Batman: The Animated Newsletter
Weeks of January 29 – February 4, 2001
Volume 4,
Rated: PG for some “low-key coarse language and occasional griping”
THIS ISSUE’S SUBLIMINAL MESSAGE: “YO, TALIA! DIG IT!” – from “Ra’s Al Cool’s poetry corner”
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SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
BATMAN: THE ANIMATED NEWSLETTER HAS HIT ANOTHER MILESTONE.
In the evening of Friday, January 26, 2001, we welcomed our 2000th subscriber to our newsletter! I must thank all of our subscribers once again for their continued support – this newsletter wouldn’t make it to print – or even virtual-print – without our readers! Thank you, again – and here’s hoping for 2000 more!
Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton
-exuberant editor extraordinaire
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MORE ANNOUNCEMENTS
-BIG NEWS ON THE JLA SERIES AND THE FATE OF BATMAN BEYOND! SCROLL DOWN TO READ!
-WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN A ONE-ON-ONE CHAT WITH GOTHAM ADVENTURES ARTIST TIM LEVINS? SCROLL DOWN TO THE NEWS SECTION TO SEE HOW!
-BE SURE TO CHECK OUT OUR ‘RETURN OF THE JOKER’ GIVEAWAY! SCROLL DOWN TO JUST BELOW OUR EPISODE REVIEW FOR DETAILS!
-WE HAVE ALSO INCLUDED OUR FORM FOR THE “GOLDEN OVAL AWARDS”, OUR VERSION OF THE “BEST/WORST OF 2000” POLLS THAT ARE RUNNING RAMPANT ACROSS THE NET RIGHT ABOUT NOW. BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN AND VOTE – THERE JUST MIGHT BE A CERTAIN UNEDITED VIDEO IN IT FOR YA!
Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton
-kinda neurotic
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EAGERLY ANTICIPATING…
New episodes are on the horizon! Here’s what we can expect in the near future…
THE CURSE OF KOBRA (Pt. 1, 2)
Batman Beyond #48, 49
Air date: February 3 & 10, 2001
Synopsis: This two-part episode features Batman taking on a villainous gang named Kobra.
UNMASKED
Batman Beyond #??
Air date: ???
Synopsis: A little kid gets a glimpse of the face under the Batman mask.
COUNTDOWN
Batman Beyond #??
Air date: ???
Synopsis: Zeta and Mad Stan return.
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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 11:30am (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 01-29-01: B-BEYOND #19 Hidden Agenda
Tue 01-30-01: B-BEYOND #29 Final Cut
Wed 01-31-01: B-BEYOND #21 Hooked Up
Thu 02-01-01: B-BEYOND #36 Where’s Terry?
Fri 02-02-01: NONE
Sat 02-03-01: B-BEYOND #48 The Curse of the Kobra (Pt. 1) <—–NEW!!!
NEXT WEEK:
Mon 02-05-01: B-BEYOND #03 Black Out
Tue 02-06-01: B-BEYOND #12 Disappearing Inque
Wed 02-07-01: B-BEYOND #10 Dead Man’s Hand
Thu 02-08-01: B-BEYOND #40 King’s Ransom
Fri 02-09-01: NONE
Sat 02-10-01: B-BEYOND #49 The Curse of the Kobra (Pt. 2) <—–NEW!!!
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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 now airs at 3:30am Monday – Friday. (Actually, more correctly, they seem to be airing them at 3:40 am – go figure.)
If our schedules are not updated or are inaccurate, please use these links:
http://www.geocities.com/worldsfinestpage/epsched.htm
http://www.ytv.com/ytvguide
THIS WEEK:
Mon 01-29-01: BTAS #38 Heart of Steel (Pt. 2)
Tue 01-30-01: BTAS #39 “If You’re So Smart Why Aren’t You Rich?”
Wed 01-31-01: BTAS #40 Joker’s Wild
Thu 02-01-01: BTAS #60 His Silicon Soul
Fri 02-02-01: BTAS #50 Off Balance
NEXT WEEK:
Mon 02-05-01: BTAS #48 “What Is Reality?”
Tue 02-06-01: BTAS #33 The Laughing Fish
Wed 02-07-01: BTAS #56 Harley & Ivy
Thu 02-08-01: BTAS #55 The Mechanic
Fri 02-09-01: BTAS #51 The Man Who Killed Batman
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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:
Here is where you can find an air date schedule:
http://alt.cartoonnetwork.com/Schedule/1,2989,CTN|0|306587|Eastern,00.html
Or, if that doesn’t work, go here:
http://www.geocities.com/worldsfinestpage/airdate.htm
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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!
With no new episodes debuting, we have nothing to review…anyone wanna submit reviews of older BTAS episodes?
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SPECIAL REALLY, REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT NEWS
(courtesy of James Harvey and his unknown accomplice)
Let’s get right to the point, shall we? The news comes from a source inside WB who wishes to remain anonymous. I respect the person and his/her wishes so I will not reveal this individual’s identity. So, without further adieu, the news!
BATMAN BEYOND
Batman Beyond will likely not be picked up for next season. It will likely air on KidsWB as reruns for one more year, then be shipped over to Cartoon Network, where they have the option to pick up the show if ratings are good. If the show was greenlit now, it would be nearly impossible to create more episodes becuase the entire crew has left Batman Beyond to pursue other shows. Berkowtiz, Timm, Tucker, Murakami, Fogel, and Geda are on JLA, Goodman is on Zeta, and the remainder of the crew is working on Static Shock or other projects. The only way new episodes of Batman Beyond will be produced is if Cartoon Network greenlights it. Even then, the wait would be at least eighteen months for a new episodes. There are four episodes remaining this season.
As for a second direct-to-video Batman Beyond feature, Paul Dini has some ideas kicking around, but there has been no go ahead. Meanwhile, Jean MacCurdy is pursuing the option of releasing ROTJ unedited.
ZETA PROJECT
The Zeta Project will return for a second season IF the ratings are good.
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA: THE ANIMATED SERIES
Kevin Conroy is back as the voice of Batman; as Tim Daly is busy with work on CBS’ “The Fugitive”, a new unnamed voice actor will be providing the voice of Superman. The show will likely consist of big story arcs, lasting approximately two to three episodes; this added length will allow enough room for be huge, intense action, as well as in-depth characterization. The voice actors have just finished recording their second episode. Stan Berkowitz and Rich Fogel have written episodes so far, but since production has just begun, it’s too early to tell who else will be joing the fray. The show will air this fall on the action block called Toonami.
In other JLA News, The Writer strike won’t effect the show, but there’s a chance the Actors Strike will.
One current story that is being written for JLA revolves around Green Lanter John Stewart, which is based on an old Hal Jordon story where he is accused of a crime he didn’t commit, leading to chaos. This whole series will be action oriented, but will have a lot of characterization becuase of the story arc length. The majority of the episodes will likely be multi-part episodes, (a la Dragonball Z). Censors will likely be not as heavy becuase of the different age focus. There will be various celebrity voices there to help out, including James Remar for one.
FYI – Kevin Conroy has never been nominated for his voice work as Batman, and he’s a spectacular talent. Let’s see if we can change that!!
So there ya go! Take it for what it’s worth – really interesting stuff, isn’t it? This JLA
series isn’t such a difficult idea to play out after all…
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EDITORIAL
(by Jay Allman; jayallman@zianet.com)
ANOTHER TAKE ON THE SLICING AND DICING OF ‘RETURN OF THE JOKER’
So by now everyone knows about the BATMAN BEYOND: RETURN OF THE JOKER controversy: Last minute edits ordered by the studio altered the key flashback sequence so as to change the manner of the Joker’s death, while also toning down some of the fight scenes. And everyone (by which I mean, of course, fanboys like you and me who subscribe to this newsletter and hang out at message boards) got quite cross when they heard about the cuts. Hell hath no fury like a fanboy messed with, and our letters and petitions may yet convince Warners to release a “director’s cut” restoring the removed footage.
But it is not clear such a release would be widely welcomed, for once the initial fuss died down, a substantial number of voices were raised defending the changes-or, to be more accurate, arguing that the changes had not weakened the original film, and perhaps had even improved it.
It is an interesting opinion these viewers advance; it is a respectable opinion, but it is a false opinion. And like most interesting, respectable, and false propositions, getting at where the fallacy lies is both difficult and rewarding. In the case of RETURN OF THE JOKER, whose complex story centres entirely upon that flashback and on Robin’s attack on the Joker, it is especially important to be clear about the meaning of the censored sequences, for misapprehensions here will color the rest of the film.
Let me recap what most of us probably already know:
In the original film the Joker, after fighting and subduing Batman, hands the brainwashed Robin a spear gun. (It is actually a two-stage weapon: first, it shoots out a “Bang” flag – the spear – which is then fired at the target.) But Robin, whose hysterical laughter segue seamlessly into hysterical sobs, aims it at the Joker instead, and kills him point blank. Joker’s final words: “That’s not funny. . . .” In the edited version, on the other hand, Robin simply throws the gun away and pushes the Joker into a mass of electrical wire. The Joker then slips in a puddle of water and accidentally throws a switch. Cut to an exterior shot as Batgirl hears and reacts to the electrical sizzle and the Joker’s death screams. There are other alterations made to the film, and the nature of the spear gun is modified, but these are the salient and essential details.
Now, those who defend the changes (or, if that is too prejudicial, call them “those who find the cuts unobjectionable”) advance one or both of the following claims. First, they claim, the Joker’s death need not be shown in graphic detail to be effective; instead, an off-screen representation would not only be acceptable, it might even be more powerful. In “Robin’s Reckoning,” for instance, the death of the Flying Graysons is handled with artful obliqueness: a fraying rope, an audience gasping with horror, and a trapeze suddenly empty of its occupants.
Second, some argue that in the original version the Joker’s death does not rightly balance against Robin’s torture, while in the edited version it does. Robin, remember, suffers the agonies of controlled electrocution as part of his “makeover,” so for him simply to shoot theJoker doesn’t begin to repay the Joker in his own coin, while electrocution does. Furthermore, Robin’s original act is gratuitously out of character: Batman and his team do not kill. So the revised sequence, in which the Joker dies in an accident (albeit one indirectly caused by Robin), still resolves Robin’s torture while sparing him the full ignominy of violating his moral code.
Now, with the first claim I am in considerable sympathy. The explicit representation of violence, I believe, rarely adds to the power of a scene, and unless carefully handled can often detract from it through the sheer ugliness of the violence itself. All other things being equal, then, I would prefer violence presented obliquely if its graphic representation is not necessary. The question here, then, is whether the Joker’s demise needs to be explicitly shown. And this question cannot be answered until we understand the purposes and import of his death scene.
Here, two questions intrude and intertwine. First, what would be a fitting death for the Joker, Gotham’s greatest rogue? Second, because the Joker’s death caps the flashback sequence; and because that sequence centers on his torture of Robin, we must ask if the Joker’s death is a fitting conclusion to that sequence, and if it is how that death should be handled.
With regard to the first question we must remember the enormity of the character we’re dealing with: He has killed, tortured, maimed and ruined many more people than just Tim Drake. Most plausibly then, it would seem that the only “appropriate” death would be one that took into account all his victims; to single out Robin’s ruin for special redress is to give Robin a privileged claim. But it is out of the question that the Joker be repaid with every cruel coin he spent, so his death cannot with justice be one that is “appropriate” to a particular crime, even the crime against Robin. This is the first problem with the electrocution scene: Being narrowly tailored to Robin’s circumstances, it takes insufficient cognizance of the entire range of evil the Joker represents, and so fails to satisfy as the proper way to kill off this major character.
Instead, if his death is to reflect his crimes, it should assume the general aspect of those crimes, rather than a specific form. In other words, he should suffer a death that turns his own schtick against him: a gag that suffocates, a joke that slays. And since only he (and never the victim) found his jokes funny, it is most fitting that he not appreciate the manner of his own death. Thus the ending originally envisioned: “That’s not funny,” he complains, impaled upon his own zinger.
The second question is rather more involved: What is the right way to climax the flashback? To approach this question aright we must consider the role that flashback plays in the overall architecture of the film.
On the surface the flashback appears to be a self-contained story, dropped into a larger narrative as a backstory. The overall film seems to be about Terry McGinnis and the (well, the title says it all, doesn’t it?) return of the Joker after many years absence. The flashback apparently is exposition, something to explain what happened a long time ago, and to dollop out some juicy gossip to the fans. Yet once you understand how the entire plot line unfolds, it becomes clear that RETURN OF THE JOKER centers entirely upon the trauma Robin suffered. Events in the life of the old Bruce Wayne and his new protégé are not a related but independent sequel to the flashback, but a decisive proof that the story told in the flashback is still developing. While under his “tutelage,” we learn, the Joker planted a mind-controlling microchip on Drake, and has been slowly taking form again in the body of one of Batman’s key allies, so that RETURN OF THE JOKER begins when this long-range aspect of the Joker’s plot finally reaches fruition. We must conclude that if the story that begins during that flashback is not resolved with the Joker’s death at Arkham, we should not see in the climax to that flashback a resolution to the story of Tim’s torture and humiliation. Indeed, the resolution of the flashback should unequivocally lack the air of proper finale.
This is where the defenders of the edits make their key misreading: the story is not about the reappearance of the Joker (and still less about some high tech robberies staged by a gang of homicidal wannabes). It is the story of Tim Drake’s ruin at the hands of the Joker, his estrangement from Bruce Wayne, and his ultimate escape from the former and reconciliation with the latter. And this story stretches over an arc of forty (or so) years, and is only resolved at the end of the film. To look for its climax in Arkham, and to ask for a climax to that sequence that ends Tim’s story, is to fail to appreciate the deep integration of the flashback into the surrounding structure.
Of course, it may be objected that the film itself is somewhat to blame for this confusion: Tim Drake has relatively few scenes, and his relevance to the Joker’s reappearance is not even explained until the end. But this is a churlish complaint. The film is structured as a mystery, not an adventure, and the mystery is, “Who is the new Joker and how did he survive?” Since Tim Drake is (or is sharing space with) the Joker, the former mystery is embodied in the latter. To discover the whos and whats of the new Joker is to discover the relevance of TimDrake.
Instead, the original film relies upon emotional and narrative dissonances to signal Drake’s complicity, and to hint at the continuing connection between past events and the present. If Tim’s story had ended that night in Arkham, we should expect to see there a climax that relieves the tensions created by those scenes of kidnapping and torture. But (as has been correctly noted by its critics), the death-by-spear-gun climax doesn’t resolve the tensions: In the context of what came before, it feels ad hoc and unsatisfying. So we are made uneasy, and feel that all has not been righted with a death that is too quick, too clean, and in the manner of its execution all too unexpected. In short, it is simply not the right way to end the story of Robin’s degradation; so, by implication, that degradation has not run its course. In the edited version, on the other hand, the electrocution does round off the sequence, by doing unto the Joker as he had done unto Robin. But such resolution is not wanted, for it ends the Robin story prematurely. As for Robin’s complicity in the Joker’s death…to have Robin kill the Joker is plainly a betrayal of all that he has stood for, so it demonstrates the depths to which he has been degraded and (more importantly) the degree to which he has genuinely become the Joker’s double. In killing the Joker he has taken on his spirit; the Joker has died, but he lives on (in more than one sense) in Tim Drake. In the edited version Drake is not similarly complicit, and so does not assume the same symbolic aspect. Again, the original version shows greater subtlety and power than the edited.
We can now return to the question of the flashback’s violent content: given what has been said, does the explicit presentation of the Joker’s death in the flashback serve a legitimate aesthetic or thematic purpose? Or would an off-screen death, as in “Robin’s Reckoning,” serve just as well?
First of all, note why the representation in “Robin’s Reckoning” works so well. There the
death of Dick Grayson’s parents is represented in a way expressive of its emotional content. For young Dick, the loss of his parents is sudden and unexpected: one minute they are alive, the next they are not. But their departure from the screen mimics their departure from life: one minute they are on a trapeze, the next they are not. Thus, this brutally simple switch from presence to absence perfectly encapsulates his experience of their death. So it is notsimply that in “Robin’s Reckoning,” the off-screen death is at least as acceptable as an on-screen representation. Its power lies in the way it expresses something more than the fact that a killing has occurred.
Similarly, we should ask about the import of the Joker’s death in RETURN OF THE JOKER, and how it should be represented. At the climax of the flashback we have not simply a killing, but a confrontation between a victim and his victimizer, following a crime of a particularly intrusive nature. The Joker hasn’t merely hurt the boy, but has violated him in a way that staggers the understanding. So it is not just their physical proximity at the climax that is important, but their physical contiguity. Put brutally, Robin must touch and violate the Joker in some way, just as the Joker touched and violated him. And unless we see that touching, unless we see Robin act upon the Joker in a lethal fashion, we do not get the necessary
discharge of tension.
Electrocution, so appropriate in the abstract, would work only if Tim held the live wires against the Joker’s own flesh – and somehow I believe the censors would find this even more objectionable. Given that Robin must strike a lethal blow, a shooting is probably the leastobjectionable manner in which it could be presented. True, in the edited version Robin pushes the Joker, so there is physical contact, but this is merely a shove and its lethal consequence merely an unintended byproduct: The Joker’s self-electrocution has the effect of interrupting Robin’s attack, rather than fulfilling it. Again, the original version is superior, for, as noted above, in striking the lethal blow directly Robin encompasses his own moral ruin.
The changes I’ve discussed are not the only changes made, and they are not the only ones that weaken the film (the opening fight sequence in the edited version, for instance, is much less impressive). But the changes I’ve discussed have the very real and deleterious effect of unbalancing the film thematically and structurally. That alone is sufficient reason to hope and press for an official release of the original version.
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‘RETURN OF THE JOKER’ GIVEAWAY
In trying to get people both more involved with the newsletter AND want to help them out at the same time, we’re offering anyone that participates in our NO MAN’S ISLAND column a chance to win unedited copies of RETURN OF THE JOKER.
The way it works is as follows: vote for the two characters you’d like to vote off the island. Of the characters that are being cast off or even nominated in that particular issue, we will randomly select one of these characters for our contest. Anyone who voted for this character will be entered into a draw, according to the e-mail address from which their ballot was recieved. Every issue, we will randomly select one e-mail address (from a hat, to make it fair) and that participant, if willing, wins a copy of the unedited movie!
It is only possible to win once; you may vote for NO MAN’S ISLAND as often as you like, but you will only be entered into our RETURN OF THE JOKER giveaway if you are a subscriber and have not already won a copy in a previous voting session.
If the selected winner for whatever reason declines, the will be another draw for that same week. Each e-mail address can only win once! The catch? The winner, if agreeing, must provide a tape and enough money to cover postage ($5 American) of the tape to and from their place of residence. There will be no extra profit for us at BATMAN: THE ANIMATED NEWSLETTER (as that would be illegal) or anything. We just want to get this movie out to more people as it’s not going to be definately released on tape just yet.
NOTE: I am not promoting the act of bootlegging videos and making a profit from it, I am merely looking for the cost of the tape and postage, so fans will be able to view the movie as it was supposed to be.
That said, let’s get voting! (And make sure to read the NO MAN’S ISLAND section below.)
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NO MAN’S ISLAND
ROUND ELEVEN
(the SURVIVOR rip-off…erm…homage)
(by Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton)
Ra’s Al Ghul and his team of urban renewalists dominated the last round, succeeding in the destruction of the Iceburg Lounge and a good portion of Gotham City along with it. Plant life is sprouting everywhere, taking over the entire city; if we were to end the challenge today, we’d have to declare Ra’s Al Ghul the winner. Still, there’s a lot of road to go…what will unfold this round?
…A WALTZ DOWN MEMORY LANE…
A WORD FROM THE CAST-AWAYS:
CLAYFACE: “Ohhh, I’ll be back…just in time…for the sequel…hey, a little shameless plugging never hurts, does it?”
TALIA: “I never wanted my father to destroy Gotham – why must I always somehow get dragged into his mad schemes…and I never even got to see my Beloved, not even once…”
* * * * * * * * * *
“You see? I told you! I told you ALL, and NOOOOO one believed me! Ha! Now don’t you feel like a bunch of idiots???” The Riddler exploded into one of his rants in the aftermath of the explosion that leveled half of Gotham last round. “The Ventriloquist is dead. D.E.A.D. DEAD! It was the Joker that destroyed City Hall, not Scarface – who’s the brains of this operation now?”
The Scarecrow whirled around and aimed his arm at his diminutive companion, whisps of brown gas seeping from his splayed fingertips. “Shut up, Edward, unless you want a fate worse than death.”
That calmed the Riddler down. “Whatever. You’re just mad that the boss is mad at you.”
“He’s not the boss,” the Scarecrow whispered, receding back into the shadows.
“Oh yeah? I don’t see YOU giving any orders around here, Crane,” the Riddler taunted; the Scarecrow was silent.
A metal door creaked open down a hallway shooting off from the room; a second later, “CRAAAAAAANE…” It was Two-Face.
The Scarecrow sighed and moved in the direction of the voice. The Riddler giggled to himself. “You’re whipped,” he said, followed up with a whipping sound and corresponding arm movement. The Scarecrow snarled and left the room; this gang held no future for him.
Meanwhile, the Batsquad, GCPD, and uneasy ally Mr. Freeze quickly made their way across town moments after the explosion. “You sure it’s a good idea to have this guy following us, Commish?” Bullock panted as he clutched his heaving, blubbery chest.
“Not really, but Batman gave us his word, so I trust he knows what he’s doing.”
Regardless, the cops continued charging ahead, leaving Freeze to drag his own massive weight ever so slowly behind them.
Batman crouched down atop a craggly skyscraper near the remains of the Iceburg Lounge; the entire building had sunk into a neon green sinkhole not unlike the one he had seen across town in the weeks before – a Lazarus Pit. “Ra’s…” he thought to himself; he waved a discreet hand signal to both Batgirl and Nightwing, each other their own stake-out positions on other nearby towers overgrown with vines. They both scattered; Batman sat for a moment on the ledge to think.
“Oh, Mr. Wayne, what a pleasure it is to see you again.” Batman whirled around and squinted as he looked into the darkness behind him; Bane stood about five feet away, trapping Batman on the cracked precipice. Batman began to side-step out of Bane’s sight. “I suggest you turn around before you contemplate trying anything.” Batman cocked his head to the side ever so slightly, only to see Batgirl trapped amidst a maze of vines and Nightwing tied up with a sword resting against his throat on the opposite side of the pit; Poison Ivy and Ra’s Al Ghul waved and leered back at him. “OK, Batman,” Bane said, taunting as he flexed his muscles, “do your thing.”
Batman growled and silently stepped backwards, falling out of sight. Bane lurched forward to see Batman shoot out a grappling hook and swoop through the steam from the pit towards Ra’s and Ivy. He knew that he wouldn’t be able to follow him that way; no matter, he had all the time in the world.
The Scarecrow entered Two-Face’s chamber and closed the door silently behind him; Two-Face, crouched over Harley Quinn’s body, laying in his bed. “Crane, sit down.” And so he did. “Let’s get to the point. How stupid could you be? That fear gas stunt you pulled was the most imbecilic, moronic thing you could have done and now Quinn here is paying for your mistake.” Harley lay in the bed, throwing her head back and forth, moaning and mumbling to the objects of her hallucinated fears.
“No Mistah J…no…NO…please, not that…not my Barbie’s hair…NOOO…”
The Scarecrow gasped in mock-horror. “Well at least I finally got to do SOMETHING…”
“You do nothing until I tell you to, that’s how things work in this gang. Got that?” He put his hand on Harley’s forehead to calm her shaking movements; he grunted in disapproval. “TWO things and we’re on the up and up again, Crane. Get this girl an antidote – and then prove your worth to me. Show me that you have what it takes to be in this group.” The Scarecrow stood in silence. “Adjourned.” The Scarecrow tossed Two-Face a tiny vial and left the bedroom without a word. Two-Face growled in his throat and carefully poured the liquid contents of the vial into Harley’s mouth. “It’ll be alright, Quinn…just keep still, now…”
* * * * * * * * * *
AND AFTER AN ELEVENTH ROUND OF VOTING…
Boy, was the Joker mad. First, his best slave…erm…target…no…”girlfriend” left him. Second, he was unable to destroy Two-Face’s empire that took up half of Gotham’s geographical area. Then some idiot stole his bit and destroyed the other half of the city without his approval or input. And now, he has a hangnail. A HANGNAIL! This just wasn’t his day.
Venturing out into the shadows, the Joker noted something running across the rooftops high above him in his general direction – something in red – and black – with a cape. “Oooo…” he grinned, rubbing his hands together; he quickly ran back into his current lair and looked across the concrete landscape through a pair of binoculars. It was Robin. And he looked flustered. And worried. And as always, in a hurry. “Whoever thought the sight of the Boy Hostage would brighten my day?” As Robin neared the Joker ducked back into his hideout, let him pass, and after a large enough distance had formed between them, he quickly followed him as best he could. Ohhh, this was going to be good.
“Harvey! Harvey!” the Riddler bellowed as he flipped into the room. “We’re under attack!”
Two-Face whirled around and grunted at Harley’s bedside. “What the hell are you talking about?”
The Riddler continued to pant. “Gordon – I just spotted Gordon heading our way with that girl cop and that fat cop. We have to act fast!”
Ohh…Montoya’s coming, huh? Interesting, Two-Face thought, before quickly dismissing the notion. “You do that – go get Crane to help. I’m staying here.”
“Scarecrow’s gone. And you haven’t heard the strangest part yet – Freeze is following them. You think they’re in kahootz?”
Two-Face spat. Edward’s vocabulary had sure taken a turn for the worse since they had last met before this god-forsaken contest began. Where was the intelligent, ‘stay three steps ahead of your opponent’ way of thinking he had heard so much about? “I bet he can be bought. You’re a smart guy, Nygma – go think of something. I’m staying here until Quinn’s awake.”
“And Crane?”
“He’ll be back – he’s more insecure than you are. He needs my validation or else he’ll just fall apart inside.”
The Riddler promptly left the room; he was a dutiful soul, though rather compulsive and all-out annoying. Not very entertaining either, Two-Face thought – he would kill for a good puzzle every now and again. It’s a good way to keep on your toes. Two-Face remained at Harley’s bedside, staring at her battling her inner fears as the antitoxin worked its course. “God, Harvey,” Two-Face said to himself, “don’t tell me you’re falling for this girl…first the plant-lady, then that Grace chick, then that…cop…you just really like to torture yourself, don’t you?”
“Shut up,” Harvey said in reply to Two-Face’s taunting.
Batman arced back upwards across the quarter-of-a-mile-wide Lazarus Pit towards the tower where he had last seen Batgirl and Nightwing; no sign of Ra’s Al Ghul anywhere. “Ahhhh,” a demonic voice spoke with a slithery texture, “the ever-faithful vigilante showed up right on schedule.” Batman whirled around and searched the darkness for the speaker; he cautiously stepped into the dark burnt room at the edge of the leaning tower. “Perhaps an explanation is in order; I hope you’ll be more understanding than Cobblepot was.” The occasional whine and whimper emnated through the room. “As I told that waddling fool, why level a city filled with inhabitants when I could save all that death and heartbreak and wait until most have evacuated? The city was ripe for the plucking and was the perfect ground zero for my returning of this land to Mother Nature once again. How many lives were lost? By my count, zero. Very efficient, wouldn’t you agree?” Batman turned a corner and, in the light, saw Batgirl and Nightwing’s bodies strapped to chairs, vines wrapped around them both; they were conscious, writhing to get free.
“Yes, destruction of your city will be in the billions but that is the price you must pay for abandonning the earth’s needs for so long. And once this city is completed, I’ll move onto the next, and the next, until the world has been made in my image – free of pollution, free of everything. It would be Eden once more.” Batman walked over to his captured comrades; vines shot out behind him and quickly wrapped around his body. Ra’s Al Ghul emerged from the shadows and caressed Batman’s cheek, almost daintily; Poison Ivy stood in the background, keeping watch. “And so it ends, Detective.” Drawing a sword he raised it over Batman’s head, grinning.
“You’ve changed, Ra’s. You used to have honour and dignity – now you’ve lost sight of your goals entirely. You’re no different than the freaks I throw into Arkham.” Poison Ivy leared back at Batman from the shadows as he spoke; he was certainly talkative all of a sudden.
Ra’s pondered for a moment and let the sword come crashing down through the vines, freeing his nemesis. “If it’s a fair fight you want, then you may have it.” Ra’s moved back; Batman lunged at him but missed; Ra’s swung his sword and sliced through Batman’s cape, narrowly missing his back. Poison Ivy stepped forward to offer assistance but Ra’s ordered her to stay out of it. Batman quickly reached into his belt and set a Batarang through the air; it hit Ra’s right hand and he dropped the sword for a moment with a scream of pain. Batman bodychequed him and sent him back into the wall; Ra’s slugged him in the face and dove for his sword and swung it repeatedly, backing Batman up against the edge of the precipice. “Now it ends,” Ra’s said as he ran forward, sword pointed straight out; Batman fell back and shot a wire back into the building; Ra’s tripped and accidentally severed the wire with his sword. Peering over the edge of the ledge, he cackled in joy – Batman was gone! – at least, that was, until Ra’s stood up and felt the familiar dark silhouette brush up behind him and kick him off of the building.
At this point, Poison Ivy ran forward and sent out a few vines from the building to catch Ra’s, but he made no effort to grab onto them; second later he crashed down into the warm waters of the Lazarus Pit, soon to rise again. Batman stared, brooding as usual; until Poison Ivy pushed past him and stared into the pit alongside him. Her blood boiling, she turned around and snarled at Batman, “you killed him.”
The Penguin and Catwoman shook off the rubbble as they attempted to pull themselves up off the street. Bones aching, bodies shaking, they stared with glazed eyes in all directions, collecting their bearings. “You…saved me…” the Penguin said, astonished, adjusting the monocle on his cheekbone.
“Don’t let it go to your head,” Catwoman retorted, straightening out her mask. “Now just get out of my sight.”
“I am a proper man and I owe you a debt of gratitude,” the Penguin continued, “anything you want is yours, I…”
Catwoman’s eyes lit up and she bounced back; a dark silhouette appeared on the roof two floors above them, staring down. “What?” Penguin asked, stepping forward, into a loop-like shadow. “I mean it, I’m a man of my word,” he continued. Just as soon as I get my business back up on its feet, I…”
A noose fell down from the sky and loosely lay about Penguin’s neck. He squawked in surprise – and shrieked in fear as it tightened around his neck, lifting his rotund body clear off the ground; Catwoman ran a few feet away as she saw the figure fall from the rooftop, using his own falling weight to pull the Penguin up over the crux of a broken lampost. Struggling for a moment, the Penguin clawed at the noose around his neck, but it was to no avail – the noose had won. Catwoman ran, and the Scarecrow leered after her, proud of his catch of the day, cast against the pale yellow moonlight.
* * * * * * * * * *
ROUND ELEVEN
Kicked Off:
THE PENGUIN (24.2%)
RA’S AL GHUL (18.1%)
Those whom you DID vote for, but they’re still hanging around:
BANE (13.6%)
DET. HARVEY BULLOCK (7.6%)
THE RIDDLER (7.6%)
HARLEY QUINN (6.1%)
THE SCARECROW (4.5%)
RENE MONTOYA (3.0%)
THE JOKER (3.0%)
MR. FREEZE (3.0%)
BATMAN (3.0%)
POISON IVY (1.5%)
TWO-FACE (1.5%)
NIGHTWING (1.5%)
BATGIRL (1.5%)
And now, here’s our up-to-date list of our remaining contenders:
BATMAN
ROBIN
BATGIRL
NIGHTWING
ALFRED
COMMISSIONER GORDON
DET. HARVEY BULLOCK
RENE MONTOYA
THE JOKER
CATWOMAN
THE RIDDLER
TWO-FACE
POISON IVY
THE SCARECROW
MR. FREEZE
BANE
HARLEY QUINN
* * * * * *
Congratulations to our subscriber “Angel Knight” for winning an unedited copy of RETURN OF THE JOKER! Now don’t forget to vote, the rest of you!
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 (PST) on February 2, 2001.
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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! (Mwuhahaha!) 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.
Character stats – that’s our theme! Good luck!
486. Oswald Cobblepot…
A: …has never appeared on the cover of GOTHAM ADVENTURES.
B: …runs a night club called “The Iceburg”
C: …was born in Antarctica
D: …fought Batman when Batman was only equipped with a screwdriver
E: …has met face to face with Superman
487. Derek Powers…
A: …appeared in an original BTAS episode as a child/teenager
B: …nearly killed Mr. Freeze
C: …has an assistant named Miss Winston
D: …always loves a good barbeque
E: …is dead
488. Grace Lamont…
A: …is still technically engaged to Two-Face
B: …dyes her hair
C: …has kept Harvey Dent’s original two-faced coin
D: …along with Nora Fries, belons to a help group known as “I’m in love with a villain” Anonymous
E: …is voiced by an actress who has appeared on “Night Court”
489. Jack Napier…
A: …is the definite true identity of the Joker
B: …was the hitman in the Valestra Mob
C: …is Scottish
D: …was once printed on an ID the Joker carried in a BTAS episode
E: …transformed into the Joker at the Axis Chemical Plant
490. Alfred Pennyworth…
A: …met Barbara Gordon after Tim Drake did
B: …has ancestry in the British Isles
C: …has had a romantic relationship with Leslie Thompkins in the past
D: …has appeared in all “animated” Bat-movies
E: …all of the above
491. Hamilton Hill…
A: …has been the personal target of both the Joker and the Clock King
B: …is one of two mayors to work in Gotham during the BTAS timespan
C: …has a school named after him
D: …grew up with Commissioner Gordon in Chicago
E: …has died
492. Harvey Dent…
A: …was first seen inside his Arkham cel in “FEAR OF VICTORY”
B: …met Grace Lamont at Gotham State University
C: …has two pairs of thugs that have appeared in at least two episodes
D: …ultimately sent Rupert Thorne to prison
E: …has run for District Attorney in at least three elections
493. Jim Gordon…
A: …has never encountered Harley Quinn face to face
B: …really hates going to his chiropractor
C: …has been locked up in a cell by someone other than Lock-Up
D: …knows his daughter is Batgirl
E: …used to be a red-head
494. Earl Cooper…
A: …was a patient of Dr. Leslie Thompkins
B: …has an apprentice named Harold
C: …is caucasian
D: …heard the phrase “Bat’s All Folks” said in his vicinity
E: …presented “The Solstice” car in MEAN SEASONS.
495. Jonathan Crane…
A: …has never appeared in an episode also featuring Killer Croc
B: …has always worn a costume that doesn’t include gloves
C: …was the major villain in the BTAS Hallowe’en episode
D: …harassed and abused Charlie Collins
E: …has worked in the 72nd Street Subway Station
_____________________________________________________________________
AND THESE ARE OUR FINAL ANSWERS (to the trivia)
Answer to #486: A, D, E
Answer to #487: B, C
Answer to #488: E
Answer to #489: B, D
Answer to #490: B
Answer to #491: A, C
Answer to #492: A, C, E
Answer to #493: C, E
Answer to #494: D
Answer to #495: B, E
_____________________________________________________________________
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, STAS and BEYOND countless times. If you have anything to contribute, feel free to do so! Enjoy!
CONTRIBUTED BY STAFF:
1) Ed Begley, Jr., provides the voice of Dr. Peter Corso in the BEYOND episode “April Moon”. He has provided many other voices and acting abilities for many other BTAS parts: “Germs” in both parts of the BTAS episode “Feat of Clay”, Charlie Collins (my personal favourite) in “Joker’s Favor”, and even played Fred Stickley (Ed Nygma’s supervisor) in BATMAN FOREVER.
2) As mentioned on the ROTJ DVD, other ideas of how the Joker was to seek vengance on Gotham were: to turn the satellite into a giant pie, then drop it on Gotham – or keep it as a pie and have the laser beam shoot out of a red cherry in the middle of it. Hmmm. Great stuff.
CONTRIBUTED BY OTHERS:
(by “The Phantom Nuisance”)
1) In the BTAS episode “Catwalk” in most of the final act both of Scarface’s hands are being operated by the Ventriloquist. There is also a scene where the Ventriloquist is running with Scarface, carrying him with both hands HOWEVER in these scenes Scarface’s mouth is still moving, with no hand inside him.
____________________________________________________________________
MERCHANDISING: WHERE THE REAL BAT-CASH IS MADE
(by anyone???)
Anyone? Hellooooo? Olly olly ox ‘n’ free?
____________________________________________________________________
COMIC REVIEWS
(BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES by Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton)
(BATMAN BEYOND by Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton)
(SUPERMAN ADVENTURES by Dick Grayson)
BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES
ISSUE: “When in Rome” (#34)
WRITTEN BY: Scott Peterson
PENCILS: Tim Levins
INKS: Terry Beatty
ISSUED: January 3, 2001 (Cover date Apr 2001)
RATING: ***1/2 (out of 5 stars)
Though I’ve never been a huge fan of Maxie Zeus, I’ve always found that his stories in the animated continuity have provided a fun, light-heaerted counterpoint to the darker stories on the series. But, just because they’re fun, that doesn’t mean they are STUPID stories, either. Hardly. This was a perfectly written tale with cute puns and an original criminal plot that kept me going from cover to cover.
Maxie Zeus is definately the modern-day reincarnation of good ol’ King Tut from the 1960’s series. He’s absolutely insane, believing himself to be an ancient diety and, therefore, being invincible to anything us lowly mortals can throw at him. The idea of his gimmicky identity being threatened by a Roman-themed amusement park being built in Gotham was a great touch; only something this silly, this trivial would upset a god like Zeus.
Speaking of the god motif, I loved the panels and the pacing where one of Zeus’ kidnapped lackeys confronts him about his reasons for recreating a ROMAN civilization since he’s a GREEK god. I was thinking the same thing; I was very happy that Peterson didn’t overlook this potential blooper but, instead, addressed it head on. (Then again, the Roman gods were direct rip-offs of the Greek originals, so I guess that this would work either way…)
The art was terrific as always; Levins and Beatty repeatedly outdo themselves. I also loved the little things Peterson throws into the issue, like Dick and Tim fighting in the Batcave, Zeus being his cheesy self, playing the violin as his civilization crumbles (sadly, this fits into his character!), and Dick playing solitaire on the Batcomputer while Zeus remains at large – obviously, this case isn’t of that high priority. That was great humour between the lines – erm, panels.
Another terrific issue! I can’t wait for more!
;-Y
______________________________________________________________
COMIC SCHEDULES & COVERING THE BASICS
This section gives a little bit more in-depth look into each monthly issue of BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES and BATMAN BEYOND. 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 (or higher) 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 #35
February 7th
Synopsis: Bruce Wayne finds himself on the jury of a man he helped capture, and worse yet, the perpetrator is about to go free! What can Bruce possibly do that Batman can’t?
Cover: http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0011/14/BGothAd35.jpg
FOLLOWING MONTH:
March 7th
Synopsis: Superman is tracking down a Metropolis mobster who’s hiding out in Gotham, but he needs the help of Gotham’s hometown hero on his search!
Cover: http://www.fandom.com/multimedia/Batman/Images/BatmanImages249711.jpg
BATMAN BEYOND #17
January 31st
Snyopsis: A former classmate comes back looking for revenge after being brushed off by Dana. But Batman Terry McGinnis won’t let one hair of Dana’s head be harmed, even if it means being swamped by rats.
Cover: http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0010/17/BB17.jpg
FOLLOWING MONTH:
February 28th
Written by Hilary Bader, art by Craig Rousseau and Rob Leigh, cover by Brian Stelfreeze.
With the Stalker’s help, Blight returns to terrorize Future Gotham.
Cover: http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0011/14/BB18.jpg
_____________________________________________________________________
NEWS AND RUMORS
ALL-ENCOMPASSING/OTHER
-BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES artist Tim Levins will be appearing in THE WORLD’S FINEST site chat room for an exclusive chat on Wednesday, Febuary 7th, at 7pm (Eastern Time). The chat is scheduled to last ninety minutes, but could go longer. It is required that fans must register before entering the chat, which can be done at:
http://www.geocities.com/worldsfinestpage/chatmain.htm
If you have any questions, please stop by the site at:
http://welcome.to/worldsfinest
The chat is sponsored by THE WORLD’S FINEST and BATMAN: THE ANIMATED NEWSLETTER.
-An interview with Mark Hamill regarding RETURN OF THE JOKER can be found here:
http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0012/14/hamill.htm
-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)
-BATMAN BEYOND airs at 11:30 am on Saturdays through February 2001.
-Be a sport and go sign the following petition to get episodes of BTAS released on DVD!
http://www.123petitions.com/cgi-bin/system/sign1.cgi?id=bbeyond@yahoo.com$8
-It looks doubtful that BATMAN BEYOND will be renewed for the 2001/2002 season, but it will remain on the WB in reruns for another year.
-The JLA series is official and due out by this fall on the Cartoon Network! Check out the details here:
http://www.fandom.com/batman/editorial.asp?action=page&obj_id=256877
-Rich Fogel wrote the pilot episode for the JLA series; Stan Berkowitz is also on board as a writer. Also on board are Bruce Timm, Glen Murakami, and Curt Geda.
-Kevin Conroy is the only voice confirmed for the JLA series; he is Batman, of course. Tim Daly is not returning as Superman, however, as he is busy working on the CBS live-action series, “The Fugitive”.
-JLA story-arcs are likely to last two or three episodes a piece.
-The first story of the series revolves around Green Lanter John Stewart, which is based on an old Hal Jordon story where he is accused of a crime he didn’t commit, leading to chaos.
ANIMATED COMICS
-Craig Rousseau has put this inked comic page on his website: it was cut from the RETURN OF THE JOKER comic adaption due to space restraints (or possible “censoring”, again – you be the judge). Go have a look!
http://www.fandom.com/multimedia/Batman/Images/BatmanArticle251339.jpg
-BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES #36
Written by Scott Peterson; art by Tim Levins and Terry Beatty; cover by Bob Smith and Beatty Guest-starring Superman! The Man of Steel is tracking down a Metropolis mobster who`s hiding out in Gotham, but he needs the help of Gotham`s hometown hero on his search! Besides, only Batman knows where to get the best Italian food in Gotham at 4 a.m.!
Ships March 7, 2001.
Cover: http://www.dccomics.com/directcurrents/comics/Mar07/covers/down/dbmga36.jpg
-BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES #37
Written by Scott Peterson; art by Tim Levins and Terry Beatty; cover by Bob Smith and Beatty In stores April 4. While attempting to save a damsel in distress, Batman finds himself facing the Joker and the Penguin. But something is not quite right…because Batman is missing! Robin and Nightwing cannot find their mentor anywhere and they fear the worst. Will Batman face defeat before Robin and Nightwing can uncover his whereabouts? All is not what it seems in this
issue!
Cover: http://www.dccomics.com/directcurrents/comics/Apr04/bmga37.html
-BATMAN BEYOND #18
Written by Hilary Bader, art by Craig Rousseau and Rob Leigh, cover by Brian Stelfreeze.
With the Stalker’s help, Blight returns to terrorize Future Gotham.
Ships February 28, 2001.
Cover: http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0011/14/BB18.jpg
-BATMAN BEYOND #19
Written by Hilary Bader; art by Craig Rousseau and Rob Leigh; cover by Brian Stelfreeze Ma Mayhem`s boys, Carl and Slim, have just busted their dear old Ma out of jail so they can spend some time with her – oh, and perhaps plan a kidnapping or two! This dysfunctional family is up to no good, and it`s up to Batman to put an end to their family reunion!
Ships March 28, 2001.
-BATMAN BEYOND #20
Written by Jason Hernandez-Rosenblatt; art by Craig Rousseau and Rob Leigh; cover by Brian Stelfreeze
Terry comes across a childhood friend who has started to run with the wrong crowd, specifically the gang known as the Jokerz. Can Terry keep his old friend from going down the wrong path and beginning a life of crime — or is this a job for Batman?
FC, 32 pg. $1.99
Cover: http://www.fandom.com/multimedia/Batman/Images/BatmanImages256686.jpg
OTHER COMICS
-LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT #142 features part one of the four-part “The Demon Laughs” storyline where Ra’s Al Ghul seeks the Joker’s assistance to obliterate Batman and take over the world (and so forth).
Cover: http://www.dccomics.com/directcurrents/comics/Apr04/covers/down/dlodk142.jpg
-BATMAN #590: the third part in the Batman/Matches Malone Vs. Scarface tale.
Cover: http://www.dccomics.com/directcurrents/comics/Apr11/covers/down/dbm590.jpg
-DETECTIVE COMICS #757: Greg Rucka and Rick Burchett pair up once again to tell a tale of Batman taking on the mob.
Cover: http://www.dccomics.com/directcurrents/comics/Apr18/covers/down/dtec757.jpg
-BATMAN: GOTHAM KNIGHTS #16: Batman takes on a seemingly-immortal foe named “Matatoa”
-BATGIRL #15: It looks like the Joker makes an appearance in this issue – and Batgirl falls victim to him.
Cover: http://www.fandom.com/multimedia/Batman/Images/BatmanImages256684.jpg
-CATWOMAN #93: Catwoman and the Scarecrow clash again
http://www.fandom.com/multimedia/Batman/Images/BatmanImages256688.jpg
-HARLEY QUINN #6, Cover:
http://www.dccomics.com/directcurrents/comics/Mar14/covers/down/dhrly6.jpg
-HARLEY QUINN #7: Harley and the Quintettes vs. the Riddler and his gang!
-The Rucka/Loeb Detective Comics/Superman crossover is described as this:
Batman returns to terrorize President Lex Luthor, demanding he hand over the Kryptonite Ring in SUPERMAN #168 (due out March 7). In DETECTIVE COMICS #756 (due out March 21), Lois Lane enlists in Batman’s help to continue with his quest, but Superman stands in his way.
Cover for SUPERMAN #168: http://www.fandom.com/multimedia/Batman/Images/BatmanImages249720.jpg
Cover for ‘TEC #765: http://www.fandom.com/multimedia/Batman/Images/BatmanImages249707.jpg
-BATMAN: GOTHAM KNIGHTS #15: Poison Ivy escapes Arkham and heads for a “Save the Rainforest” benefit where she decides to take a few hostages – including Robin`s father, Jack Drake! When Batman and Robin arrive, they find the hostages now under Ivy`s control — and ordered by Ivy to attack!
Cover: http://www.fandom.com/multimedia/Batman/Images/BatmanImages249708.jpg
-The fifth and final tradepaperback reprinting the NO MAN’S LAND saga (featuring the entrance of Lex Luthor and rampage of the Joker in SHELLGAME and ENDGAME) will be available in March 2001.
Cover: http://www.fandom.com/multimedia/Batman/Images/BatmanImages249715.jpg
-DETECTIVE COMICS #755: All the GCPD says farewell to one of Gotham’s Finest – including Two-Face – but it can’t be long before he causes problems again. Oh, Bruce and his bodyguard are there, too!
http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0011/14/Det755.jpg
-Double Dare, the Penguin, and Nightwing all appear in GOTHAM KNIGHTS #14. Oh, and look – Paul Dini is writing the back-up story!
-Be on the lookout for ROBIN #87 – Batman and Robin have a tiff!
MOVIES
-For videos of the cut scenes from the edited ROTJ video, go here:
http://4colorreview.simplenet.com/reviews/return_of_the_joker/return_of_the_joker.shtml
-Paul Dini is pondering ideas for a second BATMAN BEYOND direct-to-video movie, but nothing, repeat, NOTHING has been greenlit yet.
*BATMAN BEYOND: LIVE ACTION NEWS:
-Paul Dini is currently writing his first draft for the live-action Batman Beyond film.
*BATMAN: YEAR ONE (BATMAN 5) NEWS:
-The Internet Movie Database has opened up a page on BATMAN: YEAR ONE.
-Two names are being thrown about as being offered the role of the young Bruce Wayne/Batman for Aronofsky’s YEAR ONE movie: Jared Leto and Aaron Eckhart.
-Chris O’Donnell has stated he will not appear in another Bat-film as Robin.
-Jack Nicholson IS still interested in doing another Bat-film if he were ever asked by the WB, who can’t seem to get around the fact that his character died in the first movie.
-Read a new interview with Darren Aronofsky here:
http://www.fandom.com/batman/editorial.asp?action=page&obj_id=248753
-The WB is starting to warm up to the idea of a Bat-flick again. Read the article, found here:
http://www.ew.com/ew/report/0,6595,93617,00.html
-Bill Ramey of the Batman On Film site reiterates on the latest casting rumor to the BATMAN: YEAR ONE movie:
“A possible clarification of that Aaron Eckhart news that surfaced a week or so ago. I put the rumor up to one of my sources last week, and he just got around to firing an email back to me over night. Anyway, while he wouldn`t, or couldn`t, confirm or deny the rumor, he says that it is very possible that Aronofsky would go with someone in that mode. He continued that even though it is “year one” of The Batman, it doesn`t mean that we are going to get a super young Bruce Wayne. The actor chosen could well be in his late 20`s or early 30`s. He reminded me that Aronofsky has been quoted as saying “this will not be teen Batman,” and that he had not decided just how old Wayne would be in the film. He further mentioned that he had heard that with the live-action BATMAN BEYOND having a young Batman, the people behind YEAR ONE may avoid any similarites.”
LIVE ACTION TELEVISION
-Remember the WB show based on Clark Kent’s teen life that was going to be made? It still is – and they’ve officially titled it “Smallville”. The lead role of the 15 year old Clark will be played by Tom Welling; the WB has already order 13 episodes of the series for the Fall of 2001.
For some pictures of welling, check here:
http://www.louisa-models.com/sed_cards_men/tom_welling.htm
EXCLUSIVE INTERNET ENDEAVOURS:
-The eighth GOTHAM GIRLS webisode entitled “Three Babes” (it’s a Goldilocks parody) can be found at http://www.gothamgirls.com
-The ninth GOTHAM GIRLS webisode entitled “Lady X” can also be seen. It features…get this…all the gals in the sauna. Yeah. Might as well go take a look, huh?
TOYS, BOOKS, AND OTHER MERCHANDISE
-It looks like a new line of Batman figures (non-animated) has come out. The “WORLD OF BATMAN” line may just be a Wal-Mart exclusive, but it’s still interesting nonetheless. Here’s a picture of a “Hover Jet” Batman and a “Plasma Glow” Joker figure from that line:
http://www.stamler.net/ebay2001/hjbatman.JPG
http://www.stamler.net/ebay2001/pgjoker.JPG
-WARNER BROS. HOME VIDEO had this to say about episodes of BTAS being released on DVD:
“Don’t be surprised to see some DVDs and VHSs containing episodes and new (!) material when the next BATMAN film is released.”
-Two prints by ALEX ROSS will be out for sale by DC Direct on March 7, 2001. One will be the picture seen on the cover of BATMAN: HARLEY QUINN (from Aug 99), and the other will be the one used by WIZARD magazine, featuring Batman being surrounded by 10 of Arkham’s worst inmates. Both are 10″ x 13″.
-A Batman poster by Alex Ross will be available on April 25, 2001, for only $7.95.
Here’s a picture: http://www.fandom.com/multimedia/Batman/Images/BatmanImages249721.jpg
-A statue of The Demon is due out on June 20, 2001. Here’s a picture:
http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0011/14/DemonFig.htm
-BATMAN: OVERDRIVE, the new BTAS-based game for PSX and N64, puts you in the driver’s seat of the Batmobile, Batcycle, and many other Bat-vehicles. You even get to play as any of the villains, should you desire to do so! It features (in no particular order), the Joker, Harley Quinn, Mr. Freeze, Two-Face, Clayface, Poison Ivy, the Scarecrow, Killer Croc, the Penguin, the Mad Hatter, the Ventriloquist/Scarface, Calendar Girl, Roxie Rockett, Firefly, Catwoman, and Bane. Go to the following link to see some shots of the villain lineup, some shots of Batman persuing the Joker, and the exit to the Batcave.
http://www.gamespot.co.uk/pc.gamespot/driving/batov_uk/preview.html
-BATMAN: TOTAL CHAOS will be available for Game Boy Colour on January 18, 2001. It is based on the NEW BATMAN ADVENTURES style (BTAS), and allows you to play as either Batman or Batgirl vs. Two-Face, Bane, Poison Ivy, and the Joker (among others) over 18 levels. (Judging by the pics I’ve seen, you’ll also encounter Mr. Freeze, the Penguin, and maybe even Killer Croc.)
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
____________________________________________________________________
FEATURED BAT-SITE FOR THIS ISSUE
(feel free to submit your own for our consideration)
THE KNIGHTHOOD OF THE BAT
Become a Knight Of The Bat!
The Knighthood Of The Bat started out as a simple ICQ list of Batman fans – this is all changing in 2001.
Hello, Batfans, Dave Carroll here, moderator of the BATMAN: DEFENDER OF GOTHAM website at
<http://www.fandom.com/batman>, with a few questions for you. Have you wanted to be part of a
larger group of Batman fans where you can voice your opinions on the latest regarding the Dark
Knight? Have you always wanted to submit your own Batman art or stories for others to enjoy or
check out what others fans have created?
This is your chance!
Join the Knighthood Of The Bat – Unofficial Batman Fan Club, for $10.00 a year for a U.S.
membership and $15.00 a year for International memberships. Joining gets you:
· 4-issue (quarterly) subscription to The Knighthood Of The Bat Fanzine.
· Knighthood Of The Bat Screen Saver (Screensaver and wallpapers will be on a CD)
· Knighthood Of The Bat Wallpapers
You’re also entitled to submit any of your own Batman related art or stories and have them
published for all to enjoy. Take part in Bat Talk, where you submit your own emails or letters
sounding off on the latest Batman topics. Read the latest on Batman in the news, be it in
comics, movies, or animation. You’ll also be kept up to date on upcoming comic conventions.
The goal of The Knighthood Of The Bat is the same as it has always been – to bring the Batman
community closer together and unite all Batman fans worldwide.
——————————————————————————————–
If you would like to be a Knight Of The Bat print out this page and submit it to the address
below with the proper payment enclosed. (Make cheques or money orders payable to Dave Carroll)
Name: ________________________________ Age: ____________Sex: _________
Street Address: ________________________________________________________
City: ___________________________ State/Province: _____________________
Country: ______________________________ Postal/Zip Code: _____________________
Birth Date: _____________________ Email Address: _________________________
ICQ#: _______________________ AOL IM Name: _________________________
Favorite Batman Genre: (Circle One) Comics Movies Animation
Favorite Batman Character: __________________________________
Favorite Batman Villain: ____________________________________
Favorite Batman Comic Book: _______________________________
Favorite Batman Movie: ____________________________________
Favorite Batman Animated TV Series: _________________________
Mail to: Knighthood Of The Bat
C/O Dave Carroll
137 Warner Street
Marietta, Ohio 45750
____________________________________________________________________
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
BATMAN BEYOND: RETURN OF THE JOKER EDITS PAGE
http://www.geocities.com/bbeyond/rotjcuts.html
CRAIG ROUSSEAU’S OFFICIAL HOMEPAGE
BATMAN: DEFENDER OF GOTHAM
http://www.fandom.com/batman
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
BATMAN: THE ANIMATED ARCHIVES
http://www.toonzone.net/news/btan
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
GOTHAM CITY USA
http://www.GothamCityUSA.com
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
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
____________________________________________________________________
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.
____________________________________________________________________
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/news/btan
____________________________________________________________________
LIKE WHAT YA SEE? WANNA SUBSCRIBE? HERE’S HOW!!!
For those of you who are seeing this at the WBC HOMEPAGE BTAN ARCHIVES section and want to
subscribe, just follow these simple instructions:
To subscribe email juno@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
‘RETURN OF THE JOKER’ GIVEAWAY: 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.
___________________________________________________________________
2000 “GOLDEN OVAL AWARDS” POLL FORM
Alright! Fill this out and e-mail it right back to juno@dccnet.com if you’d like to be included
in our poll for the best and worst of 2000! We must recieve entries by February 3, 2001, as
results will be posted in our issue delivered on February 5, 2001. And, why not, just as in the
NO MAN’S ISLAND section, we’ll select one of our voters to win a copy of RETURN OF THE JOKER
here, too.
BUUUUT you can only vote once!
NOTE: No episodes of BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES are eligible, and only BATMAN BEYOND episodes
that came out in 2000 (BABEL was the first (Episode #25), and they continued on from there)
will be considered. Do NOT include RETURN OF THE JOKER in this section; ROTJ has its own
section of the form later on.
As for the comic series’, all issues of BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES from #22-33 are eligible, and
all issues of BATMAN BEYOND from #4-15 are eligible. For the BTAN section, Issues #51-82 are eligible. (Long live the archives!)
THE REALMS OF THE ANIMATED UNIVERSE
#1. BEST “BATMAN BEYOND” EPISODE
#2. WORST “BATMAN BEYOND” EPISODE
#3. BEST “BATMAN BEYOND” DESIGN
#4. WORST “BATMAN BEYOND” DESIGN
#5. BEST “BATMAN BEYOND” VOICE
#6. WORST “BATMAN BEYOND” VOICE
#7. BEST “BATMAN BEYOND” MUSIC SEQUENCE
#8. BEST “BATMAN BEYOND” VISUAL EFFECTS
#9. BEST “BATMAN BEYOND” ‘GOOD GUY’
#10. BEST “BATMAN BEYOND” VILLAIN
#11. WORST “BATMAN BEYOND” ‘GOOD GUY’
#12. WORST “BATMAN BEYOND” VILLAIN
#13. BEST “BATMAN BEYOND” WRITER
#14. BEST “BATMAN BEYOND” DIRECTER
#15. BEST “GOTHAM ADVENTURES” COMIC
#16. WORST “GOTHAM ADVENTURES” COMIC
#17. BEST “BATMAN BEYOND” COMIC
#18. WORST “BATMAN BEYOND” COMIC
#19. BEST “GOTHAM AVENTURES” COMIC COVER
#20. BEST “BATMAN BEYOND” COMIC COVER
#21. BEST “BTAS/BEYOND” ACTION FIGURE OR OTHER PIECE OF MERCHANDISE
RETURN OF THE JOKER
#22. BEST ACTION SEQUENCE
#23. BEST SCENE
#24. BEST CHARACTER DESIGN
#25. BEST PLOT TWIST/REVELATION
#26. BEST VOICE ACTOR
#27. BEST MUSICAL SEQUENCE
#28. THE CUT MADE TO THE FILM THAT YOU CAN LIVE WITH
#29. THE CUT MADE TO THE FILM THAT DROVE YOU CRAZY
#30. SHOULD THE FILM HAVE BEEN CUT TO BEGIN WITH?
#31. WAS ROTJ A GOOD MOVIE, IN YOUR OPINION?
#32. NOW THAT TERRY HAS DEFEATED THE JOKER, DO YOU SEE HIM AS A WORTHY SUCCESSOR TO BRUCE WAYNE AS BATMAN?
THE MAINSTREAM COMIC BOOKS
#33. BEST OVERALL CHARACTER
#34. BEST HERO
#35. BEST VILLAIN
#36. WORST HERO
#37. WORST VILLAIN
#38. BEST STORY-ARC
#39. WORST STORY-ARC
#40. BEST SINGLE-ISSUE STORY
#41. WORST SINGLE-ISSUE STORY
#42. BEST MINI/MAXI-SERIES
#43. BEST WRITER
#44. WORST WRITER
#45. BEST ARTIST
#46. WORST ARTIST
#47. FAVOURITE MOMENT OF 2000
BATMAN: THE ANIMATED NEWSLETTER
#48. BEST ONGOING ARTICLE/SECTION
#49. WORST ONGOING ARTICLE/SECTION
#50. WHAT YOU LOOK FORWARD TO THE MOST IN EACH ISSUE
#51. WHAT YOU LOATHE THE MOST IN EACH ISSUE
#52. WHAT DO YOU FIND MOST HELPFUL?
#53. WHAT STILL NEEDS SOME TWEAKING?
#54. ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE ISSUES?
#55. SHOULD WE HAVE MORE CONTESTS?
#56. BEST “BTAN” ISSUE
______________________________________________________
2000 subscribers and counting…