Batman: The Animated Newsletter
Week of May 17 – May 22/23, 1999
Volume 2,
Rated: PG for some “low-key coarse language and occasional griping”THIS ISSUE’S SUBLIMINAL MESSAGE: “REMEMBER THE HYPE AROUND ‘BATMAN & ROBIN’? REMEMBER HOW IT DIDN’T PAY OFF? Just something to make note of…”
PS – Don’t send me hate mail just cuz I said that! Even though I didn’t say what I was refering to…*CRINGES*
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INTRODUCTION
Welcome to another issue of “Batman: The Animated Newsletter”. Enjoy!
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WOOHOO!!!
Yep! Another milestone…the 900 subscriber mark was passed in the morning of Saturday, May 15. Thank you for all your support, fellow subscribers!!!
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SPECIAL IN THIS ISSUE
May the hype be with us. No no, we’re not gonna talk about THAT movie that’s coming up soon – however, it HAS influenced a writer named WT to write a special article for this issue of the newsletter…scroll down and see! 🙂
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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.
‘ASCENSION’
Batman Beyond #13
Air date: May 22, 1999
I’ll make a guess…return of Mr. Fixx? ASCENDING from the dead, so to speak?
‘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 or September.
‘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 differant time. To find out when, we recommend you follow this URL (provided by Toonzone): 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 5-17-99: Superman #36 Warrior Queen
Batman #105 Girl’s Nite Out
Tue 5-18-99: Batman #73 Time Out of Joint
Superman #31 Prototype
Wed 5-19-99: Superman #05 A Little Piece of Home
Batman #81 Harley’s Holiday
Thu 5-20-99: Batman #78 Showdown
Superman #25 Brave New Metropolis
Fri 5-21-99: Superman #21 Mxyzpixilated
Batman #77 The Lion & The Unicorn
Sat 5-22-99: Superman #52 Little Big Head Man
Batman #108 Beware the Creeper
B-BYND #13 Ascension ——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 TOONZONE 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
A TOUCH OF CURARE
Written by: Hilary J. Bader
Directed by: Dan Riba
Animation by: Dong Yang
Original air date: May 15, 1999
My rating: ***
A sword-wielding assassin makes her way through Gotham with one thing in mind – KILL BARBARA’S HUSBAND. In a nutshell, that’s what this whole episode is about. Make note that you pronounce “Curare” as “CURE-RAR-AY”.
#1 problem of this episode? We never learn why Curare is hunting Barbara’s husband, Sam. In the end, she fails, of course…but we still don’t know her motive…or even who sent her. Curare is very reminiscent of Ra’s Al Ghul – of course, they have excellent sword-handling abilities in common. But what else? She’s Arabic (everytime she’s on screen, Arabic rock-music is played) and belongs to a league of assassins. Could she be one of Ra’s’ followers, 50 years later? Or even Talia, perhaps? It’s possible. But we never learn anything about her. She was unmasked during the episode, but we never got to see anything – only Terry did.
Sounds crappy huh? Why would an episode with such a lame plot get the good rating I gave it? Well, this episode is the first to feature Barbara Gordon in a large role – we get to learn more about her present and her past. Of course, we knew most of this already…she and Dick dated, then they had a falling out (direct reference to “Old Wounds”), and then she dated Bruce for a while – but, like Dick, she grew sick of his brooding attitude, so she left him, cold turkey. (This also hints at the fact that Dick is still alive – but what about Tim?) What’s new, though, is that we learn that, when in costume, she was shot…and, of course, being the greedy little Bat-fans we are, “WE WANNA KNOW WHAT HAPPENED!”
Action sequences are great, and the hinting at past events was nice. Curare is worthy of re-appearing, but only if we learn more about her. So, three stars is this district attorney’s final ruling.
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SPECIAL IN THIS ISSUE
Alright…”Batman: Episode One – The Phatasm Menace” or whatever is coming out in theatres this week…so what better way to celebrate by having an article all about Star TREK??? Hmmm? *PEOPLE THROW EGGS AND TOMATOES AT ME, A LA ‘BATMAN RETURNS’* Seriously though, when you think about it, the Star Treks of the past and present hold many similarities to BTAS, at least in the casting department. Read on and you’ll see what I mean…and as for all those Star Wars fans that are insulted I’d pull a stunt like this, “NYAH NYAH! IT’S MY NEWSLETTER AND I CAN DO WHATEVER I LIKE!”
-editor Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton, right before mommy puts him back in his playpen.
A LONG TIME AGO, IN A GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY…
(by “WT”)
Well, actually it’s in the future. And, unless you’re talking about a certain Intrepid-class starship named U.S.S. Voyager, the galaxy is pretty close by. No, it’s not Star Wars; it’s Star Trek.
Not only is it Star Trek, there’s also a bat in a long cape running around. And don’t forget the Kryptonian.
Wait. A bat? In a long cape? And a Kryptonian? What does that have to do with Star Trek?
Apparently a lot. Many of the actors or guest stars that appeared in the 23rd and 24th century also lent their voices to two of the most famous animated series in history. That’s right. Aside from having interstellar adventures, these actors also made their voices heard in Gotham City, home of the Dark Knight, and in Metropolis, home of the Man of Steel.
George Takei is best known as Hikaru Sulu from the U.S.S. Enterprise-A also voiced the short-lived character Mr. Fixx on the series premiere episode of “Batman Beyond”, the latest series in the Bat universe.
During the second year of “Star Trek: The Next Generation”, Diana Muldaur took over as Doctor Katherine Pulaski when Doctor Beverly Crusher took a position in Starfleet Medical. Muldaur also lent her voice to another doctor in “Batman: The Animated Series”, Leslie Thompkins. Yes, she was the one who, along with Alfred, prevented the young Bruce Wayne from turning bitter after his parents’ murder.
John de Lancie, the infuriating and wonderful Trek villain Q, also had a bit part in Batman as Eagleton in “Blind as a Bat.”
Robert Picardo, the Emergency Medical Holographic doctor with an attitude on Star Trek: Voyager, voiced Eddie from “The Man Who Killed Batman.”
By day, Michael Dorn is Worf, the honor-loving, warrior Klingon on “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” and formerly part of the bridge crew on the U.S.S. Enterprise-D in “Star Trek: The Next Generation”. By night, his voice makes guest appearances in the form of John Henry Irons/Steel and Kalibak, both characters from Superman.
Kate Mulgrew made Trek history by becoming the first female captain of a Trek series. She plays Captain Kathryn Janeway of the U.S.S. Voyager. But she also portrays an international terrorist known as Red Claw from “The Cat and the Claw” and “The Lion and the Unicorn.” You’d hardly know it since she uses an accent for the character.
Michael Ansara made it into the Klingon Hall of Warriors. Or rather, his alter ego
Kang did. Aside from playing the villain on “Star Trek: The Original Series”, Ansara also plays a frosty villain on Batman as well. If you guessed Doctor Victor Fries/Mr. Freeze, you are correct.
There are many other actors with ties to Superman and Batman but too many to list here. But it is sufficient to say this is the reason why Star Trek, Batman, and Superman are still with us today. They all draw from the same talent.
P.S. To those of you who were disappointed that this article wasn’t about Star Wars, here’s a consolation prize. You know Mark Hamill? The guy who played Luke Skywalker? Well, he’s the voice of Batman’s infamous arch-enemy, the Joker. Can you imagine that!
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EDITORAL #1
(by Laura Hysert, aka “Phoenix”)
Ms. Hysert was unable to submit an editorial for this newsletter…but fear not! She will return very soon. Be patient, my children.
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EDITORIAL #2
(by Michael Mandeville)
batboym@wtp.net
I’m here to talk about ‘Disappearing Inque’ a very (words escape me here) show. It went way to fast. They killed Inque. As if enough people haven’t been killed already. Another show I watch, Beast Wars, killed ALL of the bad guys except two, one of which deserted. It killed MOST of the good guys even my favorite one and even the one that had only been in two different episodes. The only ones left were part of the original ones. And besides, if they were going to kill Inque, they could have given it a better plotline. They could have changed the crappy title (What’s “disappearing” about her? I mean, besides the fact she dies?). And they could have made the guy at the end REALLY dangerous, like the first (and greatest) Inque.
OTHER THINGS THAT CONFUSE ME:
Okay, all this week I’ve been waiting for the Curare episode. But all this week it’s been under different titles everywhere: ‘Touch of Curare’, ‘Torture of Curare’, ‘The episode with Curare’ (Okay, so I made the last one up). Who the heck is ‘Curare’ anyway? Well, Saturday we found out.
The Inque story and BTAS ‘Deep Freeze’ episodes were alike, how?:
1. The guy spends a lot of time talking to the ink blot just as Grant Walker did studying Mr. Freeze.
2. The guy wanted to be LIKE Inque, just like Grant Walker wanted to be like Mr. Freeze.
3. At the end in both episodes, the villain (Mr. Freeze and Inque) give every APPEARANCE at the end to be dead (except we do see Mr.. Freeze and Nora in the Arctic that follows up in ‘Subzero’).
4. The guys who became like the villains both survived and paid miserable consequences for it; Grant Walker trapped in an ice cube until he decays like Mr. Freeze, and that other guy being a living whatever-he-is for the rest of his life.
Speaking Of ‘Subzero’:
At the end of ‘Subzero’ nobody knows Mr. Freeze is still alive, yet, in the next follow-up, Cold Comfort we find out that Nora has been waiting for Victor Fries (Mr. Freeze) to come back and then runs away with her doctor and Batman and Batgirl (still looking good) act like they knew all along that Mr. Freeze was dead. (I notice little flaws in movies/cartoons).
THE CONTINUING OF MY LAST EDITORIAL, THE GIRLS OF BATMAN AND SUPERMAN:
Okay, I told you all that I would continue. I’m going to do things a little different here, though. Her is going to be the girls of Batman Beyond:
Bunny Vreeland: Appeared in ‘Rebirth’. Filthy rich. looks like the WB took Veronica Vreeland’s new design and changed the hair and some other things (which I don’t really mind).
Dana Tan: Terry’s lucky. Except for the fact that Terry and Dana broke up in ‘Dead Man’s Hand’ and in the next episode they were automatically together again, Dana’s pretty cool.
Blade: Spoiled teenager
Chelsea Cunningham (girl at the beginning of ‘Spellbinder’): A spoiled RICH teenager.
Melanie/Ten: The less I say about her the less chance I have of getting kicked out of this newsletter.
Some thoughts on this by one of my friends: “Why do they ALWAYS have to make the animated girls a lot hotter than the ones in actual life?” The Answer: “So plastic surgeons can make a bundle of girls trying to look like the girl from “Tomb Raider” and such.
But seriously, I like the real life girls more.
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.
I have no actual theme for the following questions…I just hope they’re tough!
126. Which was the first villain to appear in an in-theatre Bat-movie whose only previous exposure on-screen (TV or film) was on BTAS?
Answer: __________
127. Name the only episode in which both Rupert Thorne and the Penguin appeared.
Answer: __________
128. Name the episode in which Clayface APPEARED, but didn’t say a word.
Answer: __________
129. What is the first word in the name of the street on which Wayne Manor is located?
Answer: __________
130. Name the only episode in which Batman and “the president” appear together.
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ANSWERS TO THE TRIVIA
Answer to #126: If Harvey Dent in “Batman” is not included, then it’d be Poison Ivy.
Answer to #127: ‘Second Chance’
Answer to #128: ‘The Worry Men’
Answer to #129: ‘Mountain’
Answer to #130: ‘World’s Finest (Pt. 1)’
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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!
CONBTRIBUTED BY STAFF:
1. In “Unity”, right before the commercial break, one of the “unified” people in Smallville looks EXACTLY like the old style Bruce Wayne!
2. The “Unity” villain looked a lot like Farmer Brown when he first appears in the episode – not just because he’s dressed as an Amish farmer, but because his face looks nearly identical.
3. The voice of Sam (Barbara’s hubby in “BEYOND”) sounds very similar to that of Lucious Fox on TNBA. (The Lucius of the original episodes was voiced by someone else.)
CONTRIBUTED BY OTHERS:
(by “Peter Destructo”)
4. By the way, I don’t know if you mentioned this when it first came out, but in the Brainac episode, there was a reference to the first Fleisher Superman cartoon (“Superman”, I think). The scene where Superman punches the beam coming out of Brainac’s chest exactly parallels a similar scene in the Fleisher episode.
5. In “HEART OF ICE”, Freeze’s TV (shown for about a second) is in color. Similarly, the film in BEWARE THE GRAY GHOST is also in colour. The latter may have been on purpose, but the former was clearly a storyboard mistake.
6. In a few episodes (“Nothing to Fear” and “Joker’s Favor”), a security guard and a goon, respectively, were reading TTA comics on the job. Of course, Bruce Timm used to be on the TTA team. (Note: TTA = “Tiny Toon Adventures”).
(by “Mike Quilligan”)
7. In the BTAS episode “Deep Freeze”, not only was there the brief appearance of Bat-Mite, but as his robotic corpse is thrown back into teh pile, we catch glimpses of Streaky teh Super-Cat, Krypto and Mr. Mxyzptlk!
(by “Lisa”)
8. In the Batman episode “Appointment in Crime Alley”, the truck Nitro used to haul his explosives around was later trapped in by the Bat has a label on the side that says, “J. Olson, photographic supplies” and some other details I didn’t quite catch.
9. In the episode “Beware the Gray Ghost”, at the very end Simon Trent is signing autographs while seated in front of a blown-up “People” magazine cover with his picture on it. When you look closely, you can see that his shadow in that picture is Batman’s.
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BATMAN: THE ANIMATED FIGURES
(by Kevin Smith)
Oh_Ho77@hotmail.com
Mr. Smith was unable to submit an article for this issue of BTAN. But fear not, he will return shortly!
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COMIC REVIEWS
(by Aaron Maurer)
*Aaron Maurer was unable to submit a review in time for the distribution of this issue; therefore, editor Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton has written up a review of the most recent animated Batman comic, of Gotham Adventures. Mr. Maurer will return shortly!
BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES #14
TITLE: “Masks of Love: A Harley Quinn Romance”
WRITER: Ty Templeton
PENCILLER: Craig Rousseau
INKER: Stan Woch
ISSUED: May 5, 1999 (cover date is July)
RATING (out of 5): ***
I wish I could say I liked this issue, but sadly, I can’t. I’d give it 3 stars out of 5 at most. Why? Well, compared to BGA#10 (which I’d give 5 stars), this just cannot live up to it. The new artists, while good, just can’t compare to Burchett and Beatty. And Ty’s story, while good in general, contained a lot of little things that bothered me. In particular, I really hated the mind-control gimmick that was brought in out of the blue – that was just corny, and there was no hint of it before hand. Harley gives a two-panel explanation of where these chemicals came from – and it just didn’t do it for me – it was just too neat and tidy. The final scenes with a FRIENDLY Joker were kinda lame, too – namely cuz he was under a transe caused by the chemical that I could not take a liking to.
And personally, I wanted to see the building blow up…that would’ve made for some great art.
I did enjoy some things…the first pages with Robin in training, the various funny things done to the Bat-signal, and the idea of her acting out scenes from her book to get publicity…
So in the end, I liked half of it, and didn’t like the other half. Fitting eh? So 3 stars outa 5 is my final rating.
Personally, for Ty’s final story, I would’ve re-arranged the issues so that an excellent issue was in , i.e.:
BGA#10 – Joker/Harley story
BGA#11 – Harley seeks publicity for book
BGA#12 – Two-Face the crime-fighter
BGA#13 – Mr. Nice, Mastermind, Perfesser
BGA#14 – The Riddler story from
So, basically, switching when Issues #11 and 14 were printed. I think that’d have been a more fitting way to end Ty’s current run on the series.
It still is an enjoyable comic, and I bet that if you’re a fan of Harley you’ll enjoy it, but it’s not as great as it could or should have been. Now I’m looking forward to Ty’s next issue for the series (we just don’t know WHEN that will be)!
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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
-Do yourself a favor and check out BrainUK’s BATMAN ANIMATED UK Fan Club! The link is right here:
http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/batmananimateduk
“CURRENT” ANIMATED SERIES’
-As of now, Superman’s UNITY will be the season finale for this season, leaving LEGACY and DEMON REBORN for next season. Great. Three more episodes to be scattered throughout the season. Perfect. Blech.
BATMAN BEYOND
-BATMAN BEYOND: THE MOVIE, the complilation of REBIRTH (parts 1 & 2), will be released May 18th, with a rating of PG. Running time: 48 mins.
-The season finale of BATMAN BEYOND airs this weekend (May 22nd). The season finale episode is called ‘ASCENSION’, and nothing is known about the plot.
-The free give-away DC comic book, BATMAN BEYOND, will be released this Wednesday (May 19th). This comic collects the first two issues (a rehash of “Rebirth”), edited a bit, of the hit mini-series.
ANIMATED COMICS
-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)
-The regular artist for the upcoming BATMAN BEYOND ongoing comic series will be Craig Rousseau. He is currently finishing up his three issue stint on Batman: Gotham Adventures (starting in ). The creative crew for the series will be:
WRITER: Hilary J. Bader
PENCILLER: Craig Rousseau
INKER: Rob Leigh
Now the only thing missing is a name. Here are my three guesses for the name of the comic:
*THE BATMAN BEYOND ADVENTURES
*BATMAN:ADVENTURES BEYOND (my fav)
*BATMAN BEYOND (simple, hunh?)
OTHER COMICS
-DC Comics will be releasing BATMAN:DARK VICTORY #0 in the June issue of WIZARD, which will be . DARK VICTORY is the 13 part sequel to THE LONG HALLOWEEN. This issue will bridge the gap between LONG HALLOWEEN #13 AND dark victory #1. Story by Jeph Loeb(soon to be writer of ACTION COMICS) with art by Tim Sale (LONG HALOWEEN, SUPERMAN FOR ALL SEASONS)
-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 – APRIL: For synopses of what happened in the first four months of NO MAN’S LAND, go see Issues #26 and #27 of “Batman: The Animated Newsletter”. Follow this link: http://www.toonzone.net/wbc/btan
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? An up-to-date map of Gotham is also featured: 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.
The “Claim Jumping” turf war ends with Two-Face being triumphant. He doublecrosses the Penguin; Cobblepot loses half his territory. Then Two-Face trounces the B-man and takes over his entire territory in the four hours during which Echo holds him hostage. Echo is now free in Gotham.
A “No Man’s Land” gallery issue was also released, featuring 22 illustrations of the Bat-cast in their NML settings. Pretty much all major players are depicted at least once in this issue.
That’s 21 issues of NML so far. For a complete list, e-mail us.
WHAT’S TO COME…
-May: Batman and Batgirl fight Cain, another assassin on the loose in Gotham.
-May: Francine Langstrom comes to the Penguin for help, which results in Man-Bat returning to Gotham, in BATMAN CHRONICLES #17.
-May: Batman: Bullock’s law focuses on Harvey Bullock in a “Raod to No Man’s Land” setting.
-June: Batgirl pays the price for allowing Two-Face to take over Batman’s territory in LOTDK #120 – as well as being UNMASKED! 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 (which MAY be this month).
-July: Batman and Mr. Freeze battle in the heat of the summer at the power plant, determining who controls Chinatown. Bane resurfaces, and Nightwing has a little tussle with Lock-Up.
-See more below.
AS FOR THE OTHER HEROES:
-Batgirl falls prey to an assassin named Cain in the second half of May.
-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.
-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 is confronted by the Bat-team in LOTDK #120, in response to his holocaustic triumph over Batman in “Claim Jumping”.
-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 (I think?).
-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. SUPERGIRL. Yep! If you want one of these, e-mail editor Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton, and he should be able to find one for you, in a mint or near-mint package! e-mail: juno@direct.ca
5. 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
6. MISSION MASTERS MR. FREEZE. Yep! Someone’s selling one of the most demanded Batman figures ever! Mint on Card. If interested, e-mail: batboym@wtp.net
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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… Some have submitted phone numbers for Hasbro, but they only work for those in the USA, and not Canadians such as myself…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
THE BATMAN BEYOND SITE (unofficial)
Are you sick and tired of official websites that are all style, and no substance? The official BATMAN BEYOND site fits this mold perfectly – well, maybe not – cuz the style isn’t even that impressive either. Anyhow, there’s a NEW “official” BATMAN BEYOND site that has pics, episode reviews, fanfic, and much, much, MUCH more!
Wanna check it out? You should – you won’t be disappointed! Here’s the link:
http://www.batmanbeyond.net
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BAT-CHAT
Looking for a place to talk about the animated episodes and comics? Well look no furthur then The BATMAN/SUPERMAN Chat room! The Chat room is open 24/7 for all your discussing needs. In this chat room you can discuss anything ranging from Superman to Batman to Terry McGinnis and
everything in between! The chat room is at its peak during the prime-time hours and right after weekday & weekend episodes have aired. Check it out!
THE BATMAN/SUPERMAN CHAT ROOM
http://pluto.beseen.com/chat/rooms/w/10852
Also check out the very popular BATMAN:THE ANIMATED MESSAGE BOARD (which contains links to similiar Superman & Batman Beyond boards)
http://www.insidetheweb.com/mbs.cgi/mb163084
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ANIMATED BATMAN/SUPERMAN SITES:
* – indicates a shameless plug for a site a certain double-faced editor created with his bare hands – in other words, a cheap advertising technique.
OFFICIAL SITES
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THE NEW BATMAN/SUPERMAN ADVENTURES
http://www.batman-superman.com
BATMAN:THE ANIMATED SERIES
http://www.batmantas.com
BATMAN BEYOND
http://www.batmanbeyond.com
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
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*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
NEWSGROUPS
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news:alt.comics.batman
news:alt.animation.batman
news:alt.comics.superman
news:rec.arts.sf.superman
news:alt.tv.cartoon-network
news:rec.arts.animation
news:alt.animation.warner-bros
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QUESTIONS, SUBMISSIONS, AND FAN-MAIL
If you have any questions, problems, links do not work, or anything else then please e-mail this address with your problems and we’ll try to fix them as soon as possible. Also if you’d like to send any fan-mail then please send it to this address:
juno@direct.ca
As for submissions, feel free to submit an article or opinion on anything pertaining to BTAS. Keep in mind that as the editors, we have the right to edit your submissions if we deem it necessary. Such instances would include problems with length, grammar, and language. If we do feel we must edit something, however, we will do our utmost to ensure that the opinion and the basic message of the submission does not change, as that is the most important part of any artcile, and everyone is entitled to it. And if you do submit something, please don’t just submit a basic review of an episode or a comic or something (because we have people writing for those purposes already) – write about an issue you’d like to discuss.
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BATMAN: THE ANIMATED ARCHIVES
The very kind people at TOONZONE were nice enough to give us our own little section of their huge and diverse website. The archives contain past newsletters and is semi-regularly updated with the latest one. To check it out go here:
TOONZONE’s BATMAN: THE ANIMATED NEWSLETTER ARCHIVES
http://www.toonzone.net/wbc/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
SPECIAL IN THIS ISSUE: “WT”
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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