Batman: The Animated Newsletter
Weeks of September 18 – September 24, 2000
Volume 3,
Rated: PG for some “low-key coarse language and occasional griping”
THIS ISSUE’S SUBLIMINAL MESSAGE: “WELCOME TO THE BTAN SEASON PREMIERE SPECTACULAR.”
____________________________________________________________________
WELCOME BACK!!!
Well, it’s another TV season, and to accomodate such, there have been a number of changes here. First, we managed to snag BTAS/STAS/BEYOND writer STAN BERKOWITZ for a quick interview! Next, you’ll see that our TV schedules and accompanying articles have changed; be sure to check on when each show airs! Third, you’ll notice that our trivia section has been buffed up to ten questions per issue. Lastly, if you scroll down past the editorials, you’ll notice that we’ve added a new section entitled “No Man’s Island”, an interactive game (and, admittedly, a SURVIVOR parody) for all you subscribers to play, if you DARE. Scroll down and have a look see!
-editor Tim “Two-Face” Leighton
(who hopes he won’t be sued by CBS)
____________________________________________________________________
EAGERLY ANTICIPATING…
New episodes are on the horizon! Here’s what we can expect in the near future…
‘KING’S RANSOM’
BATMAN BEYOND
Airdate: September 16, 2000
Episode #42
Synopsis: Paxton Powers hires the Royal Flush Gang to do his bidding.
‘UNTOUCHABLE’
BATMAN BEYOND
Airdate: September 23, 2000
Episode #39
Synopsis: Unavailable
‘INQUELING’
BATMAN BEYOND
Airdate: September 30, 2000
Episode #46
Synopsis: An episode dedicated to Inque, which finally reveals her origin and answers a lot of
questions about her past.
‘OUT OF THE PAST’
BATMAN BEYOND
Airdate: October 7, 2000
Episode #??
Synopsis: Straight from the mouth of Stan Berkowitz, this episode will prominently feature Bruce Wayne.
___________________________________________________________________
KIDS WB ANIMATION SCHEDULES:
(courtesy of Brian Cruz and/or the official BTAS/STAS site)
Kids’WB! currently airs BATMAN BEYOND five or six times a week. Batman airs on weekday afternoons Monday-Friday, as well occasionally Friday morning before Pokemon. Remember, Kids’WB! is notorious for switching schedules around at the very last minutes. Batman Beyond currently airs at 11am (ET) on Saturdays and 4:30pm (ET) on weekdays.
Check out these links if our schedule is not 100% updated:
http://www.ktla.com/backstage/programming/KIDSWB.htm
http://www.geocities.com/worldsfinestpage/airdate.htm
http://www.toonzone.net/shows
NOTE:
If our schedule is not updated, then go to the following URL. It will ALWAYS contain the most up-to-date schedule possible.
http://www.geocities.com/TelevisionCity/Taping/2928/airdate.htm
THIS WEEK:
Mon 09-18-00: NONE
Tue 09-19-00: B-BEYOND #35 April Moon
Wed 09-20-00: B-BEYOND #21 Hooked Up
Thu 09-21-00: B-BEYOND #25 Babel
Fri 09-22-00: B-BEYOND #18 Bloodsport
Sat 09-23-00: B-BEYOND #39 Untouchable <——-NEW!!!
NEXT WEEK:
Mon 09-25-00: NONE
Tue 09-26-00: NONE
Wed 09-27-00: NONE
Thu 09-28-00: NONE
Fri 09-29-00: B-BEYOND #09 Spellbound
Sat 09-30-00: B-BEYOND #46 Inqueling <——-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.
_____________________________________________________________________
CANADIAN EPISODE SCHEDULE
(BATMAN and BEYOND on YTV)
(courtesy of our friends at YTV)
YTV currently has the rights to air all 109 episodes of Batman, as well as the current 52 episodes of Batman Beyond. YTV usually airs these episodes in either chronological order, or in the original order they aired on Kids’WB! and FOX. Batman Beyond airs Saturday & Sunday at 2:30pm (ET). Batman now airs at 3:30am Monday – Friday. If our schedules are not updated or are inaccurate, please use these links:
IMPORTANT NOTICE: ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, NEW EPISODES OF BATMAN BEYOND WILL AIR ON YTV!
(These have already debuted on the WB network, just not on YTV.)
http://www.geocities.com/worldsfinestpage/airdate.htm
http://www.ytv.com/ytvguide
THIS WEEK:
Mon 09-18-00: BTAS #58 Blind as a Bat
Tue 09-19-00: BTAS #43 Day of the Samurai
Wed 09-20-00: BTAS #15 See No Evil
Thu 09-21-00: BTAS #59 The Demon’s Quest (Pt. 1)
Fri 09-22-00: BTAS #63 The Demon’s Quest (Pt. 2)
Sat 09-23-00: BEYOND #28 Final Cut
Sun 09-24-00: BEYOND #29 The Last Resort
NEXT WEEK:
Mon 09-25-00: BTAS #64 Read My Lips
Tue 09-26-00: BTAS #62 Fire From Olympus
Wed 09-27-00: BTAS #57 Shadow of the Bat (Pt. 1)
Thu 09-28-00: BTAS #61 Shadow of the Bat (Pt. 2)
Fri 09-29-00: BTAS #52 Mudslide
Sat 09-30-00: BEYOND #30 Armory
Sun 10-01-00: BEYOND #31 Sneek Peek
_____________________________________________________________________
THE CARTOON NETWORK
Cartoon Network has the right to air all 109 Batman episodes, as well as all 54 Superman episiodes. Come September, Cartoon Network will begin airing these. Shows. Batman currently airs during the weekday Toonami block at 6:30pm (ET). Superman will soon have a set airdate as well. Since Cartoon Network is unpredictable with their schedules, we are unable to keep up with them. Please, use these links to find out the schedule information you need:
http://www.geocities.com/worldsfinestpage/airdate.htm
http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/TOONAMI/lineup/batman.html
_____________________________________________________________________
EPISODE REVIEW: (SPOILERS!)
(by Justin Chen and/or Zanna)
All of Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton’s reviews of the new-style BTAS episodes and BATMAN BEYOND can be found via these links, which link to “Two-Face’s Tower of Tranquility and Terror”:
MAIN PAGE: http://www.angelfire.com/tx/TimTwoFace/index.html
BTAS PAGE: http://www.angelfire.com/tx/TimTwoFaceText/bats.html
The creative “team” for this column alternates between Zanna and Justin Chen, two loyal subscribers and great friends of ours here. Any other reviews printed here are written by editor Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton. Enjoy!
ACE IN THE HOLE
Written by Hilary J. Bader
Directed by James Tucker
Animation by Dong Yang, Koko
Original Air Date: August 19, 2000
Rating: ***1/2 of 5
DESCRIPTION: Ace the Bathound is kidnaped, and Terry’s got to get him back.
HIGHS: Pretty interesting plot considering a dog is the focus, a good check into the relation between Bruce and Ace.
LOWS: Seemingly childish premise might turn some people off, unoriginal end fight.
OVERALL: A decent episode to break the summer reruns.
Contrary to some statements I’ve seen online, this is NOT the start of the new season, just an unaired episode left from last year’s batch. Anyway, being used to sleeping past air time for months now, I reluctantly dragged myself up to check this one out. I’ll admit when I found out that the dog was the focus here I was ready to dismiss it as another one of the less mature and more “cartoony” eps from last season’s end. Fortunately that’s not entirely the case.
It starts with Bruce going to the chiropractor, and Terry is left outside to watch Ace. Suddenly the dog gives chase to an odd man nearby. Terry tries to restrain the beast, but the man pulls a gun and fires. Terry drops low to avoid the shots, and Ace chases the stranger all the way to his car, and then runs off. Bruce thinks Ace may have somehow recognized this man, and checks the computer files. The guy turns out to be a major dog fight gambler in Gotham…a Mr. Boxer. Terry has to go out to shut him down, while Ace is out wandering the streets. This sets up the main plot of the episode…now I’ll comment on a few points.
-Terry goes undercover to find out about this dog fighting league. He wraps his arms with fake bandages and adopts a rough streets accent-classic Batman tactic. Good to see Terry use his brains here.
-This dog fighting organization is a cruel business. We see scenes of the proprietor deliberately provoking the animals to make them more aggressive. He shows no concern for the dogs, even when his assistants mention the dangers here he just shrugs it off and says there’s plenty more where he came from. This isn’t some kiddie theme…it’s a real problem.
-We see how Bruce first met Ace. Trained by Boxer to be a fighting machine, Ace is about to risk death in the ring when the police raid the match. The dog escapes during the confusion into the snowy streets. Bruce is paying his annual visit to the site of his parents’ death long ago. It can be assumed that he would keep doing so up until now, but it’s still great to see confirmation that Bruce still remembers. As he lays flowers on that spot, Ace saves the old man from a Jokerz gang member. Cool origin story…my only complaint? The butler/chauffeur just looks kind of goofy. Oh well…Alfred was one of a kind.
My biggest gripe about this episode however, is the end battle. Terry tracks down the dog fighting mastermind, and must face…a giant dog? This aspect is corny and ruins the dark feeling set by earlier scenes. The creature is drawn rather poorly too…I wasn’t scared by its appearance, rather the thing was laughable. This scene is almost exactly like the TNBA episode “Cult of the Cat”…which isn’t exactly a compliment.
In my opinion, this was an alright ep, I found it satisfactory for injecting some freshness into the boring rerun season, and pretty good as an exploration into Bruce’s companion. Personally I’d like to see more gritty and hard-hitting stories like from BB’s early run, but I’ll accept this one for now.
-J.Chen, aka The Overseer
overseer@pacificwest.com
___________________________________________________________________
SPECIAL IN THIS ISSUE
INTERVIEW WITH STAN BERKOWITZ
Stan Berkowitz (writer for BTAS, STAS, and BEYOND) was able to take time out of his schedule to answer a few questions about Batman Beyond’s upcoming season, as well as the upcoming RETURN OF THE JOKER flick. Thanks for agreeing to do this with us, Stan!
BTAN#1. Any informaiton on the upcoming season of BATMAN BEYOND? Rumor has it that Max will play a prominant role in a few episodes.
STAN#1. Season three is a bit of a balancing act. We tie up lots of loose ends involving familiar characters, but we also introduce several new enemies and allies. Max will play a key role in a two-parter.
BTAN#2 What informaiton can you give us on the upcoming JLU episode? Could you give us a rundown of the JLU roster? Also, word has it that Tim Daly will not be reprising his role as the Man Of Steel. Is this true?
STAN#2. As you’ve seen from the promos, Superman is considerably older than he was when he was in his own series. So for that reason, I think, Tim was replaced by an actor with an older sounding voice. Other members of the JL include an all-new Green Lantern, a descendant of Aquaman, Big Barda and a couple of never-before-seen heroes. At this point, no one is sure when the JL episodes will air, so they might not be the season finale. Or they might be.
BTAN#3. Will we finally get the full scoop on Inque and her origin?
STAN#3. Inque has an episode all to herself, “Inqueling.” And yes, you’ll finally learn her complete origin.
BTAN#4. What villians can we expect to see this season on Kids’WB!? Will we be getting new villians? Will we learn more of Terry’s past? Also, what is Kobra’s deal, and will we see more of him/them?
STAN#4. Technically, you won’t see any villains this summer, since our new season begins in the fall, September 16, to be exact. Besides Inque, you’ll see Paxton Powers, the Royal Flush Gang and at least one notorious villain from Bruce Wayne’s past. You’ll also be meeting a character from Terry’s checkered past, Big Time. Kobra is a reptile-worshipping sect, bent on world domination. They’ll be appearing in more than one episode.
BTAN#5. What are your opinions and thoughts on the upcoming BATMAN BEYOND: RETURN OF THE JOKER movie.
STAN#5. I think fans will really get their money’s worth from “Return of the Joker.” Great animation, great action and a highly emotional story that answers a lot of questions in a very satisfying way. Because its content is somewhat more adult than the series, there are currently no plans to air it on TV.
BTAN#6.And our final question, will we finally see more of Bruce Wayne’s past?
STAN#6. Yes, you’ll see more of Bruce Wayne, particularly in an episode called “Out of the Past,” which is presently scheduled to air on October 7.
Thanx goes out to Stan Berkowitz to take tim eout of his busy scheudle to answer some of our fanboy questions!
___________________________________________________________________
EDITORIAL
(by Xum Yukinori)
RETURN OF THE JOKER ROUND-UP
From the WB Animation Panel Report: Saturday, July 22, 2000; San Diego Comic-Con.
This was the most-anticipated part of the program, which was probably why WB saved it for last. It started with the awesome, almost-complete trailer for the upcoming film, which received a lot of cheers and hollers.
The trailer began with a long shot of “Beyond Batman” gliding over Gotham City. Fade to a very solemn “Old Man Wayne” partly shadowed in the future Batcave.
Then there was an onslaught of action scenes:
* Beyond Batman fighting the entire “New” Joker gang – at least everyone with character designs featured in Comicology #1. The shot was a continuous moving sequence — even the background seemed to shift as well. Shades of Castle Cogliostro!
* The “new” Joker (a little older-looking but definitely more buff, and NOT green) beating the hell out of the Beyond Batman. He seems to be able to dodge and parry Terry’s attacks quite effortlessly. His grin makes him look really scary.
* Flashback: Batgirl running, barely dodging rapid fire (machine gun? or is it from the next scene?).
* Flashback: A very angry Harley Quinn touting a really really big gun (not a machine gun – nastier). She seems to yell something as she aims and fires it. (Note: Harley aims the gun off camera. We assume she’s firing at Batgirl, but we really don’t know for sure who she’s firing
at.)
* Flashback: A b&w test animation of Tim Drake Robin strapped to a table, being electrocuted as the Classic Joker pulled a large switch, which dissolved to a (full-colour) close-up of an empty, tattered and burned Robin costume in a display case
* Close up of an irked Beyond Batman driving the Batmobile, with a small projected vignette of the Joker’s head in the foreground gleefully chatting away – most likely about…
* An overhead satellite powering up and projecting a nasty laser beam at Gotham City. There are a few shots of the beam wiping out a few buildings in a mass-destruction animation with shades of Akira. A later shot shows the beam cutting through more of Gotham as it pursues the speeding Batmobile.
* A nice tilted animation shot of new Joker gang member DeeDee doing a ballerina twirl toward the camera. It’s a nicely animated shot, where her hair and her costume flow with her motion quite beautifully.
* Flashback: Exterior window of a building, a punk is punched out of the window. The camera then zooms in between the jagged glass to a partly silhouetted Classic Batman looming ominously.
* Cut to black. Fade in supers: “Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker”, followed by “October 24, 2000”.
The final scene was a tight close-up shot of a grim Beyond Batman saying, “Let’s dance, Bozo.” (The audience cheered so loud, I could barely make out this line.)
The music track of the trailer really rocked, but it wasn’t new music – they actually used, appropriately enough, the “Joker Chase” track from Rebirth Part I. It worked very well with the visuals.
Following the trailer, the Beyond panel (Paul Dini, Bruce Timm, Glen Murakami, Will Friedle, and Mark Hamill) was introduced, and as they sat down they were lit continuously by several camera flashbulbs. Timm’s first words were, “You wanna see that again?” The audience roared.
Timm said that everyone signed non-disclosure agreements so they can’t discuss anything about the plot (Hamill later said that “it works in my case because with the Alzheimer’s, I don’t remember anymore – took them that long to animate it.”). Timm did admit that the movie has a flashback sequence “that does take place in the classic animated Batman world.” Timm added thatthe movie was “full of action, with a lot of humour, a lot of heart, (pause) and a lot of tragedy.”
Timm made one last comment about how they just got the final sections from the overseas production companies the previous week, so the entire movie was done. “And we’re really thrilled to death. It’s going to be great.” He then opened the floor to questions.
The only question related to the movie was the first one for Hamill, about his role as the Joker in the original Batman Animated Series and in Beyond. His response was full of witty remarks.
“I really relished the role,” he began. “I never expected to find a character as rich as this one in animation. So I consider myself very, very fortunate. In fact, I had moved on. I mean, Batman Beyond was a great success, so they (WB) decided to stop doing what they called the ‘Coke Classic.’ (laughter) I saw Paul Dini… I think at Golden Apple (a comic book store in LA), and I said… I was kidding, really — y’know, I’ve had some experience at franchises that move on without you? (lots of laughter and applause) And I think you know I’m referring to “Wing Commander”. (more laughter) But I said, ‘Paul, what’s the matter? You haven’t seen “Futurama”? The Joker can’t come back as a head in a jar?’ (more laughs) And he said, ‘Be careful what you wish for.’ – because they asked me to do the movie and I said I’ll do it if Joker can come back. Because I really have a good time.”
Hamill admits that playing the Joker was different this time, having to fit in with another cast and the fact that “the Joker is a different Joker here.”
Timm quickly added that the movie would play the Joker a little darker than before. “We don’t want him to be as manic as he was, ’cause he’s a completely different kind of Joker… I mean, the visual design theory was to be more Hannibal Lecter… (“Except he doesn’t eat people,” Will chimed in.) The key is… he’s scarier this time.” Hamill then said that the Joker would actually kill people in this movie.
___________________________________________________________________
NO MAN’S ISLAND
(the SURVIVOR rip-off…erm…homage)
(by Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton)
Alright, I’ll state right away that I never watched that SURVIVOR show, despite the hype. However, I felt it would be a rather interesting recurring feature in our newsletter. Heck, it’s not that different from the NO MAN’S LAND arc last year in the comics, is it? Everyone’s stranded on an island, and no one gets on or off until the very end.
Anyhow, here’s the score. I couldn’t choose a mere 16 Gothamites to strand on the island of Gotham City after the bridges were blown; I wanted to make sure to include everyone’s favourite characters, so I kept it at 39. With every issue we’ll be eliminating two characters of YOUR CHOICE. Yes, that’s right – you readers out there have a say in the two people we’ll cast off or eliminate in some fashion – and we’ll come up with a reasonable story behind it.
There’s no preferance as to whom will win. The good guys will NOT NECESSARILY win; it’s all up to you.
So, without further adieu, here’s the list of our contenders:
BATMAN LESLIE THOMPKINS THE RIDDLER THE VENTRILOQUIST LOCK-UP
ROBIN THE CREEPER TWO-FACE HARLEY QUINN MAN-BAT
BATGIRL THE DEMON POISON IVY CLAYFACE BABY-DOLL
NIGHTWING THE HUNTRESS THE SCARECROW FIREFLY ROXY ROCKETT
ALFRED ZATANNA MR. FREEZE RA’S AL GHUL RUPERT THORNE
COMMISSIONER GORDON THE JOKER THE MAD HATTER TALIA ROLAND DAGGET
DET. HARVEY BULLOCK THE PENGUIN BANE THE PHANTASM SUMMER GLEASON
RENE MONTOYA CATWOMAN KILLER CROC CALENDAR GIRL
E-mail juno@dccnet.com with your votes of whom you’d like to see cast off. Remember, we need two choices!
___________________________________________________________________
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.
NAME…THAT…VILLAIN!!!!
(I’ll supply a clue. You supply the name of the villain it refers to.)
381. Batman’s driven the Batmobile with this male villain the passenger seat.
Answer: _____________
382. This villain shares the same first name as serial killer Mr. Zsasz in the mainstream comic books.
Answer: _____________
383. Kicked Killer Croc’s AAAAASSSSSS (and didn’t use Venom to do it).
Answer: _____________
384. We came SOOO CLOSE to seeing a “drop the soap” joke affect this villain – but the censors wouldn’t let it pass.
Answer: _____________
385. Of the two in the “Al Ghul” family, the one that Batman met first.
Answer: _____________
386. Way back in the old BATMAN comics, this current villain would have gone by the name “Corrosive Man”.
Answer: _____________
387. “I wear green, but am currently bald as a bowling ball. Who am I?”
Answer: _____________
388. Aside from Harvey Dent, which villain’s costume has a line that predominantly cuts the colour scheme of that particular costume in half?
Answer: _____________
389. This villain was into taxidermy in one episode.
Answer: _____________
390. “…thirty calibre answers.”
Answer: _____________
_____________________________________________________________________
AND THESE ARE OUR FINAL ANSWERS (to the trivia)
Answer to #381: The Joker
Answer to #382: Mr. Freeze
Answer to #383: Two-Face
Answer to #384: The Penguin
Answer to #385: Talia
Answer to #386: Blight
Answer to #387: The Riddler
Answer to #388: Harley Quinn
Answer to #389: The Ventriloquist
Answer to #390: Rupert Thorne
_____________________________________________________________________
LITTLE FACTS AND BLOOPERS
(by Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton)
Here is a section that just points out various little facts and bloopers that we have noticed while watching BTAS and STAS countless times. If you have anything to contribute, feel free to do so! Enjoy!
CONTRIBUTED BY STAFF:
Nope.
CONTRIBUTED BY OTHERS:
Na da.
____________________________________________________________________
MERCHANDISING: WHERE THE REAL BAT-CASH IS MADE
(by Bill Curtis)
Last issue I mentioned the new figures for the direct-to-video feature: “Batman Beyond: The Return of the Joker”. I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to see these figures before writing that column. The reason is – these figures STINK! Boo! HISS! While I applauded Kenner in my last post for finally producing a great Alfred figure, I now reprimand them for taking the cheap, easy way out with these new figures.
The line consists of 4 regular figures, and one deluxe figure. The problem is that Kenner didn’t bother to produce new figures; it just issued repainted old figures! “Arkham Assault Joker” (which doesn’t even look like the Joker from the upcoming movie!), is nothing more than a repainted “Wild Card Joker” from the Animated Batman line, “Gotham Defender Batman” is a repaint of “Detective Batman”, “Gotham Knight Batman” is “Future Knight Batman” (from the current “Batman Beyond” line. At least they finally got the colour right!), “Rapid Switch Bruce Wayne” is merely “Quick Change Bruce Wayne” from the Animated line (and features the same “young” Bruce, how the heck does that fit into Batman Beyond?), and finally “Golden Armor Batman” which is, you guessed it, another repaint!
My problem is: Kenner had the tools and the time to do some really cool figures, but instead chose to package repainted figures in the hopes of making a quick buck. Anyone who surfs eBay and other sites has seen just how creative people can be with existing figures being transformed into “custom” Batman, and Batman Beyond figures. A few creative folks even showed the blueprints on how to make your own “Old Joker’ from the upcoming movie: use a body from the Creeper figure, and trim down the hair from an animated Joker figure, paint the body and hands, and voila: New “Older” Joker figure, ready to rumble! If your average fan can be so creative, why can’t Kenner? My only conclusion is that because Batman animated is no longer running, and Batman Beyond is in its last first-run season, Kenner no longer feels the need to expend any effort on this lucrative line. A good comparison would be Toy Biz’s X-Men line: how many different repaints of Wolverine can you make? Answer: As many as they’ll keep buying!
C’mon Kenner: show a little respect; if not for the Batman line, at least for the intelligence of your customers!
Until next time: same Bat-time, same bat-channel!
____________________________________________________________________
COMIC REVIEWS
(BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES by Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton)
(BATMAN BEYOND by Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton)
(SUPERMAN ADVENTURES by Dick Grayson)
BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES
ISSUE: “Six Hours to Kill” (#29)
WRITTEN BY: Chuck Dixon
PENCILLED BY: Joe Staton
INKED BY: Terry Beatty
ISSUED: August 2, 2000 (Cover date, Oct 2000)
RATING: ***** (out of 5)
I had all but completely forgotten that Chuck Dixon was doing an issue of GOTHAM ADVENTURES – and I didn’t know this was the one! Joe Staton was on board, too – and the art was superb, especially the sequence at the Iceburg Lounge and the “blurry” effects in one panel towards the end.
The story was a good one, too. I was a little worried that this issue would have the same final result as Bob Hall’s BATMAN: DOA one-shot from a couple months back, which had a some similarities in terms of basic plot. Fortunately, Dixon is a great writer whom always churns out greatness – so my fears were quickly put to rest.
Maybe it’s just me, but I think I can honestly say that I like Tim Drake’s Robin more than Dick Grayson’s – he seems like a more distinct player in the Bat-team, particularly because of his age difference. I’ve always loved the stories that put him in the limelight, like the episode GROWING PAINS or of GOTHAM ADVENTURES; I still really want to see a follow-up to SINS OF THE FATHER, though – the Robin/Two-Face relationship should be explained more. Speaking of which, I loved Harley’s line, “The Boy Hostage”, a tribute to Frank Miller’s DARK KNIGHT RETURNS; I playfully use that line to describe Robin a lot of the time, too.
I was happy to see the Penguin was back, too. It’s been far too long since we’ve last seen him in the pages of BGA, and as always, his craftiness and status as a “legitimate businessman” make him a very notable character in any story. The cameos by Harley and Ivy were a nice touch, too; I liked how the cover misled me, too. I figured that they were gonna play along with Robin and go back to the Batcave to aid Batman – and then wreak some havoc. Nice to see that, right off the bat (ha ha), Craig Rousseau (who did the cover) threw us a red herring.
I loved the issue! I hope to see Dixon and other current Bat-writers (Rucka? Grayson? Loeb?) step in and do a special one-issue story for GOTHAM ADVENTURES from time to time, too! It’s no wonder that this is my favourite book to buy every month (and considering I buy the books by the three previously listed writers, that’s very high praise, indeed!)
However, I have a question – has this “Goggles” guy appeared before? I don’t recall him, but Robin seemed to know who this guy was…anyone know?
;-Y
______________________________________________________________
COMIC SCHEDULES & COVERING THE BASICS
This section gives a little bit more in-depth look into each monthly issue of BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES, BATMAN BEYOND, and SUPERMAN ADVENTURES. Below each comic listing is a link to the cover of that comic. TALK ABOUT SERVICE!
The price for any of these issues, unless otherwise posted, is $1.99 in the US and…grrrrr…a whopping $3.25 in Canada. (Both our editors and many subscribers are Canadian, hence the “grrr”.)
If we are unsure of the exact date of when an issue is being released, just check out “DIRECT CURRENTS” at http://www.dccomics.com for details.
BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES #31
October 4th
Synopsis: Ty Templeton’s leftover Joker story! Don’t miss it!
Cover: Unavailable
FOLLOWING MONTH:
Synopsis: The Scarecrow is up to his usual sinister tricks as he unleashes a deadly gas that
has the entire city of Gotham going completely crazy! Mass mayhem and destruction ensue as
millions of Gothamites literally lose their minds. Can Batman and the gang save the masses from
themselves?
Cover: Unavailable
BATMAN BEYOND #13
September 27th
Synopsis: Fears brought on by the Scarecrow’s fear gas (from OVER THE EDGE) are now manifesting themselves in the future-day Commissioner Barbara Gordon.
Cover: http://www.dccomics.com/directcurrents/comics/sept27/covers/down/dBMBCv13.jpg
FOLLOWING MONTH:
Synopsis: Unavailable
Cover: Unavailable
SUPERMAN ADVENTURES #48
???
Synopsis: Unavailable
Cover: Unavailable
FOLLOWING MONTH:
Synopsis: Unavailable
Cover: Unavailable
_____________________________________________________________________
NEWS AND RUMORS
ALL-ENCOMPASSING/OTHER
-An interview with DC editor Darren Vincenzo can be found at the following address:
http://www.sequentialtart.com/vicienzo.shtml
-The following artists are selling artwork on eBay. The following are their names and Seller ID’s:
Terry Beatty: beatty@machlink.com
Craig Rousseau: cerousseau
Tim Levins: tlevins
Min S. Ku: min3000gt
ANIMATED SERIES (BTAS, STAS, BEYOND)
-YTV has just got the rights to air episodes #27 – 52 of BATMAN BEYOND. It’s unknwon when these episode to air, but expect fall 2000. YTV may air all the episodes through in ONE run, unlike the first 26 episodes.
ANIMATED COMICS
-BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES #32:
On sale November 1. The Scarecrow is up to his usual sinister tricks as he unleashes a deadly gas that has the entire city of Gotham going completely crazy! Mass mayhem and destruction ensue as millions of Gothamites literally lose their minds. Can Batman and the gang save the masses from themselves?
-BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES #33:
On sale December 13. Batman begins to doubt whether his actions really make a difference in the world, and the guest-starring Phantom Stranger appears to show him what a world without a Dark Knight would look like – and believe us, it isn`t pretty! Batman sees first-hand that his quest has made the lives of his comrades much greater, as one by one they seem to follow the wrong path in the Stranger`s vision!
-BATMAN BEYOND #15:
(Written by Jason Hernandez-Rosenblatt; art by Craig Rousseau and Rob Leigh; cover by Brian Stelfreeze)
On sale November 29. Just who is the mysterious new being called Erica Electra who`s been crossing paths with future Batman Terry McGinnis? Is she friend or foe? And will Terry`s girlfriend now have reasons to be jealous?
Cover: http://www.fandom.com/multimedia/Batman/Miscellaneous/BatmanMiscellaneous226298.jpg
OTHER COMICS
-DARK VICTORY #13: Has Batman finally found the identity of the Hang Man killer (if, in fact, there’s only one)? What connection does the Hang Man have to Harvey Dent, and can the murders be stopped before the most horrifying killing of them all takes place? This time Batman is no longer alone in his quest for justice as a young, inexperienced Robin joins him. But will the addition of an untested partner prove to be more deadly than it’s worth? Witness the last stand of the crumbling criminal empire, as the Falcone Family faces off against Two-Face and a mob of freakish allies that includes the Joker, Mr. Freeze, Poison Ivy and Solomon Grundy. Will all of Gotham City be left in ruins before the last gang war is over? Which, if any, of the Falcones, the Marionis and the Vitis will survive? And how will the change the lives of James Gordon, Harvey Dent and Janice Porter?
The cover can be found here: http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0007/20/BDarkVict13.jpg
-The second issue of HARLEY QUINN: On sale November 8. Harley finds herself alone, adrift and without direction. Even a bizarre cameo by Poison Ivy (among others) can`t get our darling little nut job out of her funk — but maybe a new job will? Enter Two-Face, and a wild kidnapping scheme which only gets stranger as the job unravels! And if that weren`t enough, a familiar face is now hunting for Harley, and the Penguin drops by for a visit!
-The cover can be found here: http://www.fandom.com/multimedia/Batman/Miscellaneous/BatmanMiscellaneous226292.jpg
-The third issue of HARLEY QUINN features an all-girl slumber party. Oh, Ivy’s gonna be very happy about this.
The cover can be found here:
http://www.fandom.com/multimedia/Comics/News/ComicNews232646.JPG
-Volume 3 of the collected NO MAN’S LAND editions will be out on September 27. It features “ASSEMBLY”, “FRUIT OF THE EARTH”, plus some stories by Larry Hama, and the various one-issue tales from April 1999.
-Volume 4 of NML will be out December 20, 2000.
*The following 7 issues are all a part of DC’s ” This Issue: BATMAN DIES!” promotion for December. (That’s right! Batman dies in every one of the following issues in some way.)
-Bane appears in BIRDS OF PREY #26
-Two-Face and Montoya are again the focus of DETECTIVE COMICS #753.
-The Joker appears in ROBIN #85.
-Mr. Zsasz appears in GOTHAM KNIGHTS #12.
-Catwoman appears in NIGHTWING #52.
-Batman’s war against the Penguin continues in BATMAN #586.
-Cain re-appears in BATGIRL #11.
-ROBIN: YEAR ONE #2
On sale November 29. Robin squares off against the Mothman, the original Blockbuster, and Two-Face – all while trying to live the life of a normal teenager. When duty gets in the way of blooming romance, Dick at last learns the impossible cost he must pay to be a champion of good.
Cover: http://www.fandom.com/multimedia/Batman/Miscellaneous/BatmanMiscellaneous226294.jpg
-ROBIN: YEAR ONE #3
Robin’s first battle with Mr. Freeze.
MOVIES
-The following comes to us from CINESCAPE ONLINE:
George Clooney, who on numerous previous occasions has unnecessarily taken personal responsibility for killing the Batman movie franchise, has an idea on what do to do next in a possible Batman 5. While talking to Movieline magazine (via Empire Online), Clooney revealed an idea which would be set in Bruce Wayne’s near future after Alfred’s funeral. Soon afterwards, Robin is also killed in a story where the entire Batman saga may all just be a figment of Wayne’s imagination.
Clooney adds, “You do the movie cheap, in film noir style. Make Batman the dark knight, something Tim Burton didn’t even do… Do it for $30 million. You reinvent the franchise…What they want to do instead is this Batman Beyond, and just like with Anthony Hopkins in Mask of Zorro, you have this guy create the whole thing all over again with someone new. I think they are going to do Batman Beyond but they should use my ending to start the movie.”
-UNFORTUNATELY, another rumour has popped up, saying that forthcoming big budget movies from all the major studios – like Batman 5 – may be pushed back and/or canned if the forthcoming actors and writers strike (next summer) takes place.
-The fifth GOTHAM GIRLS webisode (featuring Zatanna) can be found at http://www.gothamgirls.com Her voice is provided by Stacie Randall.
-Exciting sounds from the movie will be available in October on the Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker soundtrack, featuring a hot single from debut Warner recording act Mephisto Odyssey (featuring platinum act Static X). Guitar wonder Kenny Wayne Shepherd also appears on the soundtrack. Additionally, a music video for the song “Crash,” the first single from the soundtrack, will be running on music-video outlets beginning in October.”
-The Batman Beyond website (www.batmanbeyond.com) will be adding interactive features that include a 10-minute “Return of the Joker” preview Webcast, a soundtrack sampler, a clip from the music video, interactive arcade games, character biographies, weekly contests and sweepstakes for chances to win great prizes, questions for the creators, chat events and much more. (all the previous movie info was taken from Alan J. Porter’s “Gotham Weekly News” newsletter)
-Apparently Freddie Prinze, Jr., is vying for the role of Terry McGinnis in the live-action BATMAN BEYOND movie (this, after he was unable to hang onto the role of Spiderman in that OTHER superhero movie being made). Nic Cage is also said to be interested in the role of Derek Powers/Blight.
-Director BOAZ YAKIN says this about his take on the BATMAN BEYOND feature: When asked if he can avoid the cliches of previous comic book films, Yakin answered, “Just because the characters are familiar and mainstream doesn’t mean we need to follow a traditional, generic arc with them. Everything I do I hope is really sophisticated, so this will not stop here.”
-It is also reported that despite this new BEYOND movie news, WB is still hoping to move ahead with a fifth movie in the current movie series. DARK HORIZONS once again reports that Julia Roberts is in talks to play Catwoman (I highly doubt this, though). CINESCAPE reports that Brad Pitt is in talks with director Darren Aronofsky to play Batman.
-Considering that one of the RETURN OF THE JOKER action figures is entitled “Arkham Assault Joker”, it looks like the Joker…well…assaults Arkham Asylum at some point in the movie.
-SUPERMAN 5 is back on track again? Apparently Brad Siberling (“City of Angels”) is directing, Russel Crowe is being eyed for the role of Superman, and Kevin Smith’s original script may be used after all.
LIVE ACTION TELEVISION
-Remember the BRUCE WAYNE television series? You can read a review of the pilot script by following the link provided. Note: Chances are that this won’t be made for quite some time, if at all.
http://filmforce.ign.com/news/1391.html
-To view anything regarding the Batman ONSTAR commercials, go here:
http://www.onstar.com
-Four online, interactive comic books (featuring Batman, the Joker, Catwoman, Two-Face, Alfred, and Commissioner Gordon) can also be found at the OnStar site.
-It looks like a fifth webisode featuring the Riddler will be coming soon.
-Check out http://www.fandom.com/batman for downloadable versions of the ONSTAR commercials if the official ONSTAR site is not being cooperative with your PC. Two of the commercials can also be found at http://www.adcritic.com – just search for “Batman”.
TOYS, BOOKS, AND OTHER MERCHANDISE
-I snagged some pictures of four of the upcoming RETURN OF THE JOKER action figures. Have a look!
GOTHAM KNIGHT BATMAN
http://images.honesty.com/cgi-bin/honesty-image/12309796/newbatman.jpg
ARKHAM ASSAULT JOKER
http://imagehost.auctionwatch.com/bin/viewimage.x/000c8bb9/jamil/Mvc094s.jpg
GOTHAM DEFENDER BATMAN
http://imagehoset.auctionwatch.com/bin/imageserver.x/000cdbf1/toysexpo/BatBeyondJoke_a.jpg
RAPID SWITCH BRUCE WAYNE
http://imagehost.auctionwatch.com/bin/imageserver.x/000d1497/toysexpo/RetJok_BruceWayne_a.jpg
-On September 1, it will be possible to order a copy of Paul Dini’s RETURN OF THE JOKER script through Amazon.com.
-THE NEW BATMAN ADVENTURES will be available for Game Boy by Christmas 2000.
-Looking for a Batman-related costume this Hallowe’en? E-mail CowardlyLot@aol.com and put in a request! Go to http://www.fandom.com/batman/editorial.asp?action=page&obj_id=225572 for details and sample pics!
SPECIAL NOTE
For more BATMAN, SUPERMAN, AND BEYOND news throughout the week, check out the WORLD’S FINEST NEWS PAGE at:
http://www.geocities.com/bbeyond/news.html
FEATURED BAT-SITE FOR THIS ISSUE
(feel free to submit your own for our consideration)
BATMAN NET
http://batman.fanhosts.com
Batman Net offers daily coverage of all the Batman Universe, from comics to animation and movies. If that’s not enough, try playing our Bat-Games or converse with other fans of the Dark Knight on Batman Net’s Interactive Message Boards. All this and more is just a bat-click away!
(Written by “Viceroy-Batman”)
____________________________________________________________________
ANIMATED BATMAN/SUPERMAN SITES:
* – indicates a shameless plug for a site a certain double-faced editor created with his bare hands – in other words, a cheap advertising technique.
OFFICIAL SITES
—–
THE NEW BATMAN/SUPERMAN ADVENTURES
http://www.batman-superman.com
BATMAN:THE ANIMATED SERIES
http://www.batmantas.com
BATMAN BEYOND
http://www.batmanbeyond.com
BATMAN BEYOND VIDEO SITE
http://www.batmanbeyondvideo.com
YTV’S BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES PAGE
http://www.ytv.com/shows/batman_animated/
YTV’s BATMAN BEYOND Page
http://www.ytv.com/shows/batman_beyond/
GOTHAM GIRLS
http://www.gothamgirls.com
SUB-ZERO: THE DEFINTIVE GUIDE
http://www.batman-subzero.com
KID’S WB
http://www.kidswb.com
DC COMICS
http://www.dccomics.com
KTLA KIDS WB SCHEDULES
http://www.ktla.com/backstage/programming/KIDSWB.htm
TOON ZONE
http://www.toonzone.net
PSYCOMICS
http://www.psycomics.com
RAVING TOY MANIAC
http://www.toymania.com
VOICE CHASERS
http://www.voicechasers.org
UNOFFICIAL SITES
—–
*TWO-FACE’S TOWER OF TRANQUILITY AND TERROR
http://www.angelfire.com/tx/TimTwoFace/index.html
BATMAN, SUPERMAN, & BEYOND: THE WORLD’S FINEST DISCUSSION CENTER
http://welcome.to/worldsfinest
THE DISCUSSION CENTER (same as above)
http://www.geocities.com/TelevisionCity/Taping/2928/boards.htm
BRIAN CRUZ’ WB CARTOON PAGE
http://www.toonzone.net/brian/index.html
BATMAN UK (BRIAN’S BATMAN PAGE)
http://www.batmanuk.freeserve.co.uk
RA’S AL GHUL’S THE LAZARUS PIT
http://zap.to/lazaruspit
THE DARK KNIGHT
http://www.darkknight.ca
BATMAN BEYOND: WELCOME TO THE FUTURE
http://www.batmanbeyond.net
TIM WAN’S BATMAN BEYOND
http://come.to/batmanbeyond
DCU ANIMATED
http://www.DCUAnimated.zzn.com
BRUCE TIMM ARCHIVE SITE
http://members.xoom.com/brucetimm
BATMAN ANIMATED: THE UNOFFICIAL FAN CLUB & FANZINE
http://www.batmanuk.freeserve.co.uk/club/
HARLEY’S HAVEN OF HEDONISM
http://www.harley-quinn.com
GOTHAM CITY LIMITS
http://www.batman.gexner.net
BATMAN: DEFENDER OF GOTHAM
http://www.fandom.com/batman
THE RIDDLER – EDWARD NYGMA’S PUZZLE WEBSITE
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/prospero.milan/nygma
THE BATMAN ACTION FIGURE PAGE
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Boulevard/7659/
CHARACTERS ON THE ADVENTURES OF BATMAN & ROBIN
http://www.xse.com/leres/batman.html
ARKHAM ASYLUM
http://animation.acmecity.com/saturday/352
JOKERZ TERRITORY
http://members.xoom.com/Jokerz84/index.htm
THE BATZONE
http://www.batzone.cjb.net/
JLA: THE ANIMATED SERIES
http://animation.acmecity.com/character/375
ANIMATED TALES
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Dunes/2294/at
A TRIBUTE TO BATMAN
http://www.angelfire.com/ny2/russkafin/batman.html
ANIMATED STYLE ARTWORK ARCHIVE
http://hjem.get2net.dk/twt/asaa/home.html
BATMAN CEL SITE
http://animation.acmecity.com/carbon/111
DARK JUSTICE
http://www.mania.com.au/~grahark/darkjustice/
ROGUE AVENUE, GOTHAM
http://www.ultros.com/rogue_avenue
THE BATMAN BEYOND INFO PAGE
http://www.rogue-spear.com/BB
THE VAULT
http://dmoz.org/Arts/Animation/Voice_Actors
NEWSGROUPS
—–
news:alt.comics.batman
news:alt.animation.batman
news:alt.comics.superman
news:rec.arts.sf.superman
news:alt.tv.cartoon-network
news:rec.arts.animation
news:alt.animation.warner-bros
____________________________________________________________________
QUESTIONS, SUBMISSIONS, AND FAN-MAIL
If you have any questions, problems, links do not work, or anything else, then please e-mail this address with your problems and we’ll try to fix them as soon as possible. Also if you’d like to send any fan-mail then please send it to this address:
juno@dccnet.com
As for submissions, feel free to submit an article or opinion on anything pertaining to BTAS. Keep in mind that as the editors, we have the right to edit your submissions if we deem it necessary. Such instances would include problems with length, grammar, and language. If we do feel we must edit something, however, we will do our utmost to ensure that the opinion and the basic message of the submission does not change, as that is the most important part of any article, and everyone is entitled to it. And if you do submit something, please don’t just submit a basic review of an episode or a comic or something (because we have people writing for those purposes already) – write about an issue you’d like to discuss.
____________________________________________________________________
BATMAN: THE ANIMATED ARCHIVES
The very kind people at TOONZONE were nice enough to give us our own little section of their huge and diverse website. The archive contains past newsletters and is semi-regularly updated with the latest one. To check it out go here:
TOONZONE’s BATMAN: THE ANIMATED NEWSLETTER ARCHIVES
http://www.toonzone.net/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 about the newsletter just email juno@dccnet.com Thank you for your time, and thanks for reading! Tell your friends!
-Tim TWO-FACE Leighton and Dick Grayson, editors
____________________________________________________________________
TO ALL GOOD THINGS…
…there must be an end. We would like to thank the endless amount of contributors for contributing their editorials, columns, news, jokes, reviews and other articles. We hope you’ve all enjoyed it as much as we’ve enjoyed making it! Thank you for reading! See ya next time!
CREDITS FOR BATMAN: THE ANIMATED NEWSLETTER
EDITOR AT COLLEGE, NOT IN A DORM: Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton
EDITOR AT COLLEGE, BUT IN A DORM: “Dick Grayson”
AIR DATE SCHEDULES: Brian Cruz, RiddlerWB (at the official BTAS/STAS site), and YTV.com
EPISODE REVIEWS: Zanna/Justin Chen, and occasionally Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton
EDITORIAL: Help Wanted
COMIC REVIEWS: Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton, Dick Grayson
NO MAN’S ISLAND: SURVIVAL IN GOTHAM: Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton
MERCHANDISE REVIEW: Various
“BTAN ARCHIVES” MODERATOR: Eileen Delgadillo
TRIVIA: Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton
PROMOTIONS AND JUST GETTIN’ THE WORD AROUND: Dick Grayson, Eileen Delgadillo, Brian Cruz, Brian Davis
THOSE WHO FILL IN FOR OTHERS WHEN THEY FOUL UP:-Y Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton
DELIVERY: Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton
E-MAIL RECEPTION HANDLING: Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton
THE CREATION OF THIS NEWSLETTER INSPIRED BY: Alan J. Porter
BATMAN CREATED BY: Bob Kane & Bill Finger (who else?)
Batman and all related indicia are trademarks of DC Comics, Copyright c 2000.
___________________________________________________________________
AND THANKS TO STAN BERKOWITZ FOR PARTICIPATING IN OUR INTERVIEW!!!