EDITORIAL
(by Laura Hysert, aka "Phoenix")

Unfortunately, Ms. Hysert's internet-access has been temporarily cut back, and she is also terribly busy with school work, but she will return for the next issue with another editorial about nothing (very Seinfeld-ish, huh?).
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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. Some are easy, some are not. Now have fun - let's see how well you do! Answers are provided beneath the "Animated Batman/Superman Sites" section.

41. In which BTAS or STAS episode do we see Gothamites purchasing "Bat-merchandise"?

A: "CHRISTMAS WITH THE JOKER"
B: "FUN AND GAMES"
C: "BE A CLOWN"
D: "I AM THE NIGHT"
E: "RIDDLER'S REFORM"

42. In which episode does the Ventriloquist have a conversation with the Penguin?

A: "TRIAL"
B: "CATWALK"
C: "READ MY LIPS"
D: "BIRDS OF A FEATHER"
E: "THE ULTIMATE THRILL"

43. In which episode is Clayface verbally mentioned, but not have any lines?

A: "GROWING PAINS"
B: "HOLIDAY KNIGHTS"
C: "THE WORRY MEN"
D: "BATGIRL RETURNS"
E: "BIG, SCARY, MUDDY-FACE"

44. Which is the only episode Mr. Freeze appears in, but doesn't have any lines?

A: "HOLIDAY KNIGHTS"
B: "THE WORRY MEN"
C: "DEEP FREEZE"
D: "BIRDS OF A FEATHER"
E: "JUDGEMENT DAY"

45. Which episode contains the most sexually explicit scenes on BTAS (according to popular belief)?

A: "PRETTY POISON"
B: "THE CAT AND THE CLAW (Pt. 2)"
C: "BEWARE THE CREEPER"
D: "HARLEY & IVY"
E: "HOUSE AND GARDEN"
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LITTLE FACTS
(by Tim "TWO-FACE" Leighton)

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

CONTRIBUTED BY STAFF:
1) We're not sure, but we think that John Glover (voice of the Riddler) did the voice of the councilman that worked alongside the Judge in "Judgement Day". And that councilman sure seemed a lot like Arthur Reeves, didn't he?

2) It looks like a new animation company has been added to the BTAS/STAS roster! Now joining TMS, Dong Yang, AKOM, Sunrise, Junio, and the rest, is the new animation company, JADE. This company was responsible for the most recent Superman episode, "Little Big Head Man".
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ANIMATED NEWS AND RUMORS

MOVIES
-Also it looks like BATMAN:THE ANIMATED MOVIE #3 is a definite YES!(woohoo!) - Boyd Kirkland says that there are no potential plot outlines available just yet.
-"Batman: Mask of the Phantasm" will likely air on Kids WB sometime this season - no exact date has been given, yet.

COMICS/BOOKS
- BATMAN: ANIMATED, Written by Paul Dini and Chip Kidd, was due to hit stores back on Sept. 23, but, alas, is not on schedule. It will now be released on December 1, 1998. Reserve your copy NOW!
- Sadly, it looks like writer/cover artist TY TEMPLETON will be leaving
"Gotham Adventures" after , do to editorial conflicts. NOOOO!!!!! He's the best!
- Here is what's coming up in the future for "Gotham Adventures", by the way:
- #10 - Harley writes a tell-all book about the Joker. Features Robin and Nightwing, too.
- #11 - Batman and Nightwing VS. the Riddler, who is leaving clues to the crimes of OTHER villains. What the?
- #12 - Batman VS. Two-Face BS. The Judge
- #13 or 14 - a continuation of .
- Rumors still seem to be flying about the Spoiler becoming Batgirl #2...but now with her baby? Hmmm...
- As for other "No Man's Land" rumors, here's what's in store:
- Batman is missing for the first three months. Nightwing stays in Bludhaven. Robin leaves town with his father. The new Batgirl appears immediately. Gordon, Bullock, and Oracle appear to be staying. Azrael also becomes a more intricate part of the team. Huntress is also stickin' around. Alfred most likely stays, too. The JLA won't appear, and we're going to see why. As for Spoiler...hmmm?
- Villains aplenty. Catwoman and Riddler abandon Gotham. Mr. Freeze seizes control of the power plant. The Scarecrow has a field day tormenting Huntress. Bane tries to gain control of the city - again. Penguin and Two-Face have major roles, but no details are given. The Joker doesn't appear until close to the end, along with the new, improved Harley Quinn - whom will appear in civilian form mid-way through the crossover.
Other villain heavyweights like Poison Ivy, Mad Hatter, Killer Croc, Firefly, and Ra's Al Ghul will have roles as well, most likely, but no details are given for them, either.

ANIMATED SERIES'
- Three episodes of BTAS (#110-112?) are being held back for the summer of '99.
After that, there may be no new BTAS OR STAS episodes for quite some time, depending on how much in demand "Batman Beyond" is at that time.

- Plus some BATMAN BEYOND news...
aside from findin' out what happened to Tim Drake and Dick Grayson it is very possible that we'll be introduced to Ra's Al Ghul and SUPERMAN(!) in the second season!
-Sadly, it looks like "Batman Beyond" will be delayed again; it won't be premiering until January 16, 1999.
- WB feels that "Batman Beyond" will be a huge success, so they've already planned 13 episodes for the series' second season.
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OTHER BATMAN RELATED NEWS

Movie News
-Brendan Frasier (who played George in "George of the Jungle") is the latest name being tossed around for playing Batman in the next live-action movie. George Clooney is still tied to the project, so unless we hear he's been let go (which would be BIG news), he's still the front-runner for the role, again.
-I also recently heard that Patrick Swayze is being considered to play a gruffer Batman in a future film...but is it true? I just watched "Black Dog" (pitiful movie, IMHO), but I think he COULD pull it off, if need be. We'll see. This could just be more fan-dreams...we'll see...we'll see...
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BATMAN: THE ANIMATED FIGURES
(by Kevin Smith)

"JOKIN' AROUND WHILE GLIDIN' AROUND ARKHAM, TWICE"

The second wave of The New Batman Adventures Figures features Wildcard Joker with Calling Card Cannon and Funny Guns. Get past the fact that the accessories are again asinine, and you still have a great figure. I love this figure. The colors are more vivid than ever, and the Joker is the personification of deadly acid. The sculpt rocks. His head is leaning forward ever so slightly, perfectly mimicking the posture of the character design. The card art, however, on the front is somewhat lacking. 
I think his eyes maybe slightly too big. You should be able to find him in stores fairly easily now.
Ignoring Force Shield Nightwing, (a repaint dubbed "Gold Rush Nightwing" by one witty person on the net) we have Knight Glider Batman. Normally, I'd ignore the repaints, but he comes with a really kewl hang glider as seen in "The World's Finest" three parter, and later in episodes "The Ultimate Thrill" and "Critters." I haven't bought this one, but he's pretty ever present on the shelves with 'ole Gold Rush, and Street Strike Batman.
Also, we have a deluxe Silver Defender Batman repaint, (I won't bother) and the two-pack Arkham Escape featuring a kewl retro looking Batman and the new Two-Face, plus the Arkham Asylum gate and a straight jacket for Two-Face. An excellent figure! Two-Face's sculpt is done really well, and this time, the light cyan color is actually the color that the character is rendered in the designs. This new design is sleeker and a lot more evil looking than his original figure. Plus, he comes with a machine gun and a handgun, which are some of the most detailed accessories I've ever seen, in the fact that they're not monochromatic. The Batman figure is ok too, though he is posed in an odd running position. 
Included is a stringed weapon for Batman. Another great thing is that this comes with an Arkham Asylum Gate, and a straight jacket for Two-Face. Kenner needs to make more like this pack, it was well worth my money! The card art was well done also. Where Batman is somewhat simplistic, Two-Face is pretty detailed and is drawn excellently!
Last in this wave, came a Knight Force four pack consisting of Batman, Batgirl, Nightwing , and Robin. All were from their first wave editions, with a more metallic paint job, and Batgirl was a repainted Wind Blitz Batgirl with TNBA colors. Batgirl has a dark blue metallic cape and cowl, and redder hair, plus yellow boots and gloves, a yellow in-lined cape, and a black suit instead of gray. The Nightwing figure is nice, because he features a darker blue metallic bird symbol. Robin is nearly identical to his original. Batman is the same, except the gray on his costume is silver. They came with nearly identical squeeze weapons. The packaging is also very nice. The back features drawings of all four characters as they appear in the cartoon, with a small blurb on each.

Next issue: Who knows? We're up to date here! Stay tuned!
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COMIC REVIEWS
(by Aaron Maurer)

BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES #8
TITLE: "The Hunchback of Notre Dame"
WRITTEN BY: Ty Templeton
PENCILED BY: Rick Burchett
INKED BY: Terry Beatty
ISSUED: November 4, 1998 (Cover date is January)
RATING: ** (out of 5)

"No gun...?."
"I know... but it's a personality quirk. He's got a thing about them."
--A detective and Batgirl discussing Batman's orders

SUMMARY: Batman and Batgirl are in Paris, France, to meet a detective there who has a lead on the League of Assassins. A member of it is hiding out in Paris, so they go and capture him. They arrive at an old monastery where they won't be disturbed to try and get the location of the league's headquarters from him, but he escapes. Batgirl hears a scream during her pursuit and sees the man cowering before a large shape in a cloak. He turns out to be an ex-policeman who was dying of cancer, so he attempted to recreate Clayface's experiment on himself. A fire began as a result of the experiment, and the man was cooked into his form, so he can't change it like Clayface. Idolizing Batman, he has become the defender of Paris. After the league member escapes again, he takes matters into his own hands a strangles the location out of him. Finally the man spills the truth, and the monster-guy reveals that he wouldn't have killed the man; he was just making him think that he would.
COMMENTS: The art was well done in this issue (much more detailed than the actual series would be...). I also thought that it was nice that the Deadman issue (#6) was tied into this one.
CRITICISMS: This issue was pretty much pointless and a waste of time. Guy is captured; guy escapes; fight; guy is captured; guy escapes; fight, etc. I also didn't care very much for the new character's design, origin, or lack of a name.
BOTTOM LINE: There a better comics out there, unfortunately, than this one.

There has been a board put up for all the subscribers. With this board we can see what you subscribers think of the newsletter and what we can do to make it better for all subscribers. Here you can post about your favorite or least favorite columns or articles past & present. Please feel free to stop by. The URL is:
http://www.insidetheweb.com/mbs.cgi/mb205617

Check it out! You won't regret it! It might be awhile before this section is updated but stay tuned!
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ANIMATED BATMAN/SUPERMAN SITES:

THE NEW BATMAN/SUPERMAN ADVENTURES
http://www.batman-superman.com
BATMAN:THE ANIMATED SERIES
http://www.batmantas.com
KIDSWB!
http://www.kidswb.com
http://www.wbanimation.com
TOON ZONE
http://www.toonzone.net
TWO-FACE'S TOWER OF TRANQUILITY AND TERROR
http://www.angelfire.com/tx/TimTwoFace/index.html
BRIAN CRUZ' WB CARTOON PAGE
http://www.toonzone.net/brian/index.html
BRIAN'S BATMAN PAGE
http://members.aol.com/bdavis2613/main.html
THE ANIMATED BAT
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Academy/7382/index.html
BATMAN: THE ANIMATED HOMEPAGE
http://www3.sympatico.ca/quartet/home.htm
THE BATCOMPUTER
http://members.spree.com/batcomputer
BATMAN & MR. FREEZE: SUB-ZERO
http://www.warnerbros.com/subzero
SUB-ZERO: THE DEFINTIE GUIDE
http://www.batman-subzero.com
RAVING TOY MANIAC
http://www.toymania.com
CHARACTERS ON THE ADVENTURES OF BATMAN & ROBIN
http://www.xse.com/leres/batman.html
THE ADVENTURES OF BATMAN & ROBIN F.A.Q. SITE
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Academy/1216
THE BRUCE TIMM ARTWORK ARCHIVE
http://home.rr.nycap.com/cataldo/timm.htm
HARLEY'S HAVEN OF HEDONISM
http://www.angelfire.com/hi/harlequinhideaway
BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES (unofficial site)
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Makeup/5158

These are some of the best BTAS sites on the web at this time. Most sites are updated or have been recently and all are up and running. 
If you've watched Batman on WB there's a fair chance you've watched Superman as well. This show has picked up 40% more viewers this past season thanx to Batman. This series is one of the most underrated shows on TV becuase it's stuck under Batman's (pun intended) shadow. There's one website that treats it as its own show and its a damn good website! I recommend all who have seen this show to check out this site:

SUPERMAN:TAS
http://www.rain.org/~stas
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ANSWERS TO THE TRIVIA

Answer to #41: 'D'
Answer to #42: 'B'
Answer to #43: 'D'
Answer to #44: 'B'
Answer to #45: 'A & C' (open to interpretation)
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CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE:

BATMAN and all related property is a registered trademark of DC Comics. Visit DC Comics website at:
http://www.dccomics.com

DC Comics is owned and operated by Warner Brothers. Visit their website at:
http://www.warnerbros.com

Kids'WB! is a part of Warner Brothers. Visit the Kids' WB! site at:
http://www.kidswb.com

If I've left any out I'll probably be sue and homeless within a year so please tell me.
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LIKE WHAT YA SEE?  WANNA SUBSCRIBE?  HERE'S HOW!!!

  Now that this newsletter is archived at THE WBC HOMEPAGE, those who haven't subscribed have been asking how to do so. Well here it is for those who would like to subscribe:

To subscription requests email juno@direct.ca and that's all ya do. Just put 'subscribe' and your email address in the email message.

A little cash donation would be appreciated, but it's not obligatory.  (Dang!)

Also if you want to ask question about BATMAN/SUPERMAN or this newsletter then please send those as well! We will respond ASAP.

Thank you for your time, and thanks for reading!
-Tim TWO-FACE Leighton., editor
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TO ALL GOOD THINGS...
...there must be an end. We would like to thank the endless amount of contributors for contributing their editorials, columns, news, jokes, reviews and other articles. We hope you've all enjoyed it as much as we've enjoyed making it!
See ya next time!

CREDITS FOR BATMAN: THE ANIMATED NEWSLETTER

EDITOR: Tim "TWO-FACE" Leighton and "anonymous"
AIR DATE SCHEDULES: Brian Cruz
BTAS REVIEWS: Bob Evatt
EDITORIAL: Laura Hysert
COMIC REVIEWS: Aaron Maurer
TOY REVIEW: Kevin Smith
"BTAN ARCHIVES" MODERATOR: Eileen Delgadillo
TRIVIA: Tim "TWO-FACE" Leighton
PROMOTIONS AND JUST GETTIN' THE WORD AROUND: Brian Cruz, Brian Davis, Eileen Delgadillo
THOSE WHO FILL IN FOR OTHERS WHEN THEY FOUL UP:-P Tim "TWO-FACE" Leighton
DELIVERY: Tim "TWO-FACE" Leighton
E-MAIL RECEPTION HANDLING: "anonymous"
BATMAN CREATED BY: Bob Kane (who else?)

All elements in this newsletter have been copyrighted (copywritten?) by DC Comics, 1998.
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REST IN PEACE, BOB.