg
-BATMAN BEYOND #16
Homeless men have been mysteriously disappearing from Gotham’s streets, thanks to the international terrorist group known as Kobra. But as Batman investigates, he quickly goes from hunter to hunted – and Bruce must somehow infiltrate Kobra to free the captured hero.
Cover: http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0009/19/BB16.jpg
OTHER COMICS
-BATMAN: OFFICER DOWN
Remember 1999? Remember the huge ramifications that NML had on the entire Bat-universe? In January 2001, all of the comic creative teams are making Batman’s battle against crime all the more gut-wrenching and all the more personal: Commissioner Gordon gets shot three times in the back. Brought to you by Greg Rucka, Matt Idelson, Ed Brubaker, Chuck Dixon, Devin Grayson, Nunzio DeFilippis.
Feature Article: http://www.fandom.com/comics/Editorial.asp?action=page&obj_id=234722
Cover: http://www.fandon.com/multimedia/Comics/News/ComicsNews234690.jpg
Cover (to BIRDS OF PREY #27): http://www.fandom.com/multimedia/Comics/News/ComicsNews234691.JPG
-The second issue of HARLEY QUINN: On sale November 8. Harley finds herself alone, adrift and without direction. Even a bizarre cameo by Poison Ivy (among others) can`t get our darling little nut job out of her funk — but maybe a new job will? Enter Two-Face and a wild kidnapping scheme which only gets stranger as the job unravels! And if that weren`t enough, a familiar face is now hunting for Harley, and the Penguin drops by for a visit!
-The cover can be found here: http://www.fandom.com/multimedia/Batman/Miscellaneous/BatmanMiscellaneous226292.jpg
-The third issue of HARLEY QUINN features an all-girl slumber party. Oh, Ivy’s gonna be very happy about this.
The cover can be found here:
http://www.fandom.com/multimedia/Comics/News/ComicNews232646.JPG
-A Harley/Ivy team-up and a road-trip to Metropolis in the pages of HARLEY QUINN is in the planning stages for future issues.
-Volume 4 of NML will be out December 20, 2000.
Cover: http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0009/19/BNoMansLndTP4.jpg
*The following 7 issues are all a part of DC’s ” This Issue: BATMAN DIES!” promotion for December. (That’s right! Batman dies in every one of the following issues in some way.)
-Bane appears in BIRDS OF PREY #26
-Two-Face and Montoya are again the focus of DETECTIVE COMICS #753.
-The Joker appears in ROBIN #85.
-Mr. Zsasz appears in GOTHAM KNIGHTS #12.
-Catwoman appears in NIGHTWING #52.
-Batman’s war against the Penguin continues in BATMAN #586.
-Cain re-appears in BATGIRL #11.
-ROBIN: YEAR ONE #2
On sale November 29. Robin squares off against the Mothman, the original Blockbuster, and
Two-Face – all while trying to live the life of a normal teenager. When duty gets in the way of
blooming romance, Dick at last learns the impossible cost he must pay to be a champion of good.
Cover: http://www.fandom.com/multimedia/Batman/Miscellaneous/BatmanMiscellaneous226294.jpg
-ROBIN: YEAR ONE #3
Robin’s first battle with Mr. Freeze.
MOVIES
*RETURN OF THE JOKER NEWS:
-The release date for RETURN OF THE JOKER has been PUSHED BACK to December 12th, 2000. Why? Undoubtedly, this was done with the idea that they’d sell more during the holiday season. Perhaps, but come on…this just isn’t fair, especially after all the work everyone did to bring it out WAY AHEAD of the original planned date (from November 7 to October 24). This all comes from Stan Berkowitz himself, and the folks at Amazon.com.
-For NEW pics from RETURN OF THE JOKER, check here:
*Video cover: http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0009/25/bbtape.htm
*Batman fights “Ghoul”: http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0009/25/bb1.htm
*Batman in cloud of smoke: http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0009/25/bb2.htm
-Mad Stan also makes an appearance in RETURN OF THE JOKER.
-The Batman Beyond website (www.batmanbeyond.com) will be adding interactive features that include a 10-minute “Return of the Joker” preview Webcast, a soundtrack sampler, a clip from the music video, interactive arcade games, character biographies, weekly contests and sweepstakes for chances to win great prizes, questions for the creators, chat events and much more. (all the previous movie info was taken from Alan J. Porter’s “Gotham Weekly News” newsletter)
*BATMAN BEYOND: LIVE ACTION NEWS:
-Rumour has it that Paul Newman is one of the contenders to play Bruce Wayne in the upcoming live-action BATMAN BEYOND feature. I’d like to see Adam West, myself – that would be really cool, actually.
-Word ALSO has it that the Paul Newman thing was JUST A RUMOUR. Crud. I liked that rumour.
-Word is leaking out from the UK major record label Distinct’ive that Warners and Paul Dini are apparently very interested in one of their clients to score the upcoming BB live-action film. Who? Mike Truman, Chris Healings, and Lee Mullin – the trio that make up the eletronica group HYBRID who are responsible for the recent critically acclaimed album “Wide Again”. No way to confirm this yet, but will keep an eye on it. Thanks to DARK HORIZONS.
-Director BOAZ YAKIN says this about his take on the BATMAN BEYOND feature: When asked if he can avoid the cliches of previous comic book films, Yakin answered, “Just
because the characters are familiar and mainstream doesn’t mean we need to follow a traditional, generic arc with them. Everything I do I hope is really sophisticated, so this
will not stop here.”
-YAKIN will also be co-writing the script and making it far more intense and more adult-oriented than ANY of the previous Bat-movies. At least that’s his intention.
*BATMAN 5 NEWS:
-CINESCAPE reports some BIG OFFICIAL BATMAN 5 NEWS!!!
After months of rumors, Darren Aronofsky has officially been tapped to direct the fifth Batman movie…and it will be an adaptation of BATMAN: YEAR ONE. According to Variety, besides Aronofsky, acclaimed writer-artist Frank Miller, writer of the Batman: Year One mini-series, has come on board the developing project to craft the coming film’s script with Aronofsky. Miller also created BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS and is currently working in its sequel.
As the title suggests, BATMAN: YEAR ONE tells the story of Bruce Wayne’s first year in the cape and cowl. The story also provides us glimpses of a young police Lieutenant named James Gordon in his first encounters with the Bat (regardless of how it was presented in Tim Burton’s Batman) as well as an interesting, different approach to Catwoman. One would hope that by adapting Year One, the series would be relaunched with a clean slate, thus allowing the use of other previously used, perhaps abused (and killed off), members of Batman’s rogues gallery, including the Joker, the Penguin, and Two-Face.
In addition, the trade reports that producer Eric Watson, who did his duties for Aronofsky’s PI and REQUIEM, may jump on Batman 5 as well.
Previously, rumors were flying that suggested that BATMAN 5 might not happen for quite some time due to the impending writer and actor strikes scheduled for summer 2001.
What is most surprising about this situation is that WB currently has another Batman movie in the works, BATMAN BEYOND, under the direction of Boaz Yakin (Remember the Titans). Certainly, WB won’t put both films out in the same year, so it will be interesting to see how the studio schedules each of the films.
Aronofsky has also flatly stated that his meetings with Brad Pitt were NOT with regards to BATMAN 5.
LIVE ACTION TELEVISION
-Remember the BRUCE WAYNE television series? You can read a review of the pilot script by following the link provided. Note: Chances are that this won’t be made for quite some time, if at all.
http://filmforce.ign.com/news/1391.html
-The WB Network has just ordered 13 episodes of a pre-Superman ‘CLARK KENT’ series; they sure jumped on that one quick! ‘BRUCE WAYNE’ has been in production for months and it looks like they’ve cancelled it! 🙁
-To view anything regarding the Batman ONSTAR commercials, go here:
http://www.onstar.com
-Four online, interactive comic books (featuring Batman, the Joker, Catwoman, Two-Face, Alfred, and Commissioner Gordon) can also be found at the OnStar site.
-It looks like a fifth webisode featuring the Riddler will be coming soon.
-Check out http://www.fandom.com/batman for downloadable versions of the ONSTAR commercials if the official ONSTAR site is not being cooperative with your PC. Two of the commercials can also be found at http://www.adcritic.com – just search for “Batman”.
EXCLUSIVE INTERNET ENDEAVOURS:
-The sixth GOTHAM GIRLS webisode (featuring Catwoman) can be found at
http://www.gothamgirls.com
TOYS, BOOKS, AND OTHER MERCHANDISE
-The following is a listing of the 14 tracks you’ll find on the RETURN OF THE JOKER soundtrack. Despite the delay of the debut of the video, the soundtrack is still due out on Oct 17, 2000.
1. Batman Beyond: Return Of The Joker (Main Title)
2. Industrial Heist
3. Meet The Joker
4. Joker Crashes Bruce’s Party
5. Terry Relieved Of Duty
6. Nightclub Fight
7. Trap For Tim, A
8. Joker Family Portrait
9. Arkham Mayhem
10. Batman Defeats The Jokerz
11. Joker Meets His End (Again)
12. Healing Old Wounds
13. Crash – Mephisto Odyssey/Static-X (The Humble Brothers remix)
14. Batman Beyond: Return Of The Joker (End Title) – Kenny Wayne Shepherd
-Ubi Soft Entertainment and Kemco are teaming to publish Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker on the PlayStation game console, Game Boy Color and Nintendo 64 in North America. The games will also be published in Europe, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia under the name Batman of the Future: Return of The Joker.
-DC Direct has announced a new Batgirl statue is due in stores next April. Sculpted by Barsom Manashain the statue is Inspired by the animated-style cover to Batman & Robin Adventures #21 by Ty Templeton. This striking statue of Barbara Gordon, Batgirl, sits atop a Bat-Signal and measures 7 inches tall and 3.5 inches deep. Cost is $99.95 and ships on April 25. A photo of the statue can be found at the following:
http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0009/19/BatgirlStatue.htm
-TOYS R US may be producing an “Arkham Asylum four-pack”, featuring repaints of Batman, Two-Face, Catwoman, and Poison Ivy. Will the two femmes have new figures to correspond with their new designs? Thanks to the JokerInc newsletter for that newsbyte.
-I snagged some pictures of four of the upcoming RETURN OF THE JOKER action figures. Have a look!
GOTHAM KNIGHT BATMAN
http://images.honesty.com/cgi-bin/honesty-image/12309796/newbatman.jpg
ARKHAM ASSAULT JOKER
http://imagehost.auctionwatch.com/bin/viewimage.x/000c8bb9/jamil/Mvc094s.jpg
GOTHAM DEFENDER BATMAN
http://imagehoset.auctionwatch.com/bin/imageserver.x/000cdbf1/toysexpo/BatBeyondJoke_a.jpg
RAPID SWITCH BRUCE WAYNE
http://imagehost.auctionwatch.com/bin/imageserver.x/000d1497/toysexpo/RetJok_BruceWayne_a.jpg
-THE NEW BATMAN ADVENTURES will be available for Game Boy by Christmas 2000.
-Looking for a Batman-related costume this Hallowe’en? E-mail CowardlyLot@aol.com and put in a request! Go to http://www.fandom.com/batman/editorial.asp?action=page&obj_id=225572 for details and great sample pics!
SPECIAL NOTE
For more BATMAN, SUPERMAN, AND BEYOND news throughout the week, check out the WORLD’S FINEST NEWS PAGE at:
http://www.geocities.com/bbeyond/news.html
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FEATURED BAT-SITE FOR THIS ISSUE
(feel free to submit your own for our consideration)
TWO-FACE’S TOWER OF TRANQUILITY AND TERROR
NO FAVOURTISM HERE!!!!
No, really, I just had to plug the site again, because I managed to snag a couple of soundbytes from RETURN OF THE JOKER that I figured you might like to hear. You do? GREAT! Go to the following address:
http://www.angelfire.com/tx/TimTwoFace/index.html
PS – Also check out the frequently-updated COMEDY section!!!
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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
—–
THE NEW BATMAN/SUPERMAN ADVENTURES
http://www.batman-superman.com
BATMAN:THE ANIMATED SERIES
http://www.batmantas.com
BATMAN BEYOND
http://www.batmanbeyond.com
BATMAN BEYOND VIDEO SITE
http://www.batmanbeyondvideo.com
YTV’S BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES PAGE
http://www.ytv.com/shows/batman_animated/
YTV’s BATMAN BEYOND Page
http://www.ytv.com/shows/batman_beyond/
GOTHAM GIRLS
http://www.gothamgirls.com
SUB-ZERO: THE DEFINTIVE GUIDE
http://www.batman-subzero.com
KID’S WB
http://www.kidswb.com
DC COMICS
http://www.dccomics.com
KTLA KIDS WB SCHEDULES
http://www.ktla.com/backstage/programming/KIDSWB.htm
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
—–
*TWO-FACE’S TOWER OF TRANQUILITY AND TERROR
http://www.angelfire.com/tx/TimTwoFace/index.html
BATMAN, SUPERMAN, & BEYOND: THE WORLD’S FINEST DISCUSSION CENTER
http://welcome.to/worldsfinest
THE DISCUSSION CENTER (same as above)
http://www.geocities.com/TelevisionCity/Taping/2928/boards.htm
BRIAN CRUZ’ WB CARTOON PAGE
http://www.toonzone.net/brian/index.html
BATMAN UK (BRIAN’S BATMAN PAGE)
http://www.batmanuk.freeserve.co.uk
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://www.DCUAnimated.zzn.com
BRUCE TIMM ARCHIVE SITE
http://www.eurocompton.net/brucetimm
BATMAN ANIMATED: THE UNOFFICIAL FAN CLUB & FANZINE
http://www.batmanuk.freeserve.co.uk/club/
HARLEY’S HAVEN OF HEDONISM
http://www.harley-quinn.com
GOTHAM CITY LIMITS
http://www.batman.gexner.net
BATMAN: DEFENDER OF GOTHAM
http://www.fandom.com/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/
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
ANIMATED TALES
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Dunes/2294/at
A TRIBUTE TO BATMAN
http://www.angelfire.com/ny2/russkafin/batman.html
ANIMATED STYLE ARTWORK ARCHIVE
http://hjem.get2net.dk/twt/asaa/home.html
BATMAN CEL SITE
http://animation.acmecity.com/carbon/111
DARK JUSTICE
http://www.mania.com.au/~grahark/darkjustice/
ROGUE AVENUE, GOTHAM
http://www.ultros.com/rogue_avenue
THE BATMAN BEYOND INFO PAGE
http://www.rogue-spear.com/BB
THE VAULT
http://dmoz.org/Arts/Animation/Voice_Actors
NEWSGROUPS
—–
news:alt.comics.batman
news:alt.animation.batman
news:alt.comics.superman
news:rec.arts.sf.superman
news:alt.tv.cartoon-network
news:rec.arts.animation
news:alt.animation.warner-bros
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QUESTIONS, SUBMISSIONS, AND FAN-MAIL
If you have any questions, problems, links do not work, or anything else, then please e-mail this address with your problems and we’ll try to fix them as soon as possible. Also if you’d like to send any fan-mail then please send it to this address:
juno@dccnet.com
As for submissions, feel free to submit an article or opinion on anything pertaining to BTAS. Keep in mind that as the editors, we have the right to edit your submissions if we deem it necessary. Such instances would include problems with length, grammar, and language. If we do feel we must edit something, however, we will do our utmost to ensure that the opinion and the basic message of the submission does not change, as that is the most important part of any article, and everyone is entitled to it. And if you do submit something, please don’t just submit a basic review of an episode or a comic or something (because we have people writing for those purposes already) – write about an issue you’d like to discuss.
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BATMAN: THE ANIMATED ARCHIVES
The very kind people at TOONZONE were nice enough to give us our own little section of their huge and diverse website. The archive contains past newsletters and is semi-regularly updated with the latest one. To check it out go here:
TOONZONE’s BATMAN: THE ANIMATED NEWSLETTER ARCHIVES
http://www.toonzone.net/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@dccnet.com, put SUBSCRIBE in the subject line, and put the e-mail address you’d like the newsletter to be sent to in the body of the message.
For more information about the newsletter just email juno@dccnet.com 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! Thank you for reading! See ya next time!
CREDITS FOR BATMAN: THE ANIMATED NEWSLETTER
EDITOR AT COLLEGE, NOT IN A DORM: Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton
EDITOR AT COLLEGE, BUT IN A DORM: “Dick Grayson”
AIR DATE SCHEDULES: Brian Cruz, RiddlerWB (at the official BTAS/STAS site), and YTV.com
EPISODE REVIEWS: Zanna/Justin Chen, and occasionally Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton
EDITORIAL: Help Wanted
COMIC REVIEWS: Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton, Dick Grayson
NO MAN’S ISLAND: SURVIVAL IN GOTHAM: Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton
MERCHANDISE REVIEW: Various
“BTAN ARCHIVES” MODERATOR: Eileen Delgadillo
TRIVIA: 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:-Y Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton
DELIVERY: Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton
E-MAIL RECEPTION HANDLING: Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton
THE CREATION OF THIS NEWSLETTER INSPIRED BY: Alan J. Porter
BATMAN CREATED BY: Bob Kane & Bill Finger (who else?)
Batman and all related indicia are trademarks of DC Comics, Copyright c 2000.
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