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Batman The Animated Newsletter #45

Batman The Animated Newsletter #45

Batman: The Animated Newsletter
Weeks of November 15 – November 20/21, 1999
Volume 2,
Rated: PG for some “low-key coarse language and occasional griping”

THIS ISSUE’S SUBLIMINAL MESSAGE: “WE DON’T WANT A LIVE-ACTION BATMAN BEYOND MOVIE! NOOOOOOO!”
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!
Thaaaat’s right! Co-editor James “Dick Grayson” Harvey celebrated his 18th birthday this past week. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BUDDY!!!

-Tim “Two-Face” Leighton, BTAN Editor
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SPECIAL PETITION
We all know that a BATMAN BEYOND score CD was released this past August. Fans were thrilled to be getting this, but were also peeved that the “regular” Batman/Superman shows have been overlooked. Who here would buy a BTAS/STAS CD set if one were ever made? Remember, the one BEYOND CD handled only 13 episodes in 40 minutes; BTAS has 109 episodes and STAS has 54 – that means it would be a multi-CD set, to be sure. Who would buy this? I DEFINATELY would!
Our friend RIDDLERWB has supplied us the following e-mail address. E-mail the people at RHINO RECORDS and demand a BATMAN and/or SUPERMAN score CD!

drrhino@rhino.com
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UPCOMING NEW EPISODES
This section will just basically give an insight into what the new episodes are about and hopefully a synopsis of the episode. This section will feature new episodes for BATMAN, SUPERMAN, and BATMAN BEYOND.

‘RATS’
Batman Beyond #22
Air date: November 20, 1999
Batman must protect Dana from a dangerous secret admirer…a lonely teenage outcast who lives underground with giant mutant rats as his only companions.

‘LEGACY (Pt. 1 & 2)’
Superman #44, 48
Air date: Fall of 1999
This two-parter features the final showdown between Superman and Darksied in which he strips Superman of his memory and adopts him as a son in an effort to take over Earth. This is being touted as the FINAL Superman episode EVER. However, I must say that I’ve read a synopsis of the episode, and it’s a doozie.

For synopses of all other upcoming second season BATMAN BETOND episodes, check out of BTAN at this address:

http://www.toonzone.net/wbc/newsletters/btan
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WB ANIMATION SCHEDULES:
(courtesy of Brian Cruz and/or the official BTAS/STAS site)

THE NEW BATMAN/SUPERMAN ADVENTURES airs Mondays thru Saturday; BATMAN BEYOND also airs on these days. Check local listings each day for what show is on at what time.

http://www.batman-superman.com/batman/cmp/episodes.html
http://www.toonzone.net/brian/schedules/
http://www.ktla.com/backstage/programming/kids_framed.frm

THIS WEEK:
Mon 11-15-99: Batman #93 Growing Painshin
B-BEYOND #10 Dead Man’s Hand

Tue 11-16-99: Batman #97 Over the Edge
NO SECOND EPISODE TODAY

Wed 11-17-99: Superman #45 Knight Time
B-BEYOND #04 Golem

Thu 11-18-99: Batman #95 Torch Song
NO SECOND EPISODE TODAY

Fri 11-19-99: Superman #54 A Fish Story
B-BEYOND #16 Splicers

Sat 11-20-99: Batman #98 Mean Seasons
B-BEYOND #22 Rats ———NEW!!!

All episodes #86 and onward of BATMAN are considered THE NEW BATMAN ADVENTURES while the original 85 are considered BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES (BTAS) episodes.
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CANADIAN EPISODE SCHEDULE
(BTAS/BEYOND on YTV)
(courtesy of our friends at YTV)

-To find the episode guide and airing schedule of BATMAN and BATMAN BEYOND on YTV then please go to http://www.ytv.com and click on the YTV GUIDE icon at the bottom of the screen. To check out the schedule then click on BATMAN or BATMAN BEYOND in the time grid and it will have the schedule for the current week.

BTAS will air at 7:30am on weekday mornings (in all time zones), and BATMAN BEYOND will air at 2:30pm on Saturday and Sunday. YTV has the rights to show all 109 BTAS episodes. They also have the rights to air the first 26 episodes of BATMAN BEYOND (all of season 1 and the first half of season 2).

THIS WEEK:
Mon 11-15-99: BTAS #56 Harley & Ivy

Tue 11-16-99: BTAS # The Mechanic

Wed 11-17-99: BTAS #51 The Man Who Killed Batman

Thu 11-18-99: BTAS #54 Zatanna

Fri 11-19-99: BTAS #32 Robin’s Reckoning (Pt. 1)

Sat 11-20-99: BEYOND #19 Hidden Agenda

Sun 11-21-99: BEYOND #20 Once Burned (?)
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CARTOON NETWORK WB ANIMATION SCHEDULE:
“Yabba Dabba Doom”
(courtesy of Brian Cruz)

THE CARTOON NETWORK was able to get the exclusive rights to 52 episodes of the classic BTAS, as well as both animated movies. BTAS airs Monday-Friday at 6pm (ET) and then repeated again at midnight. If our schedule listings is not complete or up to date then please go to either of these sites for the schedule:

http://www.toonzone.net/brian/schedules/batman-cn.html
http://homes.acmecity.com/animation/saturday/352/schedule.html

To see the 52 episodes that the CARTOON NETWORK does show, go to this link:

http://www.toonzone.net/brian/eplists/batman-cn.html

NOTE: The schedules at Brian Cruz’ site are currently unavailable; if anyone knows of any other place where people can get listings for BTAS on the Cartoon Network, please e-mail us!
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EPISODE REVIEW: (SPOILERS!)
(by Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton)

All of Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton’s reviews of the new-style BTAS episodes and BATMAN BEYOND can be found via these links, which link to “Two-Face’s Tower of Tranquility and Terror”:

MAIN PAGE: http://www.angelfire.com/tx/TimTwoFace/index.html
BTAS PAGE: http://www.angelfire.com/tx/TimTwoFaceText/bats.html

NOTE: Due to the loss of the WGN, editor Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton has been virtually unable to review any new episodes. Until he can once again, we’ll be having someone substituting for him. Thank you to Justin Chen for this review!


HOOKED UP
Written by Robert Goodman
Directed by Dan Riba
Animation by Dong Yang, KOKO
Original air date: November 13, 1999
My rating: *** (out of 5)

Addicted to an ideal life simulated in a costly virtual reality, a runaway, Donny, is forced to steal to pay for his dreams. Max wants to help Terry and becomes involved in Batman’s investigation of Donny’s activities. Max ‘s own fantasy of a happy home life draws her into the virtual reality world and she becomes addicted. Unfortunately, addicts of this virtual reality eventually suffer from a chemical imbalance and lapse into comas. Batman must find the hidden virtual reality facility; stop the mastermind behind it; and rescue Max and the other addicts. 

GOOD POINTS: 

This episode has an interesting premise in illustrating a non-drug-related addiction. Various fantasies are shown and people could probably identify somewhat with at least one of them. It is a fairly gentle way of pointing out the problems caused by addictions and did not seem overly moralizing.

The early scene with Donny trying to escape from Batman through traffic was exciting and well drawn. The identity of the villain remains a mystery until he literally steps into the light. I liked the interplay with Max and Terry throughout the episode. The viewer gets a tiny bit of background information on Max and her home life.

In keeping with the TV rating system that rates this as a child’s fantasy show, it is good that all of the addicted victims were pronounced cured at the show’s end.

Terry’s efforts in trying to keep Max out of the Bat-club parallels Bruce’s efforts with his eventual partners. I liked Bruce’s reactions. 

Bruce was in the story!

The ending paves the way for more adventures with Max assisting Terry.

BAD POINTS:

Perhaps the scene with Batman stretched between the two cords and pulling the separate truck parts was a bit exaggerated. In reality, a man would probably have been pulled apart, even with a strength-enhanced suit; however, this is a cartoon, not reality, so a little leeway can be allowed.

Terry’s tranquilizer (supplied by Bruce, I suppose) was rather ineffective in keeping Max under control. It seemed a weak plot point, at first. Perhaps the drug is deliberately mild for drug safety’s sake (after all, Terry is not a doctor and he is administering a drug) and is meant merely to aid Batman as he subdues or restrains his prisoners. Seen in that light and also since this is an addiction-related theme, using a drug with a very temporary effect was acceptable.

Spellbinder is an interesting villain, but he did not get much air time in this episode. The story wrapped up too quickly. It was also unclear what was happening to Terry at the end of the episode. Aside from causing him intense pain, what WAS Spellbinder doing to him? Was Terry’s life flashing before his eyes at his near death by electrocution? Was Spellbinder painfully extracting memories from Batman?

While it is obvious at the end of the story that Terry is willing to let Max have a more active role in his part time job with Bruce Wayne, the episode fails to show how Bruce felt at the end. After all, Bruce was vehemently opposed to Max having any additional involvement with Batman in the beginning. Bruce acknowledges the difficulty in dissuading those who wish to become partners, but he didn’t make any statement about changing his mind regarding Max.

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EDITORAL #1
(by Laura Hysert, aka “Phoenix”)

Oh where, oh where has our Laurrrra gone? Oh where, or where can she beeeeee? Oh where, oh where has our Laurrrrra gone? I guess she’ll no longer work for freeeeeee….
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EDITORIAL #2
(by Kelly Tindall)

None. Rien. Na da. Zippo.
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AND THAT’S THE FACTS
(by “Reliable Source”)

(Yes, I understand that the title is grammatically incorrect. So sue us. Actually, nix that. Don’t sue us.)

(DISCLAIMER: For those of you who are not yet familiar, Reliable Source is an anonymous character who first surfaced on Batman: The Animated Message Boards, spewing forth ridiculous predictions about the future of Batman Beyond under the guise of spoiler warnings. His controversial posts created quite a buzz, and have landed him a temporary column with this newsletter. The thoughts and ideas expressed by this shady character are in no way officially connected to Kids WB, Batman Beyond, this newsletter, or anything that is decent or holy. That said, on with the show.)

Well, folks, it’s time once again to reach into the Reliable Source Mailbag, and pull out a letter from one of you wonderful readers of this newsletter. This week’s letter comes from Peter Destructo. Peter writes:

“Dear Mr. Source, I enjoy reading your news column in BATMAN: THE ANIMATED NEWSLETTER. I have a question, though: When will the inevitable happen – that is, of course, the introduction of Harley Quinn Beyond? I heard a rumor about this, and I thought you might be able to clear things up.”

Harley Quinn Beyond?! Oh, Dear God, yes, please let it be so! Er, ahem, uh, that is, I meant to say, what a fine question, Mr. Destructo. That little rumor has indeed been buzzing around the underworld for some time, and, as you say, is inevitable. Even as we speak, there are plans for Harley to have her own ongoing monthly series from DC Comics, a special limited series starring Harley and Ivy, a Harley breakfast cereal, Harley: The First Movie, and a Harley doll for girls, with removable costume. (Note to self… buy the Harley doll with removable costume.) Harley may even be in the next live-action Batman movie, played by Jenny McCarthy, Lisa Kudrow, Madonna, or George Clooney in drag. That last one was most likely Schumacher’s idea.

So, when will we see Harley Quinn Beyond? Well, in the recent episode “Hidden Agenda,” we see a female member of the Jokerz gang with blonde hair who bares more than a passing resemblance to Harley Quinn. It is starting already, Mr. Destructo. It is only a matter of time now, before we discover that this is, in fact, Harley’s love child with The Mad Hatter, who she slept with on a whim after being beaten by her abusive ex-husband, The Riddler, who she married on a whim after being beaten by her abusive ex-boyfriend, The Joker.

And what have we learned from this? That Harley Quinn has gone from Paul Dini’s personal fantasy, to a cultural icon that no man, woman, or child can ever hope to escape. Nor would they want to. Harley Quinn…soooo hot…want to touch…ahem. Again, I digress.

That’s all for this week, folks, remember that you too can have your question answered right here in this fine newsletter if you just send it to me at Reliable_S@hotmail.com. Thank you Mr. Peter Destructo for writing in, and, ’til next time, more as I hear it.

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BATMAN: THE ANIMATED TRIVIA
(by Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton)

This is one of my favourite sections, where I get to boggle the minds of all our readers! *EVIL LAUGH* This trivia is all animated-related in some form, and can deal with ANY aspect of the show or comics based on the show. Remember, answer the questions WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THE ANIMATED CONTINUITY. Now have fun – let’s see how well you do! Answers are provided below.

I decided to continue last week’s gang-related theme in this quiz. There are so many more questions I can ask here!

211. What is the name of the Jokerz’ rival gang?

A: THE LEAGUE OF THE BATMEN
B: They don’t have a rival gang – just a girl named Max Gibson
C: The T’s
D: THE RIDDLERZ
E: Various Neon Street Gangs

212. In which episode did Poison Ivy’s gang consist of more than JUST plant-based life forms? (Exclude any team-ups with Harley Quinn, too.)

A: PRETTY POISON
B: ETERNAL YOUTH
C: HOUSE AND GARDEN
D: CHEMISTRY
E: IT’S A WONDERFUL LEAF

213. The Penguin’s three hench-girls, Jay, Lark, and Raven, have appeared in a number of episodes; however, there was one episode in which only TWO of them appeared. Which episode was this?

A: BIRDS OF A FEATHER
B: JOKER’S MILLIONS
C: THE ULTIMATE THRILL
D: GIRLS NITE OUT
E: JUDGEMENT DAY

214. Rupert Thorne has appeared in the origin/first appearance episodes of many villains on BTAS. Which of these villains’ origin episodes has Thorne NOT appeared in?

A: SID THE SQUID
B: TWO-FACE
C: BANE
D: KILLER CROC
E: THE VENTRILOQUIST

215. There is an episode that begins with a biker gang harassing a young girl. The main villain in that episode once attacked two members of the GCPD in a different episode. One of those two members appeared in an episode that won an EMMY for Oustanding Music Direction and Composition. Take the episode number of that episode and take away one, then divide it by two. Then take that result; in the episode that pairs up with that episode number, you will notice two members of the rogues gallery appearing. Find the “lesser” costumed villain of these two (it’s obvious), and find his/her origin episode. What is the original air date of that particular episode?

Answer: _____________________

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ANSWERS TO THE TRIVIA

Answer to #211: C
Answer to #212: B
Answer to #213: E
Answer to #214: E
Answer to #215: January 16, 1999

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LITTLE FACTS AND BLOOPERS
(by Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton)

Here is a section that just points out various little facts and bloopers that we have noticed while watching BTAS and STAS countless times. If you have anything to contribute, feel free to do so! Enjoy!

CONBTRIBUTED BY STAFF:
1) Go watch “His Silicon Soul” again. How many times in that episode does Batman (the real one or the robot one) speak, but his lips aren’t moving? I noticed this at least three times during the episode.

CONTRIBUTED BY OTHERS:
(by “LadyWayne”)
1) “The Mechanic”. Watch closely in the flashback sequence when Batman meets Earl and says “I need a new car.” Just before that, we see Earl walking down the street while a bunch of flyers and such are blowing along with him; one of these flyers, a WANTED poster, is snagged on a lamp-post. This poster features a mug-shot of BATMAN! Considering this is during Batman’s earliest days as a crime-fighter, it CAN make sense, but still, I thought it was something noteworthy.
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MERCHANDISING: WHERE THE REAL BAT-CASH IS MADE
(by anyone that wants to contribute)

Geez, Christmas is coming and there’s nothing good to review? Or possibly everyone is just tired of saying how much they hate the BATMAN BEYOND figures – could that be true? Agh…anyone, ANYONE out there who can contribute something for this column will be heavily rewarded! Really!
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COMIC REVIEWS
(by Aaron Maurer)

Mr. Maurer was unable to submit a review for the printing of this newsletter, so editor Tim “Two-Face” Leighton is here to fill the void.

BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES
ISSUE: “…And Oh, So Delicious!” (#20)
WRITTEN BY: Scott Peterson
PENCILED BY: Tim Levins
INKED BY: Terry Beatty
ISSUED: November 3, 1999 (Cover date is January (I think))
RATING: ***1/2 (out of 5)

. Peterson’s sixth stint as “the man” behind GOTHAM ADVENTURES. I pattern is definately forming: all of Peterson’s odd-numbered issues are gems, while his even-numbered issues are mediocre. broke this mold.
The basic plot was original: a new cereal taking Gotham City by storm is actually a device created by Poison Ivy to control the populous. The story flowed well, from Batman and Robin first discovering the cereal, to Batman and Batgirl discussing just how popular and addictive the cereal is, to Batman and Nightwing finally shutting Ivy down.
The pacing was great. I liked how Batman and his partner-of-the-moment were discussing the “cereal killer” while solving other problems, rescuing people from blazing buildings and such. This also clearly showed that they didn’t solve this crime over night – it seems to have taken them a few weeks. Even when they DID figure out Ivy was behind it all, they still didn’t see what she was doing wrong until the very last moment – that was a nice little twist.
I loved the art in this issue – especially that hilarious cover. I want a bowl of EDEN’S OWN myself!

;-Y
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COMIC SCHEDULES & COVERING THE BASICS

This section gives a little bit more indepth look into each monthly issue of BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES and SUPERMAN ADVENTURES. Below each comic listing is a link to the cover of that comic. TALK ABOUT SERVICE!
The price is $1.99 in the US and…grrrrr…a whopping $3.25 in Canada. (Both our editors and many subscribers are Canadian, hence the “grrr”.)
If we are unsure of the exact date of when an issue is being released, just check out “DIRECT CURRENTS” at http://www.dccomics.com for details.

BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES #21
December 1st?
Synopsis: A young girl has been kidnapped and the only “eye witness” is a blind jazz musician. Can even Batman, the world’s greatest detective, use the information the old man provides to find the girl before the kidnapper takes his revenge?
Cover: Unavailable

NEXT MONTH:
Synopsis: Commissioner Gordon and Batgirl are in the spotlight of the first animated comic to hit the shelves in 2000!

BATMAN BEYOND #3 (ongoing)
November 24th
Synopsis: The Terrific Trio returns.
Cover: http://www.dccomics.com/directcurrents/
comics/covers/download/dbmbd3.jpg

FOLLOWING MONTH: Issue #4.
Synopsis: The Royal Flush Gang returns.
Cover: Unavailable

SUPERMAN ADVENTURES #39
November 10th
Synopsis: The animated-style Supergirl takes the spotlight in a special issue! Someone from Supergirl’s past life from Argo has returned…or have they? The happy reunion quickly becomes tragic when the mysterious returnee turns against both Kara and Superman! Is a foe of the Man of Steel’s behind this surprising turn of events? 
Cover: http://www.dccomics.com/directcurrents/
comics/covers/sma39.jpg

NEXT MONTH:
Synopsis: Unavailable
Cover: Unavailable
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NEWS AND RUMORS

ALL-ENCOMPASSING/OTHER
-Oddly, “THE DEMON REBORN”, technically a Superman episode, aired in the BATMAN BEYOND timeslot on GLOBAL on November 13, 1999. Even MORE oddly, elsewhere in Canada the episode “LOST SOUL” was aired in other parts of the country, and “HIDDEN AGENDA” in other parts. Strange, eh? (Oh, and depending on what province you live in, BEYOND may be pre-empted by a CLUELESS marathon on November 20).
-CINESCAPE ONLINE now has a poll about which storyline you’d like to see used for BATMAN 5. Go to the following to vote: http://www.cinescape.com
-DC was named “Favorite publisher of the Century” by the readers of COMIC’S BUYER GUIDE. DC garnered 46.4% of CBG readers, 31.3% of professionals, and 49% by comic readers. Congratulations, DC!
-Don’t forget that MASK OF THE PHANTASM and SUB-ZERO will be released on DVD on December 21! Just in time for Christmas!
-The ‘BATMAN, SUPERMAN, & BEYOND: THE WORLD’S FINEST’ website is still undergoing some new additions. A new WEBRINGS page is up, as well as a MISC. LINKS page, and a FANFIC Archive (courtesy of SilverKnight). Look for more additions to the site in the near future.
http://welcome.to/worldsfinest
-Terry Beatty has been and will be selling Gotham Adventures and Batman Beyond original art on ebay. His Seller ID is: wlee@muscanet.com Do yourself a favor and check out some great art! 

“CURRENT” ANIMATED SERIES’
-BTAS/STAS will return in the fall of 2001 with NEW EPISODES, when Batman Beyond goes on hiatus.
-Then again, there is ALSO word that BTAS/STAS WON’T return. So which do we believe? Hopefully the first…

BATMAN BEYOND
-Last week we failed to mention that BATMAN BEYOND won an Annie Award on Saturday’s Ceremony. The Annie Awards (27 years and running) are considered the Oscars for Animation. BATMAN BEYOND won best Storyboarding in an Animated Series. Sorry for the oversight.
-Gary Cole, best known for his work as Sheriff Buck on “American Gothic”, as Mike Brady from the “Brady Bunch” movies and as Capt. Matthew Gideon from the “Babylon 5” spin-off “Crusade” will provide the voice of a villain in an upcoming episode. (Thanks THX1138!)
-GLOBAL is now airing NEW episodes of BATMAN BEYOND – even before they come on YTV in some cases. All Canadian watchers, keep an eye out for this!
-Shriek will re-appear in BATMAN BEYOND #5, in January.
-Synopses of episodes #17 through 36 have now been posted, thanks to the COMIC BOOK CONTINUUM. Check out of BATMAN: THE ANIMATED NEWSLETTER for a complete listing.

ANIMATED COMICS
-1999’s 6-issue BATMAN BEYOND mini-series will be collected in tradepaperback early next year. The expected price tag will range from $7.95-$9.95 US.
-Mister Miracle, last seen for about two seconds in the acclaimed APOKOLIPS…NOW! two-part SUPERMAN Episode will appear in SUPERMAN #42.
-Batman & The Joker will appear along with AQUAMAN in LEGENDS OF THE DCUNIVERSE #26 & 27.
-Batgirl and Commissioner Gordon will be in the spotlight for of GOTHAM ADVENTURES.
-Lock-Up is planned to be used in the near future.
-Ty Templeton’s upcoming two-issue stint on Superman Adventures will be co-written with Dan Slott.

OTHER COMICS
-An ongoing Harley Quinn miniseries is planned for a mid-2000 release. Oh, please, shoot me now; here I thought that DC would be improving with the new creative teams next year. She can’t hold her own series – the Joker couldn’t, so why would a second-rate female-quota-fulfilling copycat villain be able to? Let’s all hope it gets canned, shall we?
-Jim Aparo (BATMAN) will draw 4-6 stories for BATMAN: GOTHAM KNIGHTS. It is unclear whether it will be the ‘main’ story, or the ‘Black & White’ back-up stories.
-DETECTIVE COMICS will be 40 pages long from January thru May (meaning a 30 page story); in
June it will drop to 30 pages, 22 of which will include the main story. It will sell for $2.50 in the USA, and $3.50 (I’m guessing) in Canada.
-Issue #5 of DARK VICTORY has Catwoman on the cover.
-Issue #6 of DARK VICTORY features the Penguin on the cover.
-The Two-Face/Montoya relationship will be picked up midway through next year in DETECTIVE COMICS #747.

MOVIES
-According to ANOTHER UNIVERSE’S DAILY BUZZ, WB is seriously considering a live-action BATMAN BEYOND movie to replace all the proposed BATMAN 5 scripts.
-According to CINESCAPE ONLINE (on Nov 5), this rumor is true…but the WB is also still seriously considering an adaption of Frank Miller’s “YEAR ONE” comic series (from 1988), thereby restarting the franchise. Their logic? This way all the villains can re-appear in the future, especially the three that have been killed off in the past (Joker, Penguin, Two-Face).

TOYS & MERCHANDISE
-The SUPERMAN video game for Playstation will be out in the first quarter of 2000.
-The first issue of the Sega Dreamcast magazine says a Batman Beyond video game is due out in 2000.

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THE ROAD THROUGH NO MAN’S LAND
(by Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton)

Yes, I know this isn’t really an animated topic, but I thought, hey, it’s Batman’s 60th anniversary, and this is the big event that celebrates it, so I should have a section dedicated to this year-long crossover. Besides, so far it’s been excellent in every issue. We have this section split up into two parts – the first saying what has already happened, the second previewing what’s to come. Enjoy!

UP UNTIL NOW…
JANUARY – APRIL: For synopses of what happened in the first four months of NO MAN’S LAND, go see Issues #26 and #27 of “Batman: The Animated Newsletter”. Follow this link:
http://www.toonzone.net/wbc/newsletters/btan

MAY, JUNE: For synopses of what how things really heated up in the fifth and sixth months of NO MAN’S LAND, see of “Batman: The Animated Newsletter”. Follow this link:
http://www.toonzone.net/wbc/newsletters/btan

JULY: For synopses of the many things that happened in the month that all of the other major players in Gotham broke back into the city, see of “Batman: The Animated Newsletter”. 
Follow this link: http://www.toonzone.net/wbc/newsletters/btan

AUGUST: For synopses of the many things that happened in the final full month of summer, see of “Batman: The Animated Newsletter”. Follow this link:
http://www.toonzone.net/wbc/newsletters/btan

SEPTEMBER: For synopses of the issues dealing with the set-up of the final crunch of No Man’s Land, see of “Batman: The Animated Newsletter”. Follow this link:
http://www.toonzone.net/wbc/newsletters/btan

OCTOBER: For synopses of the issues dealing with the “beginning of the end” of No Man’s Land, see of “Batman: The Animated Newsletter”. Follow this link:
http://www.toonzone.net/wbc/newsletters/btan

NOVEMBER: To become friends with Gordon once again, Batman made the ultimate sacrifice and revealed his identity to him; however, Gordon had his back turned, and does not WANT to know. They made up and banded together, joining forces to liberate Gotham in the final two months of NML.
Then in ASSEMBLY REDUX, the mysterious benefactor that sent Bane into Gotham is revealed to be Lex Luthor; he enters Gotham, along with the media, promising to clean up the city. The Penguin tries to muscle in on Luthor’s territory. It is revealed that Two-Face was not sent to Blackgate along with the other villains after his capture, but remains in Blue Boy territory; Petit tries to break into Gordon’s territory to kill him, and Huntress is with him; Montoya turns them away. Catwoman and Batman have a truce. It is revealed that the woman that was bargaining with the Penguin in JURISPRUDENCE was Mercy Graves. The Joker prepares his final assault on Gotham, with Harley along for the ride; Batman, knowing that the Joker will do anything to lure him out of hiding, informs Oracle to evacuate the city and bring everyone in Batman’s territory into Gordon’s.

That’s 67 issues of NML so far. For a complete list, e-mail us.

WHAT’S TO COME…
-November: The Joker, realizing that Batman has totally neglected him since NML began, tries to get his attention in the worst way possible.
-December: NML concludes with the three-part “Endgame” story, and then a final reflection in the final issue of SHADOW OF THE BAT (#94). The hope of a new Gotham comes into view – which is when the event we’ve been waiting for finally hits. The Joker returns in a big way to “destroy hope”…by kidnapping and killing children. And this all happens during the Christmas season. Batman, Robin, Nightwing, Azrael, Oracle, Batgirl, and Huntress all have major roles. Lex Luthor completes his takeover of Gotham.
-ONE OF THE MAJOR HEROES WILL DIE BEFORE “NO MAN’S LAND” ENDS. (This is in Detective Comics #741). TWO OTHER “NAMED” CHARACTERS WILL ALSO BE KILLED.
-See below for more.

AS FOR THE OTHER HEROES:
-Robin goes up against Killer Croc in Robin #72.
-Azrael faces off against the Joker AGAIN in AZRAEL #60 and 61 – both guest-starring Batgirl.
-The Huntress hangs out with Petit for the remainder of NML.
-Tim Drake’s father breaks into NML to retrieve his son from the ghastly warzone – in December.

AND AS FOR THE REMAINING VILLAINS…
-Killer Croc attacks the Penguin’s territory in Robin #72, in November.
-Lex Luthor, the mysterious benefactor, continues his scheme to rebuild Gotham in his image.
-Catwoman seeks refuge in the Penguin’s territory in CATWOMAN #76, in November; she then faces Deadman in December.
-The Joker and Harley re-appear in November in the two-part “Shellgame”, just as Gotham is beginning to be re-built. This leads directly into the three-part “Endgame” in December, during Gotham’s Christmas season, just as NML draws to a close, to once and for all destroy Gotham and all of its citizens.

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FEATURED BAT-SITE FOR THIS ISSUE

The popular DISCUSSION CENTER site has a few changes to announce. First, it has a brand new name. The new name is BATMAN, SUPERMAN, & BEYOND: THE WORLD’S FINEST. The name change is due to the vast expansion of the site over the past few weeks. With the additions of EPISODE GUIDES, AIRDATE SCHEDULES, POLLS, and more, it was only appropriate to change the name. The URL is still the same (http://welcome.to/worldsfinest), but the name has changed, and it suits the site!
Also, there has been yet another addition added onto ther site, THE DARK KNIGHT’S LIBRARY. This new addition is apart of the FANFIC CENTER section of the site. The LIBRARY will take the best Fanfic from the two Fanfic boards located at WORLD’S FINEST and will archive them at the LIBRARY. Expect the LIBRARY to grow as more fanfics are posted on the FANFIC BOARDS, and added to the DARK KNIGHT’S LIBRARY. To check out THE DARK KNIGHT’S LIBRARY you can go through the FANFIC CENTER located at WORLD’S FINEST:
http://welcome.to/worldsfinest

Or you can use the DIRECT URL to the site as follows:
http://www.angelfire.com/md2/darkknightslibrary/index.html

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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
YTV’s BATMAN BEYOND Page
http://www.ytv.com/shows/batman_beyond/
SUB-ZERO: THE DEFINTIE GUIDE
http://www.batman-subzero.com
KID’S WB
http://www.kidswb.com
DC COMICS
http://www.dccomics.com
TOON ZONE
http://www.toonzone.net
PSYCOMICS
http://www.psycomics.com
RAVING TOY MANIAC
http://www.toymania.com
VOICE CHASERS
http://www.voicechasers.org

UNOFFICIAL SITES
—–
*TWO-FACE’S TOWER OF TRANQUILITY AND TERROR
http://www.angelfire.com/tx/TimTwoFace/index.html
BATMAN & SUPERMAN:THE WORLD’S FINEST DISCUSSION CENTER
http://welcome.to/worldsfinest
BRIAN CRUZ’ WB CARTOON PAGE
http://www.toonzone.net/brian/index.html
BRIAN’S BATMAN PAGE
http://www.batmanuk.freeserve.co.uk
GOTHAM GAZETTE
http://members.aol.com/gothamajp
BATMAN: THE ANIMATED HOMEPAGE
http://www3.sympatico.ca/quartet/home.htm
RA’S AL GHUL’S THE LAZARUS PIT
http://zap.to/lazaruspit
THE DARK KNIGHT
http://www.darkknight.ca
BATMAN BEYOND: WELCOME TO THE FUTURE
http://www.batmanbeyond.net
TIM WAN’S BATMAN BEYOND
http://come.to/batmanbeyond
DCU ANIMATED
http://welcome.to/the_dcu
HARLEY’S HAVEN OF HEDONISM
http://www.angelfire.com/hi2/harlequinhideaway
THE ANIMATED BAT
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Academy/7382/index.html
GOTHAM CITY LIMITS
http://www.batman.gexner.net
BATMAN: DEFENDER OF GOTHAM
http://www.citynet.net/personal/batman
THE RIDDLER – EDWARD NYGMA’S PUZZLE WEBSITE
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/prospero.milan/nygma
THE BATMAN ACTION FIGURE PAGE
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Boulevard/7659/
THE BATCOMPUTER
http://members.spree.com/batcomputer
BATMAN: FOREVER KNIGHT
http://batman.techv.net
WORLD’S FINEST
http://members.spree.com/sip/worldsfinest
CHARACTERS ON THE ADVENTURES OF BATMAN & ROBIN
http://www.xse.com/leres/batman.html
ARKHAM ASYLUM
http://animation.acmecity.com/saturday/352
JOKERZ TERRITORY
http://members.xoom.com/Jokerz84/index.htm
THE BATZONE
http://www.batzone.cjb.net/
JLA: THE ANIMATED SERIES
http://animation.acmecity.com/character/375
THE NEW BATMAN ADVENTURES: THE UNOFFICIAL SITE
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Makeup/5158
ANIMATED TALES
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Dunes/2294/at
A TRIBUTE TO BATMAN
http://www.angelfire.com/ny2/russkafin/batman.html
BATMAN CEL SITE
http://animation.acmecity.com/carbon/111

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@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.
____________________
BATMAN: THE ANIMATED ARCHIVES

The very kind people at TOONZONE were nice enough to give us our own little section of their huge and diverse website. The archives contain past newsletters and is semi-regularly updated with the latest one. To check it out go here:

TOONZONE’s BATMAN: THE ANIMATED NEWSLETTER ARCHIVES
http://www.toonzone.net/wbc/newsletters/btan
____________________
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, 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 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
____________________
TO ALL GOOD THINGS…
…there must be an end. We would like to thank the endless amount of contributors for contributing their editorials, columns, news, jokes, reviews and other articles. We hope you’ve all enjoyed it as much as we’ve enjoyed making it! See ya next time!

CREDITS FOR BATMAN: THE ANIMATED NEWSLETTER

EDITOR: Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton
EDITOR AT COLLEGE: “Dick Grayson”
AIR DATE SCHEDULES: Brian Cruz & RiddlerWB (our friend at the official BTAS/STAS site)
BTAS REVIEWS: Zanna
EDITORIAL #1: The Ghost of Laura Hysert
EDITORIAL #2: Kelly Tindall
COMIC REVIEWS: Aaron Maurer
TOY REVIEW: Christian Fitzgerald
“BTAN ARCHIVES” MODERATOR: Eileen Delgadillo
TRIVIA: Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton
ROAD THROUGH NO MAN’S LAND: Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton
TWO-FACE’S TRADING POST: Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton
PROMOTIONS AND JUST GETTIN’ THE WORD AROUND: Dick Grayson, Eileen Delgadillo, Brian Cruz, Brian Davis
THOSE WHO FILL IN FOR OTHERS WHEN THEY FOUL UP:-P Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton
DELIVERY: Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton
E-MAIL RECEPTION HANDLING: Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton
BATMAN CREATED BY: Bob Kane & Bill Finger (who else?)

Batman and all related indicated are trademarks of DC Comics, Copyright c 1999.
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Batman The Animated Newsletter #45

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