Batman: The Animated Newsletter
Week of May 10 – May 15/16, 1999
Volume 2,
Rated: PG for some “low-key coarse language and occasional griping”THIS WEEK’S SUBLIMINAL MESSAGE: “DON’T SHOW THE REST OF THE SUPERMAN EPISODES IN SEPTEMBER! WE WANT ‘EM NOW! Please?”
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INTRODUCTION
Welcome to another issue of “Batman: The Animated Newsletter”. Enjoy!
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NEW EPISODE(S)
This section will just basically give an insight into what the new episodes are about and hopefully a synopsis of the episode. This section will feature both new Superman and new Batman episodes.
THE LOSS OF THE WB ON WGN: Beginning this fall, the WB will no longer be carried on WGN-TV’s national feed to avoid conflicts with other WB affiliates. WGN-TV will continue carrying the prime time WB in the Chicago area. If you’re outside the Chicago area and know of no other way to pick up the WB, you may call them at (818)977-5000 for more information. This is taken from the info section of the WGN website, http://www.wgn.com . Thank you for Peter Destructo for pointing this out.
KidsWB will soon be shown on a new channel called “WeB” – I know little about this – but if you can get that channel, I’m pretty sure the WB shows would be on.
‘UNITY’
Superman #53
Air date: May 15, 1999
Supergirl teams up with Superman to save the Kents and the rest of Smallville from an alien threat.
‘A TORTURE OF CURARE’
Batman Beyond #11
Air date: May 15, 1999
I guess this is the long-awaited episode focusing on Curare.
‘ASCENSION’
Batman Beyond #13
Air date: May 22, 1999
I’ll make a guess…return of Mr. Fixx? ASCENDING from the dead?
‘THE DEMON REBORN’
Superman #44?
Air date: ??
BATMAN’S FINAL CURRENT-DAY ANIMATED APPEARANCE! This episode features Batman and Superman teaming up to take down Ra’s Al Ghul, who has plans to send the world back to its natural, pre-human state. WOOHOO! THE BAT IS BACK! Airs in May.
‘LEGACY (Pt. 1 & 2)’
Superman #48, 49?
Air date: ??
This two-parter features the final showdown between Superman and Darksied in which he strips Superman of his memory and adopts him as a son in an effort to take over Earth. Now it seems this won’t air until September! Argh!
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WB ANIMATION SCHEDULES:
(courtesy of Brian Cruz and/or the official BTAS/STAS site)
This section of the newsletter highlights the schedule and times that WB airs The New Batman/Superman Adventures. For most affiliates it airs Monday – Friday at 4pm (ET) and Saturdays beginning at 8am (ET). WGN airs Batman/Superman Monday – Friday at 10am (ET) and Sundays beginning at 8am (ET). There’s a chance that your local WB channel airs it at a different time. To find out when, we recommend you follow this URL (provided by Toon Zone): http://www.toonzone.net/brian/stations/index.html
PS – Remember that “Batman Beyond” airs 30 minutes AFTER “Batman/Superman” is over, because “Men In Black” has been squeezed in between.
Mon 5-10-99: Batman #72 Harlequinade
Superman #24 Solar Power
Tue 5-11-99: Superman #26 Monkey Fun
Batman #14 Heart of Ice
Wed 5-12-99: Superman #29 The Hand of Fate
Batman #88 Cold Comfort
Thu 5-13-99: Batman #18 Beware the Grey Ghost
Superman #18 Livewire
Fri 5-14-99: Superman #07 Feeding Time
Batman #93 Growing Pains
Sat 5-15-99: Batman #106 Mad Love
Superman #53 Unity ——NEW!!!
B-Beyond #11 A Torture of Curare ——NEW!!!
Note: 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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CARTOON NETWORK WB ANIMATION SCHEDULE:
“Yabba Dabba Doom”
(courtesy of Brian Cruz)
THE CARTOON NETWORK was able to get the exclusive rights to 52 episodes of the classic BTAS, as well as both animated movies. BTAS airs Monday-Friday at 6pm (ET) and then repeated again at midnight. If our schedule listings is not complete or up to date then please go to TOON ZONE for the complete episode schedule at:
http://www.toonzone.net/brian/schedules/batman-cn.html
NOTE #1: BATMAN & MR. FREEZE: SUB-ZERO will be airing again on CARTOON NETWORK on May 22nd at 8pm (ET) as apart of their CARTOON THEATRE
NOTE #2: CARTOON NETWORK will be having a BATMAN ‘SUPER-CHUNK’ on May 29th. The 3 hour BATMAN Super-Chunk will be from 4pm-7pm (ET). The ‘SUPER-CHUCK’ means that we’ll have three hours worth of BATMAN episodes.
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EPISODE REVIEW: (SPOILERS!)
(by Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton)
All of Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton’s reviews of the new-style BTAS episodes and BATMAN BEYOND can be found via these links, which link to “Two-Face’s Tower of Tranquility and Terror”:
MAIN PAGE: http://www.angelfire.com/tx/TimTwoFace/index.html
BTAS PAGE: http://www.angelfire.com/tx/TimTwoFaceText/bats.html
DISAPPEARING INQUE
Written by: Stan Berkowitz
Directed by: ???
Animation by: Dong Yang
Original air date: May 8, 1999
My rating: ****
“I admit it. As unprofessional as it sounds, I’ve fallen in love with my patient.” – Alright, so it’s not from this episode, so sue me.
An employee at a cryogenics plant falls in love with its incarcerated, frozen inmate, Inque. Upon losing his job (he was seen kissing her frozen tube, and his supervisors are not impressed), he releases Inque from her “cell”, wanting only one thing in the world – to be like her.
Sound familiar? This really reminds me of the BTAS episode “Deep Freeze”, when Grant Walker wishes to have the same condition as Mr. Freeze. Unlike that episode, the one desiring the other’s condition is in love.
Inque agrees to help him (though she thinks he’s crazy), but on one condition – if he aids her in finding a cure to make her human – or at least able to change into her human form, as seen in “Black Out”. Apparently, being frozen for so long altered her cell structure, rendering her unable to even look human. Inque’s new buddy agrees. Awww – so mushy…no pun.
What makes this episode so cool? Well:
-Inque is always animated beautifully, as are the action sequences.
-The romantic aspect of the episode, while a tad forced, is interesting.
-We get to see Bruce in the Batsuit again! Sorta…but this Bat-suit is like a cross between his fire-proof suit in “Torch Song” and Optimus Prime (from “The Transformers”).
-Returning along with Bruce in the Batsuit is the original BTAS musical theme.
-Inque’s liquidated buddy is really freaky looking.
There were a couple things that I thought about in retrospect, though. If Batman hadn’t ever run into Mr. Freeze, would he have ever had the technology to defeat Inque? Of course he would eventually, but would it have been too late? I also thought the idea of having the finale during a rainstorm was a tad obvious of how Inque would be defeated…and why exactly is this episode entitled “DISAPPEARING Inque” anyways? What’s disappearing?
My only real problem? Ends too quickly! That’s it…everything else is good. 4 stars outa 5.
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EDITORAL #1
(by Laura Hysert, aka “Phoenix”)
THE IVY LEAGUE
I promised a looooong time ago I would write about the women of the animated series. Of course, I was doped up on cold medication when I made that promise. Whether or not that invalidates it is for you to decide.
But I press onward. I was going to title this editorial “Why Poison Ivy Kicks Harley’s Butt, Any Day, Any Time,” but that seemed a little too fanboyish. Even if she does.
What does Harley have going for her? There’s that delightful Bronx accent. Which, after watching five episodes in a row of contrived Harley cameos, can be about as delightful as getting your teeth pulled out by a drunken Superman. (Not that Clark would get drunk. Oh, no.)
She’s a tragic villainness, in an abusive relationship and never quite able to put her life back together. She caught Batman once. Nearly killed him. She deserves our pity and respect. We watch her flip through her cycle of abuse and psychosis, cheer for her when she stands up for herself, but always knowing that she’ll end up by the Joker’s side before the twenty-two minutes has ended.
Now, for your consideration, Poison Ivy. She was the unwitting victim of chemical experiments, so she has the tragic/pity factor in her favour. Her costume, though green (I HATE green) is sleek and befits her M.O. If I were male I would think she’s far more the “babe” than Harley.
But who cares?
The truth is, Poison Ivy is a far better villainness (and character) than Harley could ever hope to be, because she’s a nut with backbone. She doesn’t let every man with a malicious grin wrap her around his finger; she snaps the strings on him and makes her puppet dance. How many men has she seduced and deceived to advance her crazy plots — or just for the fun of it? She’s the seductress that bitter alley cat Selina wishes she could be.
Ivy always conducts herself with a cold, imperious grace, unlike the out-of-control Harley. Only Ivy’s fiery temper makes her grandiose plans falter. Speaking of which, we must admit that we partially agree with her: humans screw the world up. It probably WOULD be better if we all just took an extended vacation from the planet.
But even that isn’t why we should drop the clown and embrace Mother Nature. What it comes down to is this: Poison Ivy always gets her man. And it’s always the one she wants. Even if they do get taken away from her. How many men has she nearly killed? And the coup de grace: giving Bruce a taste of romance and happiness, in his lovely wife Susan — and then violently snatching it from his grasp. And they say the Joker is Bruce’s greatest nemesis. Right.
Poison Ivy is Mother Nature, the feminine power, running wild and free. Harley is a madman’s pet; you can almost see the chain running from her neck to the Joker’s hand. Is there any contest? I am certainly, to make a forced connection to my title, a member of Ivy’s League.
Now if only the writers wouldn’t make her so damned easy to catch!
And in this newsletter’s tradition of shameless plugs:
You’ve probably been asking yourself, “Jeez, where’s that editorialist gone? What’s she up to?” Well, let me enlighten you. I’ve been busy in my dual roles of advertising director and writer of two books (ah, Tim, you love this duality theme, don’t you) for DCX, the new fan-fic website advertised in last week’s newsletter. Here’s the lowdown:
DCX takes DC characters and puts them in a new continuity…OUR continuity. If we don’t want Gotham to be decimated by an earthquake, we don’t do it! It gives us the freedom to create and let you, the fan, read stories about your favourite DC characters that aren’t dictated by
marketing decisions or a continuity so krunked-up that you can’t make heads or cat tails of it. It’s your favourite heroes as their fans want to portray them. And let me add that there are some top-quality writers working for DCX.
“Does this sound like an advertising pitch?” you ask. Why, yes, I answer, what else do you think an advertising director does?
“What does this have to do with the animated series?” you ask.
Nothing directly; but here’s a little insider information for you. The two people who write the two Batman titles for DCX (myself and a fellow named John) are both big fans of the animated series and take most of our frames of reference for the character from B:TAS.
Below are some previews for titles coming out on May 23, only to DCX
(www.imagine-that.org/DCX/).
*SHAMELESS PLUG FOLLOWS:*
DCX…where fans give the DC Universe new life…where stories offer fresh perspectives on your favorite heroes…where Gotham still stands, and Superman doesn’t build robots…
DCX…The universe you thought you knew.
**COMING MAY 23, ONLY TO DCX ( www.imagine-that.org/DCX/ )
What does a homicidal artist have to do to get some respect? When the Joker escapes from Arkham Asylum, he discovers he no longer tops the list of ‘Gotham’s Most Wanted.’ But his scheme to destroy the competition draws the attention of an old man with a dangerous grudge against the Clown Prince of Crime. The first issue of BATMAN: Dark Knight by John Hardin begins the story of a man who shows the Joker why revenge is a dish “Best Served Cold.”
DCX: Best served hot with a drizzle of fudge sauce and two cherries.
After her father went to prison, Stephanie Brown left that painful chapter of her life behind. With her mother’s remarriage, Stephanie’s future seemed bright. But all her dreams of happiness are threatened when her father escapes from prison. Now, with the help of a boy named Robin, she must discover if she is a “Prodigal Daughter.” The story begins in ROBIN: Fly by Knight #1, the start of a monthly series by Brian Bedard.
DCX: Come home.
He may have accepted that he’s not Batman, but Jean-Paul Valley’s troubles in Gotham City aren’t over yet, Just as he’s sliding back into Azrael’s mantle and taking up his crusade against crime, he stumbles upon a truck loaded with women, driving into the night…Azrael’s hunt for answers to this mystery begins in part one of “Harvest,” the debut issue of AZRAEL:
Knight of Vengeance, a monthly series by John R. Stephens.
DCX: We’re not Batman, either. No, really.
What happens when goody two-shoes meets the school bully? A new Batgirl is born, and she’s ready to rumble! Meet the two teens — and an exciting new nemesis — that make it all happen in this month’s BATGIRL: Dark Knight Damsel. You can find “Dusk,” the premiere issue written by Brendan Crowther, at only one place.
DCX: We don’t guess who the new Batgirl is. We KNOW.
**Discover these and many more of your favorite DC characters, including Huntress, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern and Flash, at DCX. You never know who you’ll find here, so come and see for yourself. Starting May 23.
**And don’t miss these Batman-related titles coming to DCX on JUNE 6:
BATMAN: Shadows of Twilight
CATWOMAN: Night Moves
NIGHTWING: Bludhaven Nights
**And on JUNE 20, catch the debut of ORACLE: Hidden Voice.
-Laura Hysert
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EDITORIAL #2
(by Michael Mandeville)
batboym@wtp.net
Batman: The Animated Newsletter proudly presents The second editorial in this newsletter, ladies and gentlemen… The Batboy of Beyond!
Greetings.
I will first say that I am proud to announce publicly that last Monday, I walked out of my local Wal-Mart with the Mission Masters Spider-leg Head Mr. Freeze! The best figure that follows the animated series! Okay, on to some other stuff:
Hasbro-Kenner has outdone themselves for this years figures. The new Star Wars Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace figures are PERFECT! Totally authentic…AND they talk! Each one comes with a computer chip that you can use to talk with other figures through a special Chip-Reader devise.
Last weekend (Friday-Sunday) I was in Denver, Colorado, the seemingly center of activity this year with the gun protestors. But that’s not what I was at. While the protestors marched, I was standing in a twenty-mile line in the rain, waiting to get into a tent to see Ray Park, the villain of Episode 1 at the Star Wars Celebration.
Okay, now onto the Batman stuff:
The first thing I would like to say is: I AM ROYALLY TORKED! It isn’t enough that the WB had to cancel an animated old Batman film, (not that I don’t like Batman Beyond) They also canceled the animated Catwomen film! What’s next? A totally weird Joel Schumacher (Oh, joy) film that sways COMPLETELY off the Batman story line? Hasbro making seventeen stupid versions of Batman Beyond? (Oh, wait, they did that already…) Canceling Batman and Batman Beyond to bring on yet another “hit” show such as the thrilling: Furby: The Animated Series? Replacing Batman Beyond with Chicken Boo Beyond: The thrilling, high action show that shows a futuristic Chicken Boo (from ANIMANIACS) dressing up in human disguises? Will-He-Get-To-The-Phone?: The Animated Series two strait, non-commercial interrupting hours of pure terror? Or here’s a great idea: The Really Stupid, Bad Acting, Bunch of Cartoons, Bad cramming, Hour long, Forget Batman, Big Dummy Show! (Yay.)?
Okay, enough with the WB bashing, I don’t want to get in too much trouble here, so I’ll just talk about some of the girls (from my point of view) from Batman and Batman Beyond, so I get in a WHOLE lot of trouble with every girl in the country:
Harleen Quinnzelle, Harley Quinn, Harlequin: Why does everybody think the Bronx sleeze is a sex freak? (I mean, minus that parts in “Mad Love”. And in “Trial”. And in “Beware the Creeper”… I just answered my own question, didn’t I?)
Selina Kyle, Catwoman: Can dupe Batman into doing any stupid thing because they used to be in love with each-other. Had a drastic hair color change in between BTAS and TNAB which made her cuter (Not to mention that new design).
Talia: I’m not touching this one.
Poison Ivy, Pamala Isley: Changed from pretty cute to dead plant over that three years span in BTAS and TNAB. Deceased… Supposedly.
Veronica Vreeland: Filthy rich…what more can I say?
Batgirl, Barbara Gordon: Hot new design. But a little to old for me (Twenty-Three).
Supergirl, Kara: Have mercy. Younger than Batgirl, cuter than Batgirl. Okay, I’m done.
Please don’t take offence if I offended you, I have more coming next week.
Batboy [Beyond]
batboym@wtp.net
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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.
Lately I’ve been watching a lot of Darkwing Duck reruns. I knew that it was a humourous take on Batman (among other comic book superheroes) but only recently did I realize how much his world parallels DC’s. Here’s a quiz focusing on DW and his DC counterparts.
121. One villain on “Darkwing Duck” uses the same havoc-wreaking gimmicks as Poison Ivy does. What is the name of this villain?
Answer: __________
122. Likewise, there is a villain whose “powers” as similar to those of Clayface and/or Inque. What is this villain’s name?
Answer: __________
123. Fill in the blank. “Batman is to Robin as Darkwing is to __________.”
124. In the BTAS episode “Blind as a Bat”, Batman temporarily loses his sense of sight. There was a Darkwing Duck episode which followed a similar plotline. What was the name of this episode?
125. “I am the terror the flaps in the night. I am the winged scourge that pecks at your nightmares. I am Darkwiiiiiiiing Duck!” On BTAS, Batman says something similar to this – by similar, I mean he says three sentences consecutively beginning with the words “I am”. Which BTAS episode is this heard in?
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ANSWERS TO THE TRIVIA
Answer to #121: ‘Bushroot’
Answer to #122: ‘The Liquidator’
Answer to #123: ‘Launchapd McQuack’
Answer to #124: ‘Duck Blind’
Answer to #125: ‘Nothing to Fear’
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LITTLE FACTS
(by Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton)
Here is a section that just points out various little facts that we have noticed while watching BTAS and STAS countless times. If you have anything to contribute, feel free to do so! Enjoy!b
CONBTRIBUTED BY STAFF:
1. Didn’t the female assistant at the very end of “Disappearing Inque” sound A LOT like Alice from the BTAS episode “Mad as a Hatter”?
CONTRIBUTED BY OTHERS:
(“Jeremy”)
1. In the Superman episode “Little Girl Lost”, the reporters are being told about the coming of the comet at Fliescher Simposium. Fliescher made Superman cartoons in the 40’s.
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BATMAN: THE ANIMATED FIGURES
(by Kevin Smith)
Oh_Ho77@hotmail.com
Mission Masters Wave: Insect-Body Mr. Freeze with Robot-Body and Ice Blaster.
Once again, Kenner has redeemed itself and proven that its strong quality is in the cold hearted – Mr. Freeze that is. I finally acquired the much-sung and sought after Mission Masters Mr. Freeze, (which is a saga in and of itself, but hey, you have a life to live and this is a Toy Review, not a forum to air my rant about the latest psycho in my life.) and I
definitely have to add a verse or two to that song.
Like the Old Series figures, Mr. Freeze takes his place among the best of the line. The sculpt on this figure is perfect, and coupled with the nicely detailed paint job, he looks just like his design specs – if not better! For the blue parts of his costume, like his boots, (I love those boots!) a metallic blue paint is used. I always thought the show did a good job of
making these parts look metallic, and the figure succeeded in its translation as well. It kind of reminds me of snow before it’s stepped on.
As with the Old Series version, Mr. Freeze’s head is encased in a clear dome, but this time, his head unit is removable, and can be snapped onto his Insect-Body! The Insect-Body is great as well because each of the four legs is movable for better posing and play value! Another great thing about his Robot-Body, is that a panel on his chest snaps out, and his torso is hollow and detailed inside. Add that to the detail of his red eyes outlined in a deathly black, and like I said, an awesome figure!
Another plus is the card art. While the artist rendition of good ole’ Vic is very action oriented to emphasize the figures play value, I’m not quite sure I care for the expression on his face. He looks like he’s in the middle of a war cry, and I don’t see Mr. Freeze participating in such an activity. The nicest part of the card art is the background, which is very reminiscent of paintings of Victor’s laboratory in the episode “Heart of Ice.” Check out the paintings in Paul Dini and Chip Kidd’s book “Batman Animated.” The background is a dark sewer with ice hanging from a vent and the sewer pipes. The whole picture has a blue tone to it and makes a very frigid image! This figure is a Must-Have for all collectors, so if you
can’t find it yet, wait a couple of months, and if tradition holds true, there will be plenty warming the shelves.
An honorable mention in the Mission Masters Wave goes to Glider Strike Batman. Granted, he has a bronze and black costume, which is silly, however he is accompanied with a hang glider that looks a lot (minus the tail section) like the glider used by Batman in Old Series episodes such as “The Cat and the Claw (Pt. 2)” and “Heart of Steel (Pt. 1).” Now we just have to wait for the new Riddler figure to come out. (And keep our fingers crossed for a good Catwoman figure!)
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COMIC REVIEWS
(by Aaron Maurer)
BATMAN BEYOND
ISSUE: “Magic is Everywhere!” (#4)
WRITTEN BY: Hilary J. Bader
PENCILED BY: Joe Stanton
INKED BY: Terry Beatty
ISSUED: April 21, 1999 (Cover date is June)
RATING: *** (out of 5)
“So how’d you know I was out there? Magic?”
“Video. I have security cameras everywhere.”
–Terry McGinnis talking with Jason Blood
SUMMARY: A kid is screwing around on his computer when he conjurs up an evil demon that proceeds to attack the zoo where Terry McGinnis’ class is for the day. He changes to Batman and finds out that he’s no match for the monster. Suddenly it leaves because the kid that brought it wants him to go away. Back at the Batcave Bruce tells Terry to go see Jason Blood who finds out what’s happened. He then takes him to meet a guy who has created a demon-trap-thing based on studies of the physics of magic. They set up the trap in the high school and Jason transforms into Etrigan to lure the bad demon to it. Eventually, after a fight, they trap the bad guy and send him packing into a computer. Meanwhile, Terry severs the being’s connection with the kid who summoned it by knocking him out.
COMMENTS: This issue had a fairly good story, but seemed rather routine of these types of plots. However, it was nice to see Jason Blood and Etrigan again, and the comic was well executed.
CRITICISMS: I thought the art in this issue was a little lacking (granted, this is the first issue of the Beyond series pencilled by Stanton). I didn’t think the character designs looked “on” all the time, and I thought the kid in the story looked pretty young for a high-schooler. Another thing I found rather odd was that a high school class would take a field trip to the zoo. That’s something my school would’ve done in elementary school; definitely not in senior high.
BOTTOM LINE: An average story coupled with average artwork makes for an average read.
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COMIC SCHEDULES & COVERING THE BASICS
This section gives a little bit more indepth look into each monthly issue of BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES and SUPERMAN ADVENTURES. Below each comic listing is a link to the cover of that comic. TALK ABOUT SERVICE!
The price is $1.99 in the US and..grrrrr…a whopping $3.25 in Canada. (Both our editors and many subscribers are Canadian, hence the “grrr”.)
BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES #15
June 2nd
Bane returns! Pulling daring bank robberies throughout Gotham, there are no leads. And no criminal in town seems to know Bane’s whereabouts. Why are his hideout’s neighbors in a rundown part of town Is it simply the threat of his vengeance… or is there some other force at work?
Cover: http://www.toonzone.net/comics/covers/bga/bga15.jpg
NEXT MONTH: – Alfred is kidnapped. But by who?
Cover: Unavailable
BATMAN BEYOND #5
May 19th
On a field trip to the Gotham Museum of Natural History, Terry and his class are menaced by what appears to be a re-animated Egyptian mummy! Other strange events follow as several students contract a mysterious emaciating disease. Is there a connection between these strange occurrences and the new foreign student in school who seems obsessed with Terry’s girlfriend Dana?
Cover: http://www.toonzone.net/comics/covers/bb/bb5.jpg
NEXT MONTH: Issue #6 – The return of Inque. She’s on a mission to steal top-secret data, but there’s more to her plan than meets the eye. Pieces of her body left behind at the scene exhibit strange behavior and could lead Batman to Inque or to his own death, or both.
Cover: http://www.toonzone.net/comics/covers/bb/bb6.jpg
SUPERMAN ADVENTURES #34
June 2nd
The Man of Steel’s been possessed, and only one man can save him… or at least stop him! An ancient evil is on the loose in Metropolis, and it’s taken control of Superman! It’s a job only the sorcerous Dr. Fate can handle. At least we hope so, or he may have to banish the Man of Steel to a place with extremely warm temperatures!
Cover: Unavailable
NEXT MONTH:
Synopsis unknown.
Cover: Unavailable
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NEWS AND RUMORS
ALL-ENCOMPASSING/OTHER
-???
“CURRENT” ANIMATED SERIES’
-Rumor has it that the two-part STAS episode “LEGACY” won’t air until September now.
BATMAN BEYOND
-BATMAN BEYOND: THE MOVIE, the complilation of REBIRTH (parts 1 & 2), will be released May 18th, with a rating of PG. Why PG? Violence, and an ‘intense situation’. (Most likely how the death of Terry’s father is revealed, and how Terry reacts) The movie is also 48 minutes long.
ANIMATED COMICS
-Ty Templeton returns in the future with a Joker story for GOTHAM ADVENTURES! Wooohaaa! Also pencilled by Terry Beatty.
-As for Terry, he won’t be inking the ongoing BATMAN BEYOND series this fall. (Argh!)
-An upcoming story for SUPERMAN ADVENTURES involves the Parasite absorbing some of Mr. Mxystplk’s (can ANYONE spell it right?) powers and does damage through space and time. Look for this story in (hopefully)
OTHER COMICS
-For more, see the “Road Through No Man’s Land” section below.
MOVIES
-???
TOYS & MERCHANDISE
-The video game based on the animated incarnation of Superman will be released this spring. The N64 version will be on May 11, and the Playstation version will be sometime in June.
-Check out “Two-Face’s Trading Post” if you’re interested in purchasing figures…lists provided below.
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THE ROAD THROUGH NO MAN’S LAND
(by Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton)
Yes, I know this isn’t really an animated topic, but I thought, hey, it’s Batman’s 60th anniversary, and this is the big event that celebrates it, so I should have a section dedicated to this year-long crossover. Besides, so far it’s been excellent in every issue. We have this section split up into two parts – the first saying what has already happened, the second previewing what’s to come. Enjoy!
UP UNTIL NOW…
JANUARY: After 100 days of absence, Batman has returned, and took down the Ventriloquist and Scarface; Rhino now runs that sector of town under Batman’s control. First appearance of the new Batgirl.
FEBRUARY: The Scarecrow then took up refuge in the “Faith Sector” of town, where he had a field day tormenting the Huntress, as well as getting a war started between the Penguin and Black Mask. We then learn Batman is not working out of the Batcave anymore, but Arkham Asylum.
Then we see a flashback of Rene Montoya in Downtown Gotham, where she runs into good-Samaritan Two-Face, who is helping the people there, due to the luck of the coin.
MARCH: Batman then confronts the Penguin in the Iceberg Lounge, winning a small victory; Penguin loses credibility as a result. Gordon “makes a deal with the devil”: Two-Face. Then Black Mask attacks Oracle in the GCPD sector of town; he is apprehended by Batgirl and sent to a prison run by Lock-Up and KGBeast. Black Mask is presumably killed by Tally Man in prison.
APRIL: We learn of Alfred’s early days in No Man’s Land, and how he re-met Batman. A Gothamite protects his home form the likes of Zsasz, Croc, Freeze, and the Joker; the Joker than goes head-to-head with Azrael. Superman arrives in Gotham, takes out the Mad Hatter, and restores power to the power plant, giving Freeze responsibility to keep it running. Batman then sets out to settle all the minor squabbles in Gotham; this issue features a retelling by Alfred of how Dr. Thomas Wayne broke the law for the good of one of his patients.
MAY: The first major turf war has begun in part one of “Claim Jumping”. Two-Face and the Penguin make arrangements to take out both Batman and the GCPD, respectively. Meanwhile, Two-Face frees a mentally two-faced assassin named Isabella Cheranova from Blackgate prison – but why?
This issue also features an up-to-date map of Gotham: Batman now rules a HUGE chunk of town, and it looks like Zsasz and Croc have expanded their territories as well. It also looks like the Scarecrow and Mad Hatter HAVE been defeated and locked up in Blackgate permanently.
That’s 19 issues of NML so far. For a complete list, e-mail us.
WHAT’S TO COME…
-May: “Claim-Jumping” (2 parts). The GCPD confront the Penguin, and Batman confronts Two-Face, in the first major turf war in Gotham since “Black Monday”; in the end, Two-Face remains triumphant, but no word on how the Penguin battle will finish. The Penguin and Two-Face stories are said to be two of the most important segments in the battle in No Man’s Land.
-Rest of May: Batman and Batgirl fight Echo, the assassin Two-Face broke out of Blackgate prison.
-May: Francine Langstrom comes to the Penguin for help, which results in Man-Bat returning to Gotham.
-June: Batgirl’s identity is revealed in LOTDK #120. Then, Batman and Robin battle Clayface for the life of Poison Ivy in “Fruit of the Earth” (3 parts). And don’t forget Harley’s intro!
-July: Batman and Mr. Freeze battle in the heat of the summer at the power plant, determining who controls Chinatown.
-See more below.
AS FOR THE OTHER HEROES:
-Batgirl’s identity is revealed in LOTDK#120, this June.
-Robin and Nightwing return to Gotham in June!
-Robin’s first duty is to aid Batman in saving Poison Ivy from Clayface.
-Nightwing is ordered by Batman to take control of Blackgate Prison after returning to Gotham in July; Lock-Up is unhappy with this.
-Robin, Superboy, Impulse, and a bunch of the “Young Justice” heroes come to Gotham to try and fix things up.
-Azrael and Batgirl team up to take down Nicholas Scratch, in a giant comic also featuring Batman, Robin, Nightwing, Joker, Penguin, and Two-Face.
-Catwoman breaks back into Gotham in Catwoman #72, this July.
-A one-shot focussing on how Harvey Bullock is handling No Man’s Land is also due out; Black Mask appears. Told in flashback, a la BATMAN CHRONICLES #16.
-Leslie Thompkins is the focus of BATMAN CHRONICLES #18, in August.
-Superman will return to Gotham in SHADOW OF THE BAT #92, in October.
AND AS FOR THE REMAINING VILLAINS…
-Two-Face has seized control of the political and financial districts in Downtown Gotham. In the first major turf war of NO MAN’S LAND, the GCPD confronts the Penguin, Batman tries to take Two-Face down but fails in his first attempt. Two-Face then releases the Russian assassin “Echo” from Blackgate Prison, who goes on a killing spree, with a bounty on Batgirl’s head.
-Two-Face re-appears in another big way later on in No Man’s Land, apparently as the second-last villain to be defeated. (How fitting.)
-Man-Bat appears, thanks to the Penguin and Francine Langstrom.
-Poison Ivy has sought refuge in the Robinson Park and turned it into a Garden-of-Eden paradise. But then Clayface appears and turns this Eden into a Hell for Ivy.
-Black Mask and “The Widow Wacker” confront Bullock in a special one-shot due out in June.
-The one-shot comic featuring Harley Quinn’s intro to the mainstream Bat-universe will also come out this June.
-Mr. Freeze seizes control of the power plant to stay alive – and to have something valuable to trade with the rest of society. His story involves – a plumber? Freeze also controls Chinatown. (LOTDK #121)
-Bane tries to gain control of the city – again – but has to break in from the outside – across the river filled with land mines. Batgirl also has a significant role. This is in Detective Comics #736, in July.
-Lock-Up is in trouble when Nightwing tries to take over control of Blackgate Prison in July!
-The Joker doesn’t appear as a major player until close to the end, along with the new, improved Harley Quinn – whom will appear with the Joker AND Poison Ivy in August.
-The Mad Hatter, Killer Croc, Mr. Zsasz, and various other “lesser” villains have their own chunks of Gotham to rule as well.
-Ra’s Al Ghul, meanwhile, is in Washington D.C. battling Anarky in his new ongoing series.
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TWO-FACE’S TRADING POST
(by Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton)
I know that there are many people out there that collect Batman OR Superman items – like
myself. I only started a year ago and, believe me, finding some of these items (like action figures) that were released a couple years ago is pretty tough! So, I decided to start up a
little section in the newsletter to help out our fellow Bat-fans. I can only personally guarantee that my entries are 100% true, for I saw these items with my own eyes. So we’re working on the honour system here. Sound fair?
ALSO if you are LOOKING for something, e-mail me and I can put your request in the “WANT TO BUY” section. There is the possibility that a fellow subscriber is willing to sell what you’re looking for!
IMPORTANT QUERY: Many fans have been unable to see any of the new-style BTAS episodes, and any of the STAS or BATMAN BEYOND episodes. Can someone who is in the know point out a website that tells the copyright laws regarding taping episodes off the TV and selling them to people who want ’em? I’m not saying we’re doing this – but I know it would help many out. So if anyone has any official info on this (or, better yet, if someone from the WB network contact us), that’d be great. In the meantime, we won’t be selling or trading any home-recorded BTAS episodes here.
Well, here we go! I hope this helps out someone out there!
1. JOKERZ LEADER. Mail editor Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton if you are interested in the Jokerz Leader figure from the new “Batman Beyond” line, in a near-mint package. Pic available. E-mail: juno@direct.ca
2. KILLER CROC. Editor Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton has a spare Killer Croc figure lying around, in a mint package. Pic available. E-mail juno@direct.ca if interested.
3. THE MAD HATTER. Yup! Editor Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton has one spare BTAS “Mad Hatter” figure (in a mint-condition package) in his possession that he is willing to get rid of. This is the only Mad Hatter figure in existance (to our collective knowledge), and is a wonderful figure besides! Sure, that was a shameless plug, but it IS a cool figure. Pic available. If interested, e-mail: juno@direct.ca
4. TNBA EASTER EGG. From England. An approx. 5″X8″ box with great artwork all the way around. Contains a large red-foil wrapped chocolate Easter egg (good until 7-99) and some gum-drop-like candies. Cost is $25.00 per egg which includes shipping and insurance within the US. Email for scanned pic, or if interested: keatking@icehouse.net
5. Wow! Look at all this! If you want any of the following, or are even interested, e-mail Craig at NextNexus@aol.com -Scans are available for all the figures, too. All figures are MOC (mint, on card), and from the various BTAS lines.
Quick-change Bruce Wayne (red outfit)
Quick-change Bruce Wayne in yellow outfit = $35 RARE!
Turbojet Batman
Anti-Freeze Batman
Sky Dive Batman
Decoy Batman (orange “Mask of the Phantasm” card)
Total Armor Batman (“MotP” card)
Robin (w/Turbo Glider)
Dick Grayson/Robin
Ninja Robin
Joker, green face (w/”Laughing Gas” spray gun – original BTAS Joker fig.)
Jet Pack Joker, rare green face (“MotP” card)
Penguin MOC
Mr. Freeze (original deco)
Man-Bat
Clayface
Harley Quinn
Bane (original BTAS card)
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WANTS TO BUY
1. CLAYFACE. Anyone know where to get a “Legends of the Dark Knight” Clayface figure? I know it’s not animated, but it still counts for this column…can anyone help? E-mail: juno@direct.ca
2. COMBAT BELT BATMAN, and BTAS BATMOBILE. If you know where to find these figures – or a BTAS Batwing (I’m pretty sure one was made) e-mail this address: cnwitkow@concentric.net
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FEATURED BAT-SITES FOR THIS ISSUE
TERRY BEATTY and WENDY LEE WEBSITE
Yep! You heard right! A site dedicated to showing off the talents of “Batman: Gotham Adventures” inker, Terry Beatty! And there’s a lot more here than just the expected Bat-content…a very good site indeed! The site also provides info on how to make bids for their artwork at EBay. To check it out, go here:
http://www.muscanet.com/~wlee
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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
SUB-ZERO: THE DEFINTIE GUIDE
http://www.batman-subzero.com
DC COMICS
http://www.dccomics.com
TOON ZONE
http://www.toonzone.net
RAVING TOY MANIAC
http://www.toymania.com
VOICE CHASERS
http://www.voicechasers.org
UNOFFICIAL SITES
—–
*TWO-FACE’S TOWER OF TRANQUILITY AND TERROR
http://www.angelfire.com/tx/TimTwoFace/index.html
BRIAN CRUZ’ WB CARTOON PAGE
http://www.toonzone.net/brian/index.html
BRIAN’S BATMAN PAGE
http://members.aol.com/bdavis2613/main.html
GOTHAM GAZETTE
http://members.aol.com/gothamajp
BATMAN: THE ANIMATED HOMEPAGE
http://www3.sympatico.ca/quartet/home.htm
RA’S AL GHUL’S THE LAZARUS PIT
http://www.aitnet.et/lazaruspit
THE DARK KNIGHT
http://www.darkknight.ca
ANIMANIA
http://hjem.get2net.dk/twt/home.htm
HARLEY’S HAVEN OF HEDONISM
http://www.angelfire.com/hi/harlequinhideaway
THE ANIMATED BAT
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Academy/7382/index.html
BATMAN/SUPERMAN SNAP JUDGMENTS
http://www.snapjudgments.com/batsup.html
BATMAN BEYOND MULTIMEDIA
http://www.prophecysite.com/batman.htm
THE BATCOMPUTER
http://members.spree.com/batcomputer
BATMAN: FOREVER KNIGHT
http://batman.techv.net
WORLD’S FINEST
http://members.spree.com/sip/worldsfinest
CHARACTERS ON THE ADVENTURES OF BATMAN & ROBIN
http://www.xse.com/leres/batman.html
ARKHAM ASYLUM
http://animation.acmecity.com/saturday/352
JLA: THE ANIMATED SERIES
http://animation.acmecity.com/character/375
THE NEW BATMAN ADVENTURES: THE UNOFFICIAL SITE
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Makeup/5158
ANIMATED TALES
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Dunes/2294/at
BATMAN BEYOND: WELCOME TO THE FUTURE
http://www.batmanbeyond.net
MESSAGE BOARDS
—–
HEAVY DUTY DUBBAS DISCUSSION CENTER
http://members.spree.com/sip/hddboards
SUPERMAN: THE ANIMATED MESSAGE BOARD
http://www.insidetheweb.com/mbs.cgi/mb158314
NEWSGROUPS
—–
news:alt.comics.batman
news:alt.animation.batman
news:alt.comics.superman
news:rec.arts.sf.superman
news:alt.tv.cartoon-network
news:rec.arts.animation
news:alt.animation.warner-bros
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QUESTIONS, SUBMISSIONS, AND FAN-MAIL
If you have any questions, problems, links do not work, or anything else then please e-mail this address with your problems and we’ll try to fix them as soon as possible. Also if you’d like to send any fan-mail then please send it to this address:
juno@direct.ca
As for submissions, feel free to submit an article or opinion on anything pertaining to BTAS. Keep in mind that as the editors, we have the right to edit your submissions if we deem it necessary. Such instances would include problems with length, grammar, and language. If we do feel we must edit something, however, we will do our utmost to ensure that the opinion and the basic message of the submission does not change, as that is the most important part of any artcile, and everyone is entitled to it. And if you do submit something, please don’t just submit a basic review of an episode or a comic or something (because we have people writing for those purposes already) – write about an issue you’d like to discuss.
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BATMAN: THE ANIMATED ARCHIVES
The very kind people at TOONZONE were nice enough to give us our own little section of their huge and diverse website. The archives contain past newsletters and is semi-regularly updated with the latest one. To check it out go here:
TOONZONE’s BATMAN: THE ANIMATED NEWSLETTER ARCHIVES
http://www.toonzone.net/wbc/btan
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LIKE WHAT YA SEE? WANNA SUBSCRIBE? HERE’S HOW!!!
For those of you who are seeing this at the WBC HOMEPAGE BTAN ARCHIVES section, and want to subscribe just follow these simple instructions:
To subscribe email juno@direct.ca and put SUBSCRIBE in the subject line.
For more information the newsletter just email juno@direct.ca
Thank you for your time, and thanks for reading! Tell your friends!
-Tim TWO-FACE Leighton and Dick Grayson, editors
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TO ALL GOOD THINGS…
…there must be an end. We would like to thank the endless amount of contributors for contributing their editorials, columns, news, jokes, reviews and other articles. We hope you’ve all enjoyed it as much as we’ve enjoyed making it! See ya next time!
CREDITS FOR BATMAN: THE ANIMATED NEWSLETTER
EDITORS: Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton and “Dick Grayson”
AIR DATE SCHEDULES: Brian Cruz
BTAS REVIEWS: Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton
EDITORIAL #1: Laura Hysert
EDITORIAL #2: Michael Mandeville
COMIC REVIEWS: Aaron Maurer
TOY REVIEW: Kevin Smith
“BTAN ARCHIVES” MODERATOR: Eileen Delgadillo
TRIVIA: Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton
ROAD THROUGH NO MAN’S LAND: Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton
TWO-FACE’S TRADING POST: Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton
PROMOTIONS AND JUST GETTIN’ THE WORD AROUND: Dick Grayson, Eileen Delgadillo, Brian Cruz, Brian Davis
THOSE WHO FILL IN FOR OTHERS WHEN THEY FOUL UP:-P Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton
DELIVERY: Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton
E-MAIL RECEPTION HANDLING: Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton
BATMAN CREATED BY: Bob Kane (who else?)
Batman and all related indica are trademarks of DC Comics, Copyright c 1999.
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