Batman: The Animated Newsletter
Weeks of December 4 – December 10, 2000
Volume 3,
Rated: PG for some “low-key coarse language and occasional griping”
THIS ISSUE’S SUBLIMINAL MESSAGE: “BUD…LOU…THE ORIGINAL HARLEY’S ANGELS.”
THAT SAID, WELCOME TO PART ONE OF OUR TWO-PART RETURN-OF-THE-JOKER SPECIAL. ;-Y
-editor Tim “Two-Face” Leighton
very two-faced, indeed
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SPECIAL NEWS
EARLY RELEASE OF ROTJ IN CANADA STILL EDITED
Yeah, can you believe it? After all our hype, it turns out the RETURN OF THE JOKER movie released in Canada WAS edited, just as it will be in the United States. Nothing major is cut, except a few rather vital scenes in the flashback sequence (the best one). The flashback scene is still great and all, but it’s just not the same. We really oughta pressure the WB into making a special release for the unedited version of this movie. Go get an unedited copy ASAP, I urge you.
That is all.
Begrudgingly yours,
Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton
* * * * *
BE SURE TO CHECK OUT OUR ‘RETURN OF THE JOKER’ GIVEAWAY! SCROLL DOWN TO JUST BELOW OUR REVIEW OF THE MOVIE FOR DETAILS!
* * * * *
FOR A LIST OF ALL THE THINGS THAT WERE CUT (thanks to Dick Grayson), CLICK EITHER OF THE FOLLOWING LINKS. BELIEVE ME, THERE ARE MANY MORE THAN WE ORIGINALLY EXPECTED.
http://www.geocities.com/bbeyond/rotjcuts.html
http://www.aintitcoolnews.com/display.cgi?id=7566
And for pics of three very important cut out scenes (I won’t spoil what they are), go here:
http://www.geocities.com/wfnewspage/bbrotjc1.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/wfnewspage/bbrotjc2.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/wfnewspage/bbrotjc3.jpg
(These have already popped up at DARK HORIZONS, CINESCAPE, and many other notable sites, too.)
For an article on the history of this travesty, go here (there are lots more pics there, too!):
http://filmforce.ign.com/news/1716.html
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EAGERLY ANTICIPATING…
New episodes are on the horizon! Here’s what we can expect in the near future…
BETRAYAL
Batman Beyond #??
Air date: December 9, 2000
Synopsis: This episode is a sequel to “Big Time.” Big Time comes back and Terry has to deal with the guilt he has for having helped turn his friend into a monster.
BIG TIME
Batman Beyond #??
Air date: November 4, 2000 (on GLOBAL in Canada…TBA on the WB)
Synopsis: A friend from Terry’s Juvie days who gets in over his head.
UNMASKED
Batman Beyond #??
Air date: ???
Synopsis: A little kid gets a glimpse of the face under the Batman mask.
COUNTDOWN
Batman Beyond #??
Air date: ???
Synopsis: Zeta and Mad Stan return.
THE CURSE OF KOBRA (Pt. 1, 2)
Batman Beyond #??, ??
Air date: ???
Synopsis: This two-part episode features a villain named Kobra.
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KIDS WB ANIMATION SCHEDULES:
(courtesy of Brian Cruz and/or the official BTAS/STAS site)
Kids’WB! currently airs BATMAN BEYOND five or six times a week. Batman airs on weekday afternoons Monday-Friday, as well occasionally Friday morning before Pokemon. Remember, Kids’WB! is notorious for switching schedules around at the very last minutes. Batman Beyond currently airs at 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 12-04-00: NONE
Tue 12-05-00: NONE
Wed 12-06-00: NONE
Thu 12-07-00: NONE
Fri 12-08-00: B-BEYOND #32 Sneak Peak
Sat 12-09-00: B-BEYOND #?? Betrayal
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
(BATMAN and BEYOND on YTV)
(courtesy of our friends at YTV)
YTV currently has the rights to air all 109 episodes of Batman, as well as the current 52 episodes of Batman Beyond. YTV usually airs these episodes in either chronological order, or in the original order they aired on Kids’WB! and FOX. Batman now airs at 3:30am Monday – Friday. (Actually, more correctly, they seem to be airing them at 3:40 am – go figure.) If our schedules are not updated or are inaccurate, please use these links:
http://www.geocities.com/worldsfinestpage/epsched.htm
http://www.ytv.com/ytvguide
THE FATE OF BATMAN BEYOND ON CANADIAN TELEVISION:
My co-editor Dick Grayson e-mailed YTV last week regarding the absense of Batman Beyond from the YTV schedule. We got a response, and here’s what they had to say:
“‘Batman Beyond’ is not part of our current schedule. We are sorry if this is disappointing for you to hear. We hope you can understand that it is not uncommon for television stations to move some programs to another day or time, introduce new shows, temporarily remove programs, or cancel shows with expired contracts. It is important to remember that all schedules are subject to change without notice.
“With this said, your comments have been forwarded to our Programming Department for future consideration. Please keep in mind that although we do try to make all of our viewers happy, as a national network, it can be quite a challenging task.”
Maybe it is just gone temporarily – they are under contract to air all 52 episodes at least twice. However, if you don’t want to take any chances and encourage them to bring it back, e-mail them, Canadian viewers!
Anyhow, the original BTAS series is still airing, and it will be shown as follows:
NEXT WEEK:
Mon 12-04-00: BTAS #01 On Leather Wings
Tue 12-05-00: BTAS #14 Heart of Ice
Wed 12-06-00: BTAS #20 Feat of Clay (Pt. 1)
Thu 12-07-00: BTAS #21 Feat of Clay (Pt. 2)
Fri 12-08-00: BTAS #11 It’s Never Too Late
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THE CARTOON NETWORK
Cartoon Network has the right to air all 109 Batman episodes, as well as all 54 Superman episiodes. Come September, Cartoon Network will begin airing these. Shows. Batman currently airs during the weekday Toonami block at 6:30pm (ET). Superman will soon have a set airdate as well. Since Cartoon Network is unpredictable with their schedules, we are unable to keep up with them. Please, use these links to find out the schedule information you need:
http://www.geocities.com/worldsfinestpage/airdate.htm
http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/TOONAMI/lineup/batman.html
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EPISODE REVIEW: (SPOILERS!)
(by Justin Chen and/or Zanna)
All of Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton’s reviews of the new-style BTAS episodes and BATMAN BEYOND can be found via these links, which link to “Two-Face’s Tower of Tranquility and Terror”:
MAIN PAGE: http://www.angelfire.com/tx/TimTwoFace/index.html
BTAS PAGE: http://www.angelfire.com/tx/TimTwoFaceText/bats.html
The creative “team” for this column alternates between Zanna and Justin Chen, two loyal subscribers and great friends of ours here. Any other reviews printed here are written by
editor Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton. Enjoy! BATMAN BEYOND: RETURN OF THE JOKER
THE EDITED VERSION
Written by: Paul Dini
Directed by: Curt Geda
Starring: Will Friedle, Kevin Conroy, and Mark Hamill.
Released: November 28 (Canada), December 12 (USA)
Rating (out of five): ****
Despite all the cuts, all the outrage, all the petitions, and all the gnashing of teeth between censors and fans, BATMAN BEYOND: RETURN OF THE JOKER is still one great movie. The skinny is as follows: the Joker has been mysteriously absent in the future of Gotham, though many episodes kept his presence alive. Remember the Joker want-ad at the old GCPD headquarters in SHRIEK? Remember Bruce off-handedly mentioning the bullet-holes in Barbara’s costume in A TOUCH OF CURARE? All these questions are answered.
“The Joker’s lookin’ pretty spry for a guy who’s gotta be in his, what, mid-80’s?” Terry asks. You betcha, Bat-fake. The seemingly immortal Joker has managed to survive the fifty odd years between the current Batman timeframe and that of BATMAN BEYOND, which, in itself, was quite a feat to convince to the fans. I mean, really…seeing Mr. Freeze, Bane, and Talia survive through the ages all made sense in their respective episodes, but the Joker was a mere mortal. How’d he survive? That is one of the twists revealed in the movie – a very creative one at that.
RETURN OF THE JOKER also features Bruce Wayne reclaiming his place as CEO of Wayne Enterprises; it would appear that he’s finally managed to get rid of the Powers family once and for all. (I just wish they were in the movie somehow, but that’s another story.) The Joker crashes Bruce’s party, saying to Bruce, “who’d know you better than me?” Quite a chilling comment, if you think about it – though Bruce knows exactly what it means. It all ties back to that one fateful night, fifty years before…
The Joker himself is more menacing than ever. In recent episodes I’ve often complained that Dini has written his Joker scripts far too light and goofy (like the awful JOKER’S MILLIONS and HOLIDAY KNIGHTS), much unlike the Joker’s earlier classics (like THE LAUGHING FISH). He’s always been just a whacko wimp that likes to laugh; even Hamill’s voice was off a lot of the time. Here, it’s obvious that Dini set out to make the Joker not just insane, but truly evil. Seeing him mind-rape various…people (not saying whom) and torment Batman and anyone he crosses is not a pretty sight; the on-screen deaths committed are a great touch to his frightful demeanor.
Mistah J of the future also has a new crew. Long gone are his goons Lar, Moe, and Cur, Rocco, Henshaw, Bud and Lou, and most notably Harley Quinn – though her fate is revealed here, as well. The Joker has forced his way into one of the cliques of the Jokerz – neither of the cliques we’ve seen before (the main group with J-Man and Terminal’s group). The new group is a far deadlier motley crew of post-pubescent outcasts: a spliced hyena named Woof, a zombie-like oaf named Bonk, a tubby but shockingly agile man with a thing for pink named Chucko, a lanky gothic boy decked out in scarecrow gear (Professor Crane would be proud) named Ghoul, and a pair of living, breathing Raggedy Ann dolls named Dee Dee. They’re far more colourful and have greater characterization than any of the other cliques we’ve met thus far, but pale in comparison to their leader and namesake, of course.
RETURN OF THE JOKER finally allows Terry to prove to Bruce, Barbara, and all fans that he is capable of “being” Batman. (I personally still don’t see anyone truly inheriting the mask except Bruce, but if we must pick a replacement for half a century from now, Terry’s the man.) He not only relies on his braun and all of the funky gadgets in the new Bat-suit, but makes use of some good ol’ sluething to hunt for his mentor’s greatest foe. Though he picks up some of Bruce’s old moves – check out his backward punch squarely into Ghoul’s nose towards the end – he defeats the Joker on his own terms by playing mind-games – something the original Batman would never do. Bruce? Talk? Yeah, right. But as Terry tells us, “I like to talk.”
The music is fabulous as always. My personal favourite is the end title by Kenny Wayne Shepherd, quickly followed by the three distinct tracks found during the flashback scene, “A Trap for Tim”, “Joker Family Portrait”, and “Arkham Mayhem”. Each track fits the time in which its corresponding scene is set: orchestral opera for the flashbacks, hard-rock and electric guitar (and all that “funky” stuff) for the futuristic scenes.
The animation is superb as well. TMS outdoes itself again. It’s brighter than that found in MASK OF THE PHANTASM and SUB-ZERO, though I suspect that’s due to digital colouring. Unlike in SUB-ZERO, CGI effects are not quite so easy to find – maybe there aren’t any at all. To be honest, I kind of missed that – I was hoping to see the Batmobile and any of the other vehicles animated similarly to how the Batwing was animated in SUB-ZERO. But I digress. The industrial heist action sequence between the Jokerz and Batman that opens the movie is superb, both the hand-to-had combat and the ariel battle above Gotham. The nightclub scenes are well done, too – I’ve always been impressed by the simple yet effective way in which the animation crews animate the strobe and neon lights in the nightclubs on the series. It would appear that the overseas crews also recognized their mistakes with the more recent BTAS episodes; in the flashback sequences, they gave back the Joker his old white eyes and actually gave him lips. Go watch JOKER’S MILLIONS right after you view this movie; the Joker design is kind of painful to bear, especially when you discover the vast difference.
And that brings us to the flashback sequence, easily the most crucial and anticipated scene in the movie. I won’t say what happens, but I will say that it’s traumatic, heart-wrenching, and all-out fabulous at the same time. Batgirl and Harley’s fight is amazing, and Batman’s final showdown with the Joker is truly haunting. I won’t say anything else, as this may be the
biggest surprise in the film; we’ll go ahead and spoil it next week. Overall, I give it a four-star rating. I’ve seen the unedited version as well, and I give that movie a slightly higher rating; I’ll explain myself next issue. So how does this compare to the other Bat-movies? Though it’s a great movie, it still does not surpass MASK OF THE PHANTASM in my opinion. It’s got action in spades, great characterization, terrific animation, good music, a decent running time, and provides insight into some pivotal moments in the animated Bat-mythos, but it lacks the overall sense of brooding and oppression of the world that PHANTASM provided. It’s head and shoulders over SUB-ZERO, though – and I loved SUB-ZERO tremendously. All it needed was a more creative title; RETURN OF THE JOKER seems a little too blase and literal, while the other two animated Bat-movies were more metaphorical and symbolic.
All I can say is…sequel? I’m not spoiling anything by saying that Dick Grayson doesn’t appear in this movie at all (though he’s mentioned), and neither do the other two important unmentioned people in Batman’s life, Commissioner Gordon and Alfred. Should the next animated Bat-film be set in the BATMAN BEYOND timeframe, it is likely that it would focus on Dick’s ultimate departure to Bludhaven, Bruce and Barbara’s romantic relationship, and more villains (a cut-out scene from this version sorta suggests one could be involved – a friend of Bruce’s, but I won’t say whom, hush hush) of the past whose fates may be revealed.
It’s all up in the air at this point. All I can say is that edited version or not, give this movie a look; as great as the unedited version is, the version that’s for sale on the continent at the moment is still a great movie and well worth every penny.
Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton
-still very, very pleased with this movie
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EDITORIAL
(by Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton)
This isn’t really an editorial this issue, it’s a special message. We’re trying to get people both more involved with the newsletter AND want to help them out at the same time. That said, we’re offering anyone that participates in our NO MAN’S ISLAND column a chance to win unedited copies of RETURN OF THE JOKER.
The way it works is as follows: vote for the two characters you’d like to vote off. Of the two characters that are being cast off in that particular issue, anyone who voted for the one of them with the more votes will be entered into a draw, according to the e-mail address from which their ballot was recieved. Every issue, we will randomly select one e-mail address (from a hat, to make it fair) and that participant, if willing, wins a copy of the unedited movie!
If the selected winner for whatever reason declines, the will be another draw for that same week. Each e-mail address can only win once! The catch? The winner, if agreeing, must provide a tape and enough money to cover postage of the tape to and from their place of residence. No extra profit for us at BATMAN: THE ANIMATED NEWSLETTER (as that would be illegal) or anything. We just want to get this movie out to more people as it’s not going to be definately released on tape just yet.
NOTE: I am not promoting the act of bootlegging videos and making a profit from it, I am merely looking for the cost of the tape and postage, so fans will be able to view the movie as it was supposed to be.
That said, let’s get voting!
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NO MAN’S ISLAND
ROUND SIX
(the SURVIVOR rip-off…erm…homage)
(by Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton)
Since Round Five, we’ve managed to make contact with some people on the inside on Gotham Island, most notably, Commissioner Jim Gordon. However, our connection was lost a number of times, so in the meantime, we may be picking up signals from others throughout the city using their ham radios. Sorry my friends, that’s the best we can do at the moment.
…A WALTZ DOWN MEMORY LANE…
A WORD FROM THE CAST-AWAYS:
FIREFLY: “Rrrrrrr…must…heat up…bar..bee…Q….”
LOCK-UP: “Being locked up for the so-called crimes against humanity I commited. Heh. I can’t help but adore the dramatic irony.”
* * * * * * * * * *
AND WHAT’S HAPPENED SINCE:
Firefly’s rampage last time sure got lotsa-poppin’ this week. Though Batman apparently used Mr. Freeze to thwart him (while he went after Thorne), Freeze was unable to keep the fire from spreading into Robinson Park. Poison Ivy was quite upset with this development, and hasn’t been seen with the Supa-Freakz since.
We’re still wondering how Mr. Freeze agreed to be in Batman’s employ.
The Huntress had a run-in with Catwoman yesterday in the financial district, downtown. Blows were exchanged and Catwoman made off a large amount of jewels and other expensive trinkets. Both parties seemed to have come out of the battle unscathed.
Zatanna – yeah, you might recognize her from that travelling stage-show a few years back – she dropped by just to check up that everything was OK with our “stray” citizen, Anne. “I heard that you had someone here in need of cheering up,” she said before offering to give her a little show and a magic bouquet of flowers. Quoted on her exit, “Those flowers will have no problem growing in there. Damn, that place was filthy!”
Alfred Pennyworth, who now runs the M*A*S*H* sector in the absense of Dr. Leslie Thompkins, came into my office today with this note, apparently passed on by Batman himself.
“I crossed paths with Batman early yesterday evening, just after Freeze extinguished the fires that were claiming the city. He mentioned that, as a result of Garfield Lynns’ actions, he came down hard on Scarface and the alleged ‘lightweight’ villains, knocking Croc and Man-Bat out temporarily. The others were obviously spooked, but Batman wouldn’t give any further details. He just stated that it’d be unlikely that they would cause any more problems.” When I asked about Dr. Thompkins, he paused, then somberly said, “We’ve had her frozen and sent her back to the mainland for a proper burial on the grounds of Wayne Manor once this insane game is over with.”
Insane indeed. What kind of cheap ploy is this whole “Survivor” thing anyway? Why did I put all of my officers and the rest of the Gotham populace at risk? What kind of cheap fan-based newsletter stunt is this?
Anyway, Batman certainly did scare the bejesus out of the lightweights, as they have disbanded. The Ventriloquist, Killer Croc, and Man-Bat still remain, but the Riddler and the Mad Hatter have fled for the Supa-Freakz, hoping that their potential comrades of Two-Face, Scarecrow, and Harley Quinn would be more in tune with their needs. Quoth Edward Nygma, “I couldn’t stand it around those animals any more. They were complete idiots and reeked of B.O.”
There has been no bloodshed or huge uproars since, so it looks like the ex-DA’s coin was in favour of the two brainy outcasts joining his clique. Though Two-Face was unavailable for a sound bite, the Scarecrow had this to say: “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”
Ex-Supa-Freakz trouble-maker Joker was spotted last night approaching the M*A*S*H* sector with only Pennyworth inside. Batman was out on the search for the whereabouts of Ra’s Al Ghul at the time, so Nightwing and Robin stepped in and protected him from the Joker’s surprisingly lame attacks. Again with the fish? Come on. However, the Joker did manage to make a tactiful retreat, claiming “I’ll be back for you, Boy Hostage. Mark my word.”
Batman has yet to find any clues to Ra’s Al Ghul’s whereabouts.
And, curiously, the Penguin and Rupert Thorne have been very, very quiet.
* * * * * * * * * *
AND AFTER A SIXTH ROUND OF VOTING…
“You’ve got to help me, Cobblepot. The Batman’s on my back and I know you’ve managed to cut a deal with him. Please, help me. I don’t ask favours often but if you protect me, I’ll give you half of my empire to rule as you please until the end of this god-forsaken game if you cover me. Please.”
A surprisingly submissive Rupert Thorne was on his knees before the Penguin last night, almost begging for his life. The Penguin didn’t seem to care in any way at all.
“You have the gaul to ask me feor protection? My dear Mister Thorne, two weeks ago you busted into my businessplace and kidnapped one of my tenants, knocking her unconscious; more importantly you put me out a couple thousand dollars to repair this office. Why, pray tell, should I be doing any favours for YOU?”
“Cobblepot, you know I can repay you. Consider it.”
“Hmmmm…”
Word has spread about Thorne’s desperation, and warlord Two-Face has moved in for the kill. “We were planning on conquering this town eventually,” Dent stated, “but knowing that we can eliminate Thorne in the process, that makes it all the better for us.” In Thorne’s absense, Two-Face, Scarecrow, and Mad Hatter have ventured out to his sector of town to stake a claim. The Riddler and Harley Quinn have remained behind to protect their homestead.
“I don’t have anything to say to you,” Quinn told us when we asked for an interview. “Life’s not worth livin’ with Red and Mistah J gone. And Haw-vey keeps hittin’ on me – I really oughta lose this two-toned suit of mine.”
A taped transmission from the Iceburg Lounge came through, but yet again…
“zzttkkkkttzzzkkttbut I have money. Investments. Baubles. Drugs. I beg of you, Cobblepot.”
“MmmmmmmmmOK, fine. But I need payment up front. And do not intermingle with anyone else on my premises. I have other clients here that would not take kindly to your mere presence here.”
“Oh thank you, Cobblepot. You won’t regret this.”
“I know I won’t.” And then we heard him snap his flippers…erm, fingers over the phone. “Bane?”
Word of Thorne’s terror and the claiming of his territory by the Supa-Freakz has spread like wildfire. Batman, Robin, Nightwing, Batgirl, and the Huntress have been seen about town more often, scouring the city for any potential troublemaking. Scarface’s reaction was the most drastic: “OK, we’ve gotta prove we’re numga one in this town, goys. Langstrom, get your rodent gutt over to City Hall and take out those two dougle-crossas of ours. Croc, dummy and I will stay here to keep home gase safe. Yous mugs get me?”
At dusk, Man-Bat dive-bombed at City Hall; Alfred Pennyworth, just outside in the main square, noticed this and gave us this account of the events that unfolded. “I have no idea why good Mr. Langstrom would attack this group, particularly after Lynns was unsuccessful in doing the exact same thing. Only Quinn and Nygma were on site at the time – I was just inside talking to them, looking for their leader. Of the two of them, he only seemed to be persuing Edward. It was quite a site, actually, particularly when Quinn performed those amazing acrobatic skills – Master Richard would be so proud – and nearly blocked his blinkin’ block off with a wooden mallot.” That didn’t explain the sudden burning sensation that could be smelled in that sector of the city for days to come, though. “Oh yes…she also had a joybuzzer and fried the nasty bugger. I left after that – I didn’t want to witness the afterward. Word has it, though, that Dr. Langstrom provided a well-deserved belated Thanksgiving feast for everyone downtown. It was the perfect complementary dish to Harvey’s itty-bitty quail eggs and charred donkey meat.”
Ew.
Meanwhile, Zatanna slipped in a streak of wet muddy flooring in the GCPD after a rainstorm last night, nearly breaking her ankle and tossing her out of the game. Now that would have been stupid.
“Bane? What is the meaning of this, Cobblepot?” Thorne stammered as his hulking former employee advanced towards him. “You promised me protection! What kind of double-cross is this?”
“Oh my dear boy, you WILL be protected. We just need to acquaint you with the rules of my business, here. Bane, please demonstrate.” And so Bane beat Thorne, again, and again, and again, for nearly five minutes. “OK Bane, stop.” And so he did. Obedient boy. Thorne was gasping and wheezing, collapsed on his knees.
“Don’t be such a child, ‘Mr. Employer’,” Bane said, addressing Bane. “I gave you the pleasure of allowing you to live.”
“So,” the Penguin stated, grinning as he chewed on his cigarette holder, “have we come to an understanding?”
“You’re crazy,” Thorne spat, “you’re just a bugged-out whacko momma’s boy with a bird fetish. I’m out of here. I quit this game. I’m going to Bludhaven or Metropolis or St. Canard to start up again. I don’t need you or anybody here.”
“You see, boy, you’ve gone and upset me now. Consider our agreement void. Bane, do your work.”
And Bane broke his back before he knew what hit him.
Batman arrived about ten minutes later on a routine check-up on the Penguin; no sign of Thorne or Bane could be found.
* * * * * * * * * *
ROUND SIX
Kicked Off:
RUPERT THORNE (23.5%)
MAN-BAT (17.6%)
Those whom you DID vote for, but they’re still hanging around:
ZATANNA (14.7%)
HUNTRESS (11.8%)
KILLER CROC (5.9%)
THE JOKER (2.9%)
THE VENTRILOQUIST/SCARFACE (2.9%)
HARLEY QUINN (2.9%)
BATMAN (2.9%)
THE PENGUIN (2.9%)
TALIA (2.9%)
THE PHANTASM (2.9%)
CLAYFACE (2.9%)
HARVEY BULLOCK (2.9%)
And now, here’s our up-to-date list of contenders.
BATMAN
ROBIN
BATGIRL
NIGHTWING
ALFRED
COMMISSIONER GORDON
DET. HARVEY BULLOCK
RENE MONTOYA
THE HUNTRESS
ZATANNA
THE JOKER
THE PENGUIN
CATWOMAN
THE RIDDLER
TWO-FACE
POISON IVY
THE SCARECROW
MR. FREEZE
THE MAD HATTER
BANE
KILLER CROC
THE VENTRILOQUIST/SCARFACE
HARLEY QUINN
CLAYFACE
RA’S AL GHUL
TALIA
THE PHANTASM
* * * * * *
E-mail juno@dccnet.com with your votes of the TWO you’d like to see cast off. Remember, we need TWO choices! (I stress that again. TWO!)
PS – Voting for this issue closes at midnight on December 10, 2000.
AND DON’T FORGET THE ‘RETURN OF THE JOKER’ GIVEAWAY!
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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.
“Correction” to last week’s issue:
Loyal subscriber Kevin King pointed something was awry in the answer column when it came to question #433; my mistake was saying that Azrael and the Creeper had never appeared in the animated comic books. He said that Azrael had appeared in an animated-style NML pin-up (which is true, but I still don’t think it counts) and that the Creeper appeared in an issue of ADVENTURES IN THE DC UNIVERSE (which is a series I didn’t include in our list of sources, but I’m still wondering if it should count.) Honestly, I don’t know who is right or wrong here, so I’ll leave this up to you all to decide. Thanks for pointing that out, Kevin!
ALL ABOUT THE PRE-RELEASE OF RETURN OF THE JOKER:
(note, there still may be some spoilers in here)
436. When was RETURN OF THE JOKER officially released to the public?
A: October 24, 2000
B: October 31, 2000
C: November 7, 2000
D: November 28, 2000
E: Decemeber 12, 2000
437. Who is drawing the cover to the RETURN OF THE JOKER comic adaption?
A: Bruce Timm
B: Terry Beatty
C: Craig Rousseau
D: Tim Levins
E: Rick Burchett
438. On this cover, which of the following characters doesn’t appear?
A: Batman (Terry McGinnis)
B: Batman (Bruce Wayne)
C: Harley Quinn
D: Any of the Jokerz Gang
E: Batgirl
439. Which villains were originally going to have cameos in the movie, but they never made the final cut (by that, I mean the edited version)?
A: Two-Face
B: The Penguin
C: Harley Quinn
D: Mr. Freeze
E: Killer Croc
440. To this point in time, how many figures does the current RETURN OF THE JOKER toy line consist of?
A: Two
B: Three
C: Four
D: Five
E: Six
441. What was the original title for RETURN OF THE JOKER?
A: BATMAN BEYOND: THE LAST LAUGH
B: BATMAN BEYOND: THE MOVIE
C: BATMAN BEYOND: THE UNKINDEST CUT
D: BATMAN BEYOND FOREVER
E: BATMAN BEYOND: RETURN OF THE JOKER (it never changed)
442. Production on RETURN OF THE JOKER was done at what overseas animation company?
A: Dong Yang
B: TMS
C: Sunrise
D: Koko
E: FOX Animation studios
443. Plans for a third animated Batman film were already being made when RETURN OF THE JOKER was announced, and therefore destroyed any hopes of an entirely “classic” BTAS movie. What team was working on that movie?
A: Paul Dini, Bruce Timm
B: Paul Dini, Alan Burnett
C: Boyd Kirkland, Randy Rogel
D: Curt Geda, Randy Rogel
E: Butch Lukic, Stan Berkowitz
444. What colour is the Joker’s face on the cover of the video?
A: White
B: Cyan
C: Light Green
D: Emerald Green
E: It doesn’t appear; it’s hidden in shadows
445. The “final outcome” of which character is NOT revealed in ROTJ:
A: Alfred Pennyworth
B: Dick Grayson
C: Bruce Wayne
D: Harleen Quinzelle
E: Tim Drake
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AND THESE ARE OUR FINAL ANSWERS (to the trivia)
Answer to #436: D (in Canada), E (in the USA)
Answer to #437: C
Answer to #438: B, D
Answer to #439: A, B, D, E
Answer to #440: C (they’re all repaints, though)
Answer to #441: E
Answer to #442: B
Answer to #443: C
Answer to #444: D
Answer to #445: A, B
_____________________________________________________________________
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:
1) In RETURN OF THE JOKER, look at the scene where the Joker has spraypainted the words “HA!!!” all over the Batcave and Batcomputer. At the end of the movie, these are all magically gone. Considering this is about two days later AT MOST, it’s amazing that Bruce was able to clean up the Batcave so quickly. (His speed would put Alfred to shame.)
CONTRIBUTED BY OTHERS:
(by “Lucy”)
1) I’m not sure if this counts as a blooper or not, but in the BATMAN BEYOND episode “The Call (Pt. 2), how come it only took one alien to totally take control of any member of the JLU, but when Terry is underwater, there are aliens all over his body, and he still has the control to fight them off?
____________________________________________________________________
MERCHANDISING: WHERE THE REAL BAT-CASH IS MADE
(by “Nass”)
REVIEW OF BATMAN BEYOND: RETURN OF THE JOKER
(for Playstation and Nintendo 64)
BATMAN BEYOND: RETURN OF THE JOKER on the Playstation console has a lot of promise, but doesn’t quite take the gold. The graphics are impressive, gameplay is easy to understand and operate, and the story is pure genius. The thing that drags down ROTJ is its format – it’s too out of date. The actual music during gameplay is similar to the movie, but the start up screen and the movies will make you think your playing the game on Super Nintendo in 1993.
Another thing that hurts the game is that there is no way to save! The back of the CD even says one memory card block needed, yet I’ve searched the in-game menues inside out and found nothing. This isn’t an easy game, even on EASY, so unless you have about an hour and a half to play the game, you won’t be able to beat it. You have two lives each continue, and unlimited continues, but that certainly doesn’t make things easier. Various Jokerz from the movie and show (members of J-man’s gang show up, as well as a few of Terminal’s pals I think), and they come in larger quantities as the game moves on. The boss of each level is one of the members of Joker’s gang in ROTJ (Ghoul, Bonk, Chucko, Dee Dee, Woof) leading up to the final fight with Joker. All levels are as Batman, trying to find keys to move on, while defeating Jokerz and picking up tidbits about Joker’s plan. The story is followed rather well, even though its shown in comic format pretty much.
Drawings (definetly not by Bruce Timm if you know what I mean) are shown to represent the scenes while text types up on the screen. The flashback scene is (for the most part) followed the same as the movie. Little Jay is only referred as “Joker Junior” and Joker’s own death isn’t covered with a picture, just that everyone keeps saying Arkham is his final resting place.
Instead of playing the flashback, you (as Batman) go to the recked Arkham thats for some reason is the same way it was forty years ago, and fight Jokerz to the roof (literally!). You then
meet with Joker, and have a little chat. Thats the only alteration from the actual movie’s plot. Of course, there’s a chance that this is the cut scene included on the DVD, so its not a complete alteration yet. An added extra to the game is the training sequence in the Batcave. Its always in this blue room, but the loading screens represent the suits case, batcomputer,
and all the other stuff in the cave.
Actually, one the best parts of the game are the loading screens, the Arkham level even features loading screens of production art! So overall, RETURN OF THE JOKER is only for the extreme Bat-fan. It is a lot of fun if you’ve wanted to use all those gadgets (which you do, explosives, the wings, listening device on the fingers, etc), then this is the game for you.
The video game reviewers (who always give bad scores it seems like) gave BB: ROTJ four zero’s, but I give it a 6 out of 10. So I wouldn’t buy it unless you have the extra $30, but I already did. The Nintendo 64 version looks like its graphics are a little clearer, and I’ve seen things in the previews that wasn’t in the Playstaton version.
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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: “The Remote Controller” (#32)
WRITTEN BY: Scott Peterson
PENCILS: Tim Levins
INKS: Terry Beatty
ISSUED: November 1, 2000 (Cover date Jan 2001)
RATING: ****1/2 (out of 5 stars)
Long live the Scarecrow!
Ever since the series design reboot, the Scarecrow has gotten the shaft. On the show, his episodes were among the best, but they were few and far between; it’s even more true in GOTHAM ADVENTURES. In fact, his last appearance, way back in Issue #3, he played only a supporting role. Now he’s back and crazier than ever.
Grandscale chaos is always a nice element to add into a story; this issue (#32) has it in spades. I was floored to find out how Professor Crane managed to instill fear into every citizen of Gotham: by playing on their own paranoia and just simply stating that they SHOULD be scared.
Brilliant!
It’s nice to see that even without his fear toxins, the Scarecrow can really play on people’s paranoia like a fiddle for the purposes of his experiments. What level-headed citizen in Gotham wouldn’t be paranoid of something awful happening? (Then again, regular people shouldn’t live in Gotham City. They’d be happier some place else.)
The scenes with Batman and Robin discussing possible leads in the Batcave had some nice interactions and some good sluething. I also liked the inclusion of the blowing leaves in nearly all of the outdoor scenes – it really set the mood of the piece and added a certain amount of beauty to the panels.
The cover was amazing! It’s the best GOTHAM ADVENTURES cover to date! It looks like Beatty put a lot of extra work into making this cover look so much more lifelike than the others. It’s been my Windows Wallpaper for some time now, actually.
A terrific issue all around! Congrats to Peterson for coming up with a unique and original tale!
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COMIC SCHEDULES & COVERING THE BASICS
This section gives a little bit more in-depth look into each monthly issue of BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES and BATMAN BEYOND. Below each comic listing is a link to the cover of that comic. TALK ABOUT SERVICE!
The price for any of these issues, unless otherwise posted, is $1.99 in the US and…grrrrr…a whopping $3.25 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 #33
December 13th
Synopsis: 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!
Cover: http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0009/19/BGothAd33.jpg
FOLLOWING MONTH:
Synopsis: Maxie Zeus returns! Let’s just hope Scott Peterson has a damn good reason to resurrect him…
Cover: Unavailable
BATMAN BEYOND #16
December 27th
Synopsis: Homeless men have been mysteriously disappearing from Gotham’s streets, thanks to the international terrorist group known as Kobra. But as Batman investigates, he quickly goes from hunter to hunted – and Bruce must somehow infiltrate Kobra to free the captured hero.
Cover: http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0009/19/BB16.jpg
FOLLOWING MONTH:
Synopsis: A former classmate comes back looking for revenge after being brushed off by Dana. But Batman Terry McGinnis won’t let one hair of Dana’s head be harmed, even if it means being swamped by rats.
Cover: http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0010/17/BB17.jpg
_____________________________________________________________________
NEWS AND RUMORS
ALL-ENCOMPASSING/OTHER
-An interview with Jeph Loeb regarding DARK VICTORY can be found here:
http://www.fandom.com/master_site/Editorial.asp?obj_id=247008&aff_id=0
-Keep watching MuchMusic and MTV, Bat-fans! Mephisto Odyssey’s music video for “Crash” is now airing, and it features a number of shots from RETURN OF THE JOKER within the video.
-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)
-A JLA series is confirmed to be in development at WB, apparently for the Cartoon Network (though no one is confirming anything). Paul Dini is NOT connected to the project, though Bruce Timm is. It is set to be premiering in Fall 2001.
ANIMATED COMICS
-Distribution of the comic adapation of BATMAN BEYOND: RETURN OF THE JOKER has been pushed back to December 13, to coincide with the video release the day before.
-BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES #34
Written by Scott Peterson, art by Tim Levins and Terry Beatty, cover by Bob Smith and Beatty. After several citizens of Gotham City mysteriously disappear, Batman’s search leads to the maniacal Maxie Zeus! But what would Maxie want with carpenters and stonecutters? Why, to rebuild Rome, of course. Ships on January 3, 2001.
-BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES #35
Bruce Wayne finds himself on the jury of a man he helped capture, and worse yet, the perpetrator is about to go free! What can Bruce possibly do that Batman can’t?
Cover: http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0011/14/BGothAd35.jpg
-BATMAN BEYOND #17
Written by Hilary Bader, art by Craig Rousseau and Rob Leigh, cover by Brian Stelfreeze.
A former classmate comes back looking for revenge after being brushed off by Dana. But Batman Terry McGinnis won’t let one hair of Dana’s head be harmed, even if it means being swamped by rats. Ships January 31, 2001.
Cover: http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0010/17/BB17.jpg
-BATMAN BEYOND #18
Written by Hilary Bader, art by Craig Rousseau and Rob Leigh, cover by Brian Stelfreeze.
With the Stalker’s help, Blight returns to terrorize Future Gotham.
Ships February 28, 2001.
Cover: http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0011/14/BB18.jpg
OTHER COMICS
-Canadian comic prices are going up, which is odd considering the exchange rate and the American prices haven’t changed. Apparently, this could happen as soon as this coming Wednesday. Anyhow, here’s a list of what the prices WERE and what they WILL be:
$3.50 now $3.75
$3.95 now $4.25
$4.50 now $4.85
*-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.
-The Penguin in BATMAN #586.
-Cain re-appears in BATGIRL #11.
-Greg Rucka and Jeph Loeb are writing a DETECTIVE COMICS/SUPERMAN crossover due out in March 2001.
-The Ventriloquist/Scarface and Matches Malone return in BATMAN #588.
-LOTDK #140: Part four of five of “Terror”, featuring Batman, Hugo Strange, and the Scarecrow.
http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0011/14/BLDK140.htm
-DETECTIVE COMICS #755: All the GCPD says farewell to one of Gotham’s Finest – including Two-Face – but it can’t be long before he causes problems again. Oh, Bruce and his bodyguard are there, too!
http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0011/14/Det755.jpg
-Double Dare, the Penguin, and Nightwing all appear in GOTHAM KNIGHTS #14. Oh, and look – Paul Dini is writing the back-up story!
-Be on the lookout for ROBIN #87 – Batman and Robin have a tiff!
-ROBIN: YEAR ONE #3
Robin’s first battle with Mr. Freeze.
-ROBIN: YEAR ONE #4
The final chapter in the saga of young Dick Grayson. Robin’s healed, but Two-Face remains at large, and a city-wide manhunt is falling woefully short. While Harvey Dent is on the loose, Robin must prepare himself to face the man who nearly killed him during their first encounter.
But when Robin takes things too far, a life hangs in the balance and Robin must question the sanctity of his actions.
Cover: http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0010/17/RobinYO4.jpg
-Ra’s Al Ghul appears in ACTION COMICS #772 and 773.
MOVIES
-THE UNCUT VERSION OF RETURN OF THE JOKER MAY BE APPEARING ON VIDEO SHELVES AFTER ALL! (taken from DARK HORIZONS):
Well the official word has come down from the head of WB Animation to Aint it Cool about the chance of the uncut version popping up sometime on DVD next year: “Definitely STILL a chance, we won’t have an answer till after the first of the year. We already have meetings scheduled to discuss this issue with Warner Home Video and that hope is still very much alive. I really hopewe can do something with the original version and we should know right after the first of the year one way or another”.
-The Batman Beyond website, now up and running, (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)
-RETURN OF THE JOKER has already come out in Canada, and it is the CUT version that the USA will get on December 12th. For a list of all these cuts (thanks to our co-editor, Dick
Grayson), go here:
http://www.geocities.com/bbeyond/rotjcuts.html
-And for pics of three very important cut out scenes (I won’t spoil what they are), go here:
http://www.geocities.com/wfnewspage/bbrotjc1.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/wfnewspage/bbrotjc2.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/wfnewspage/bbrotjc3.jpg
-For an article on the history of this travesty, go here (there are lots more pics there, too!)
http://filmforce.ign.com/news/1716.html
*BATMAN BEYOND: LIVE ACTION NEWS:
-The Batman Beyond movie is in the earliest stages of development, writer Paul Dini told The Continuum.
“Boaz, Alan and I are still working on story concepts,” Dini said, referring to writer/director Boaz Yakin and writer Alan Burnett. Dini and Burnett are producers of the Batman Beyond animated series.
*BATMAN: YEAR ONE (BATMAN 5) NEWS:
-The Comics2Film newsletter reports that the “Pure Batman5 Rumors website, (http://homes.acmecity.com/batman/arkham/23/) says director Darren Aronofsky may have long-term
plans for Batman. While it was recently announced that Aronofsky would direct and co-write Batman: Year One, an unnamed source tells Frosteey that the director is hoping to do a trilogy of movies. The source claims that the cycle will start with Year One and end with The Dark Knight Returns. The source did not know what the second part of the series would be” This is the first we’ve heard of this rumor, however stories have circulated in the past the Aronofsky is keen on doing The Dark Knight Returns.
-Recent reports have stated that Aronofsky might not be as close to doing BATMAN 5 as we originally thought – for he and Miller are working on an adaption of RONIN as well. However now, either don’t know which will go into production first – whichever gets a script completed first is the winner, apparently.
LIVE ACTION TELEVISION
-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”.
EXCLUSIVE INTERNET ENDEAVOURS:
-The seventh GOTHAM GIRLS webisode (featuring Poison Ivy) can be found at
http://www.gothamgirls.com
TOYS, BOOKS, AND OTHER MERCHANDISE
-Two prints by ALEX ROSS will be out for sale by DC Direct on March 7, 2001. One will be the picture seen on the cover of BATMAN: HARLEY QUINN (from Aug 99), and the other will be the one used by WIZARD magazine, featuring Batman being surrounded by 10 of Arkham’s worst inmates. Both are 10″ x 13″.
-A statue of The Demon is due out on June 20, 2001. Here’s a picture:
http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0011/14/DemonFig.htm
-“Guy Hebert” gave us this scoop: “I noticed in a recent Toys ‘R Us flyer that there is a new reprint of the original Batmobile from the animated series. It also comes with Batman in his original costume. The car looks a little weird, though. Those chrome pipes on the hood are red and so are the rims, as far as I can remember.”
-Ubi Soft Entertainment and Kemco are teaming to publish Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker on the PlayStation game console, Game Boy Color and Nintendo 64 in North America. The games will also be published in Europe, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia under the name Batman of the Future: Return of The Joker. (They are all due out on November 16.)
-BATMAN: TOTAL CHAOS will be available for Game Boy by Christmas 2000. It is based on the NEW BATMAN ADVENTURES style (BTAS), and allows you to play as either Batman or Batgirl vs. Two-Face, Bane, Poison Ivy, and the Joker (among others) over 18 levels. (Judging by the pics provided, you’ll also encounter Mr. Freeze, the Penguin, and maybe even Killer Croc.)
http://pocket.ign.com/previews/14474.html
-BATMAN: OVERDRIVE, the new BTAS-based game for PSX and N64, puts you in the driver’s seat of the Batmobile, Batcycle, and many other Bat-vehicles. You even get to play as any of the villains, should you desire to do so! It features (in no particular order), the Joker, Harley Quinn, Mr. Freeze, Two-Face, Clayface, Poison Ivy, the Scarecrow, Killer Croc, the Penguin, the Mad Hatter, the Ventriloquist/Scarface, Calendar Girl, Roxie Rockett, Firefly, Catwoman, and Bane. Go to the following link to see some shots of the villain lineup, some shots of Batman persuing the Joker, and the exit to the Batcave.
http://www.gamespot.co.uk/pc.gamespot/driving/batov_uk/preview.html
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 BEYOND: RETURN OF THE JOKER
OFFICIAL SITE
Remember all those problems everyone had with the original official BEYOND site? That site has now been eliminated and replaced by a far superior site focusing on just the direct-to-video movie. Provided are trailers, animation clips, storyboards, character bios, timelines, links to other sites, and more! Future updates will include arcade games and the option of being able to write to the producers themselves. Wanna check it out? Well get to it!
http://www.batmanbeyond.com
http://www.returnofthejoker.com
(They’re both the same site.)
____________________________________________________________________
ANIMATED BATMAN/SUPERMAN SITES:
* – indicates a shameless plug for a site a certain double-faced editor created with his bare hands – in other words, a cheap advertising technique.
OFFICIAL SITES
—–
THE NEW BATMAN/SUPERMAN ADVENTURES
http://www.batman-superman.com
BATMAN:THE ANIMATED SERIES
http://www.batmantas.com
BATMAN BEYOND
http://www.batmanbeyond.com
BATMAN BEYOND VIDEO SITE
http://www.batmanbeyondvideo.com
YTV’S BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES PAGE
http://www.ytv.com/shows/batman_animated/
YTV’s BATMAN BEYOND Page
http://www.ytv.com/shows/batman_beyond/
GOTHAM GIRLS
http://www.gothamgirls.com
SUB-ZERO: THE DEFINTIVE GUIDE
http://www.batman-subzero.com
KID’S WB
http://www.kidswb.com
DC COMICS
http://www.dccomics.com
BATMAN: DEFENDER OF GOTHAM
http://www.fandom.com/batman
KTLA KIDS WB SCHEDULES
http://www.ktla.com/backstage/programming/KIDSWB.htm
TOON ZONE
http://www.toonzone.net
PSYCOMICS
http://www.psycomics.com
RAVING TOY MANIAC
http://www.toymania.com
VOICE CHASERS
http://www.voicechasers.org
UNOFFICIAL SITES
—–
*TWO-FACE’S TOWER OF TRANQUILITY AND TERROR
http://www.angelfire.com/tx/TimTwoFace/index.html
BATMAN, SUPERMAN, & BEYOND: THE WORLD’S FINEST DISCUSSION CENTER
http://welcome.to/worldsfinest
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://www.eurocompton.net/brucetimm
BATMAN ANIMATED: THE UNOFFICIAL FAN CLUB & FANZINE
http://www.batmanuk.freeserve.co.uk/club/
HARLEY’S HAVEN OF HEDONISM
http://www.harley-quinn.com
GOTHAM CITY LIMITS
http://www.batman.gexner.net
THE RIDDLER – EDWARD NYGMA’S PUZZLE WEBSITE
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/prospero.milan/nygma
THE BATMAN ACTION FIGURE PAGE
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Boulevard/7659/
CHARACTERS ON THE ADVENTURES OF BATMAN & ROBIN
http://www.xse.com/leres/batman.html
ARKHAM ASYLUM
http://animation.acmecity.com/saturday/352
JOKERZ TERRITORY
http://members.xoom.com/Jokerz84/index.htm
THE BATZONE
http://www.batzone.cjb.net/
JLA: THE ANIMATED SERIES
http://animation.acmecity.com/character/375
ANIMATED TALES
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Dunes/2294/at
A TRIBUTE TO BATMAN
http://www.angelfire.com/ny2/russkafin/batman.html
ANIMATED STYLE ARTWORK ARCHIVE
http://hjem.get2net.dk/twt/asaa/home.html
BATMAN CEL SITE
http://animation.acmecity.com/carbon/111
DARK JUSTICE
http://www.mania.com.au/~grahark/darkjustice/
ROGUE AVENUE, GOTHAM
http://www.ultros.com/rogue_avenue
THE BATMAN BEYOND INFO PAGE
http://www.rogue-spear.com/BB
THE VAULT
http://dmoz.org/Arts/Animation/Voice_Actors
NEWSGROUPS
—–
news:alt.comics.batman
news:alt.animation.batman
news:alt.comics.superman
news:rec.arts.sf.superman
news:alt.tv.cartoon-network
news:rec.arts.animation
news:alt.animation.warner-bros
____________________________________________________________________
QUESTIONS, SUBMISSIONS, AND FAN-MAIL
If you have any questions, problems, links do not work, or anything else, then please e-mail this address with your problems and we’ll try to fix them as soon as possible. Also if you’d like to send any fan-mail then please send it to this address:
juno@dccnet.com
As for submissions, feel free to submit an article or opinion on anything pertaining to BTAS. Keep in mind that as the editors, we have the right to edit your submissions if we deem it necessary. Such instances would include problems with length, grammar, and language. If we do feel we must edit something, however, we will do our utmost to ensure that the opinion and the basic message of the submission does not change, as that is the most important part of any article, and everyone is entitled to it. And if you do submit something, please don’t just submit a basic review of an episode or a comic or something (because we have people writing for those purposes already) – write about an issue you’d like to discuss.
____________________________________________________________________
BATMAN: THE ANIMATED ARCHIVES
The very kind people at TOONZONE were nice enough to give us our own little section of their huge and diverse website. The archive contains past newsletters and is semi-regularly updated with the latest one. To check it out go here:
TOONZONE’s BATMAN: THE ANIMATED NEWSLETTER ARCHIVES
http://www.toonzone.net/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@dccnet.com, put SUBSCRIBE in the subject line, and put the e-mail address you’d like the newsletter to be sent to in the body of the message.
For more information about the newsletter just email juno@dccnet.com Thank you for your time, and thanks for reading! Tell your friends!
-Tim TWO-FACE Leighton and Dick Grayson, editors
____________________________________________________________________
TO ALL GOOD THINGS…
…there must be an end. We would like to thank the endless amount of contributors for contributing their editorials, columns, news, jokes, reviews and other articles. We hope you’ve all enjoyed it as much as we’ve enjoyed making it! Thank you for reading! See ya next time!
CREDITS FOR BATMAN: THE ANIMATED NEWSLETTER
EDITOR AT COLLEGE, NOT IN A DORM: Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton
EDITOR AT COLLEGE, BUT IN A DORM: “Dick Grayson”
AIR DATE SCHEDULES: Brian Cruz, RiddlerWB (at the official BTAS/STAS site), and YTV.com
EPISODE REVIEWS: Zanna/Justin Chen, and occasionally Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton
EDITORIAL: Help Wanted
COMIC REVIEWS: Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton, Dick Grayson
NO MAN’S ISLAND: SURVIVAL IN GOTHAM: Tim “TWO-FACE” Leighton
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.
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