Batman: The Animated Newsletter
Weeks of August 5 to August 18, 2002
Volume 4, 8
Rated: PG (as with all other things Batman-related)
THIS ISSUE'S SUBLIMINAL MESSAGE: "Thank you, YTV, for
bringing Canada the JUSTICE LEAGUE...finally!"
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TEN YEARS AND COUNTING
On September 5 of this year, BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES will
be celebrating its tenth anniversary of production. This ranges everywhere from the show
itself to the comics based upon it to books, toys, video games, merchandising...everything
started on this date.
As a way to celebrate, co-editor Dick Grayson has set up a
page at his WORLD'S FINEST site where he has big things planned for this momentous
occasion, including creator interviews, reviews, and a poll that will ultimately decide
what the "best episode ever" is. (This was recently decided as being HEART OF
ICE. Quel suprise.)
To check it out, go to this URL:
http://wf.toonzone.net/btas10.htm
____________________________________________________________________
YOU'RE A DIEHARD BAT-FAN IF...
Hello fellow subcribers! As part of our celebration of the
10-year anniversary of BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES, we'd like to take your suggestions of
what is a sure-fire sign of being a die-hard Bat-fan. Submit your ideas to us at juno@dccnet.com - in September we'll be taking a
sampling of the best (depending on the number we receive) and publishing them in that
issue.
Here's an example - they can be either simple and
straightforward or someone creative:
YOU'RE A DIE-HARD BAT-FAN IF...
...you collect everything Batman-related, like comics, action
figures, etc...
...you get all giddy inside whenever you hear the word
"Batman" or any of his cast of characters mentioned in any other movies or TV
shows, even if it's for a mere instant.
Get the idea? It's pretty simple...so enjoy!
____________________________________________________________________
EAGERLY ANTICIPATING...
New episodes are on the horizon! Here's what we can expect in the near future...
INJUSTICE FOR ALL
Airdate: Part One - September 6, 2002
Airdate: Part Two - September 13, 2002
When Lex Luthor discovers that he has contracted an incurable case of Kryptonite
poisoning, he blames the Man of Steel. Using his vast personal fortune, Luthor hires a
team of the world's most powerful super-villains to destroy Superman and the Justice
League. He taps Joker, The Ultra-Humanite, Solomon Grundy, Shade, Star Sapphire, Cheetah
and Copperhead to assist him in his diabolical efforts.
THE SAVAGE TIME
Aidate: Parts One, Two, Three - September 7, 2002
A ruthless, repressive dictator named Vandal Savage has seized control of a distant
world. To restore life as they know it, the world's greatest collection of superheroes
must travel back in time and team up with Sgt. Rock and his military squadron, the
Blackhawks. Together, they must re-fight a world war in order to stop Savage from taking
power."
A NIGHT OF SHADOWS
Airdate: Part One - September 20, 2002
Airdate: Part Two - September 27, 2002
Morgaine Le Fey is an ancient sorceress who is assisted by the Demon, Etrigan in her
quest for the legendary Sorcerer's Stone. The Justice League must stop Morgaine Le Fey
before she captures this object that would give her the power to rule the world.
METAMORPHASIS
Airdate: Part One - October 4, 2002
Airdate: Part Two - October 11, 2002
Synopsis: Unknown
___________________________________________________________________
NEWS AND RUMORS
(see back issues for older info)
ALL-ENCOMPASSING/OTHER
-Hey, wanna be a part of the TOONZONE gang? Just check out the forums at http://forums.toonzone.net to find a whole lot of
other people (and many fellow subscribers) that like not only Batman, but various other
things, too. You won't be disappointed! I've joined, and it's a really cool
place...and now we want you! *POINTS, UNCLE-SAM-STYLE*
-To read a recent interview Jim Harvey conducted with Rick Burchett, go here:
http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=41180
-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, JLA)
-The Justice League will appear on the two-part STATIC SHOCK episode, "A League of
Their Own", this coming year. Also, another episode will feature Batman and a number
of villains, this time set in Gotham City.
-The season two premiere for JUSTICE LEAGUE could be entitled "Twilight of the
Gods"; this episode is expected to feature the long-awaited reappearance of Darkseid.
-JUSTICE LEAGUE is finally coming to Canada! Though the schedule isn't finalized, we can
tell you that YTV will start airing episodes this fall.
-As of September 7th, BATMAN BEYOND is being taken off of the CARTOON NETWORK, for an
indefinite length of time.
-The 90-minute first season finale, "Savage Time", will air September 7 at 7pm.
-To see a series of still images from INJUSTICE FOR ALL, go to the following link; be
forewarned, they do contain spoilers:
http://www.btinternet.com/~davidsdomain/I4A/I4A1.htm
-Aquaman will return in a JUSTICE LEAGUE episode in season 2.
-The following is a remaining episode-title listing for the first season of JLA:
#8, 9 Injustice For All
#20, 21 A Knight Of Shadows
#22, 23 Metamorphis
#24, 25, 26 The Savage Time
ANIMATED COMICS
-Rick Burchett will once again be providing the artwork for GOTHAM ADVENTURES, this time
in , a mob story.
-For a sneak peak at the upcoming five-issue GOTHAM GIRLS mini-series (in the animated
style), follow this link:
http://www.dccomics.com/bnw/Aug_02/girls/a.html
-BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES #53
In stores August 28. Gotham gets strangled by a super-plant whose roots run clear to the
Batcave. It's got Poison Ivy written all over it...but where is she? And has she uncovered
the Dark Knight's secret? Batman must track it - and her - deep into the Amazon jungle to
find out.
Cover: http://www.toonzone.net/comics/solicitations/2002-08/batman/bga53.gif
-BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES #54
In stores September 25. As a crime spree unfolds, a writer tries to get into the minds of
Batman and his quarry - and only gets in the way. Will the writer get the story he's
looking for, or will she become the story?
-BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES #55
In stores October 30. Batman finds himself caught in a deadly quarrel between mobsters,
each claiming the other kidnapped his wife. He's got to help them out - or risk a
full-fledged mob war.
Cover: http://news.toonzone.net/images/bga55.jpg
-JUSTICE LEAGUE ADVENTURES #10
Superman is taken down in battle and the Martian Manhunter must replace him as a hero to
millions. But does the shy, reserved alien have what it takes to inspire all of humanity?
Cover: http://www.toonzone.net/comics/solicitations/2002-08/dcuniverse/jladvs10.jpg
-JUSTICE LEAGUE ADVENTURES #12
You'll want to grab a sweater and light a fire as Mr. Freeze, Captain Cold, Killer Frost
and a chilling cabal of icy super-villains attempt a hostile takeover of a small African
nation. Can the League stop them in time or will they be the first victims of the
"Cold War?"
Cover: http://news.toonzone.net/images/jladvs12.jpg
-GOTHAM GIRLS #1 of 5 (miniseries)
Written by Paul Storrie; art by Jennifer Graves and J. Bone; cover by Shane Glines.
In stores August 7. The women of the hit WB Online webtoon burst into the animated DC
Universe in an action-packed miniseries! Unable to resist a golden opportunity to fund her
beloved lion preserve, Catwoman heists a vial of a mysterious formula for a shady company
- only to discover she's actually working for Poison Ivy and mallet-wielding sidekick
Harley Quinn. That sets off an every-villain-for-herself chase across Gotham's rooftops -
and attracts the attention of both Batgirl and officer Rene Montoya, who reluctantly team
up to join in the fray! For more information, see the feature article.
Cover: http://www.toonzone.net/comics/solicitations/2002-08/batman/gothamgirls1.jpg
-GOTHAM GIRLS #3 of 5
In stores October 16. Harley Quinn gets control of a chemical formula everyone wants,
which means that nothing goes as planned - not even for her best pal Poison Ivy. And
Detective Reneé Montoya is hot on everyone's trail...
OTHER COMICS
-Jason Hall (writer of GOTHAM ADVENTURES) will be next working on a five-part BEWARE THE
CREEPER miniseries, due out in Spring of 2003. He will also be writing an upcoming JUSTICE
LEAGUE ADVENTURES issue.
-To read an article about the upcoming GOTHAM CENTRAL title, written by Ed Brubaker and
Greg Rucka, click on the following link. It's due out in December of 2002.
http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=43086
-BATMAN #608, on shelves in October, kicks off the uninterrupted twelve-part
storyline - written by Jeph Loeb and drawn by Jim Lee. The actual plot is not known at
this time, but here is a list of the people involved: Catwoman, Poison Ivy, Killer Croc,
the Joker, Two-Face, Huntress, and Superman. It looks like another murder-mystery type
deal, as seen in Loeb's already-classic LONG HALLOWEEN and DARK VICTORY stories.
Cover: http://www.toonzone.net/comics/solicitations/2002-10/batman/batman608.jpg
-A hardcover version of THE DARK KNIGHT STRIKES AGAIN and another reprint of THE DARK
KNIGHT STRIKES BACK are due out on October 30.
-HARLEY QUINN #25 - Batman and the Joker guest star.
-DETECTIVE COMICS #775 - Greg Rucka's final (sniff) issue on DETECTIVE COMICS.
-Beginning in August, DC Comics will raise the price of Batman: Gotham
Adventures, Justice League Adventures, and all other "animated" or "Cartoon
Network" titles from $1.99 to $2.25 per issue.
-DETECTIVE COMICS #773: A story featuring Sasha Bordeaux's time in prison. Also featuring
Cucilla (one of the many Jokerized LAST LAUGH villains).
Cover: http://www.toonzone.net/comics/solicitations/2002-08/batman/detective773.gif
-BATMAN: GOTHAM KNIGHTS #33 & 34: Batman and Bane actually team up to destroy the last
of the Lazarus Pits; then, in , Bane brings Batman some startling news about his
father.
Cover: http://www.toonzone.net/comics/solicitations/2002-10/batman/bgk34.jpg
-CATWOMAN #12:
Cover: http://www.toonzone.net/comics/solicitations/2002-10/batman/catwoman12.jpg
MOVIES
-ONSTAR is holding a contest where a winner gets to have a walk-on role in whatever the
next Batman movie will be.
*BATMAN: YEAR ONE (BATMAN 5) NEWS:
-More confirmation on the 2004 release date of BATMAN: YEAR ONE. Darren Aronofsky's
next film, LAST MAN, is being filmed this summer, and YEAR ONE is likely his next project.
This should start filming by mid-2003, aiming for a summer 2004 release date. Thanks to
BATMAN-ON-FILM.com and the GOTHAM WEEKLY NEWS for this tidbit!
*BATMAN BEYOND: LIVE ACTION NEWS:
-It looks like an independent movie is being made. Check out this link and see for
yourself:
http://www.batinthesun.com/
*THE FOURTH ANIMATED BATMAN MOVIE
-No new news here. It probably won't be another BATMAN BEYOND movie, though.
*CATWOMAN
-Don't count on this one any time soon.
*BATMAN VS. SUPERMAN
-THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER reports that director Wolfgang Petersen has changed the title of
the proposed WORLD'S FINEST movie to simply BATMAN VS. SUPERMAN. Andrew Kevin Walker
(SE7EN) wrote the draft. The two lead roles should be cast within two to four weeks, with
2003 as set as a temporary production start date.
Follow this link for more:
http://www.cnn.com/2002/SHOWBIZ/Movies/07/09/film.petersen.reut/index.html
-Variety has revealed that the much-rumoured BATMAN & SUPERMAN movie is the front
runner for release in 2004. With the second installment of the SCOOBY-DOO franchise coming
as well as HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN in 2004, it still leaves three slots
open that year for some big budget spectacle movies.
Here is what Variety reported:
"Batman and/or Superman": It's been five years since the
poorly received "BATMAN & ROBIN," and the WB now seems ready to take its
superhero responsibilities seriously.
Last year, the studio brought Darren Aronofsky on board to develop
"Batman: Year One" with creator Frank Stack. But the superhero project that has
the greatest likelihood of moving forward, Horn now says, is "Batman &
Superman," in which the Man of Steel and the Dark Knight join forces against evil.
Wolfgang Petersen is attached to produce, develop and possibly direct.
LIVE ACTION TELEVISION
(All of the SMALLVILLE and BIRDS OR PREY scoops are courtesy of GOTHAM CLOCK TOWER and the
KRYPTONSITE.)
-Though it is remaining in the current timeslot on the WB, in Canada, SMALLVILLE will move
from its Wednesday timeslot at 8pm to a Thursday timeslot at 7pm, also on GLOBAL.
-BIRDS OF PREY'S Dr. Harleen Quinzel has been recast; Mia Sara is taking up the role.
-To view another BIRDS OF PREY trailer, go here:
http://www.thewb.com/Popups/Trailers/0,8204,57999,00.html
-We have the premiere dates for SMALLVILLE and BIRDS OF PREY! They are:
SMALLVILLE - Tuesday, September 24
BIRDS OF PREY - Wednesday, October 9
EXCLUSIVE INTERNET ENDEAVOURS:
-The third season of GOTHAM GIRLS has started! Check out http://www.gothamgirls.com and watch the premiere
webisode, "Ms.-Ing in Action".
-Check out the following website for what looks to be a cute Batman parody:
http://thumb.com/batthumb/
TOYS, BOOKS, AND OTHER MERCHANDISE
-MATTEL has just gained the rights to Batman, Superman, Justice League, and a handful of
other WB properties. They will have exclusive rights to merchandising all the action
figures (etc) around the world, excluding Asia. Mattel used to hold the rights to Batman,
but Hasbro/Kenner has been in the driver's seat from 1989 until now.
-DC Direct will be releasing an Aquaman maquette (in the same style as the other 7 JLA
maquettes) in 2003.
-We can look forward to the PUPPETS OF CRIME four-pack, featuring Undercover Bruce Wayne,
Nightwing, a repainted Killer Croc, and a brand-new Ventriloquist/Scarface figure!
Apparently, they're due out in mid-August. For pics, go to the following link. Thanks to
Bill Curtis for the link!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?MfcISAPICommand=ViewItem&item=1726242346
-JUSTICE LEAGUE is making its way onto GAMEBOY ADVANCE! The game is entitled "JUSTICE
LEAGUE: INJUSTICE FOR ALL", and features more than 14 unique levels, as players pick
from one of seven Justice Leaguers (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green
Lantern, Hawkgirl and Martian Manhunter) and use the individual character's special powers
and skills to defeat the Injustice League's evil plans. The Injustice Gang consists of
characters such as Lex Luthor, The Joker, The Shade, and more. Justice League: Injustice
For All is in development and scheduled to ship in fall 2002 for the Nintendo Game Boy
Advance. The Justice League will also be featured in video games scheduled for release in
2003 on the PS2, Xbox, and Nintendo GameCube.
-For some JUSTICE LEAGUE pics, check out this post at the TOONZONE message boards:
http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?s=&postid=389739#post389739
SPECIAL NOTE:
For more BATMAN, SUPERMAN, JUSTICE LEAGUE, BATMAN BEYOND, and related stories and news,
check out the WORLD'S FINEST NEWSPAGE at:
In coming months, the CARTOON NETWORK will have the ability
to show all of the WB's superhero series. Until these dates, only BATMAN BEYOND and JLA
will be on the air. Here are the times all will be shown:
NOTE: Starting on September 7, BATMAN BEYOND is being removed
indefinitely from the CARTOON NETWORK schedule.
JUSTICE LEAGUE SCHEDULE:
Fri 08-09-02 JLA War World (Pt. 1)
Sat 08-10-02 JLA War World (Pt. 1)
Sat 08-10-02 JLA Legends (Pt. 2)
Sun 08-11-02 JLA War World (Pt. 2)
* * * * * *
Fri 08-16-02 JLA War World (Pt. 2)
Sat 08-17-02 JLA War World (Pt. 2)
Sat 08-17-02 JLA In Blackest Night (Pt. 1)
Sun 08-18-02 JLA The Brave and the Bold (Pt. 1)
* * * * * *
Fri 08-23-02 JLA The Brave and the Bold (Pt. 1)
Sat 08-24-02 JLA NONE
Sat 08-24-02 JLA NONE
Sun 08-25-02 JLA NONE
BATMAN BEYOND SCHEDULE:
Sat 08-10-02 BEYOND #21 Hooked Up
Sat 08-17-02 BEYOND #22 Rats
Sat 08-24-02 BEYOND # NONE
BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES
Sat 08-10-02 BTAS #31 The Cape and Cowl Conspiracy
Sat 08-17-02 BTAS #32 Robin's Reckoning (Pt. 1)
Sat 08-24-02 BTAS # NONE
SUPERMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES
Sat 08-10-02 STAS #26 Monkey Fun
Sat 08-17-02 STAS #27 The Promethon
Sat 08-24-02 STAS # NONE
FOR UP-TO-DATE SCHEDULES:
http://www.toonzone.net/shows/cnschedules/
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CANADIAN EPISODE SCHEDULE
(BATMAN on YTV - courtesy of our friends at YTV)
Why YTV airs BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES at 3:30am on
weekdays, I don't know, but hey, that's the hand we've been dealt. Set your VCRs!
YTV also has the rights to all of the BATMAN BEYOND episodes,
which will air every Saturday mornings at 10:00am, and then Saturday nights (or,
technically, Sunday mornings) at 12:30am.
And, starting this September, YTV will be airing JUSTICE
LEAGUE. Whoo! About time we got this show this side of the border!
BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES
THIS WEEK:
Mon 08-05-02: BTAS #27 Mad as a Hatter
Tue 08-06-02: BTAS #31 The Cape and Cowl Conspiracy
Wed 08-07-02: BTAS #30 Perchance to Dream
Thu 08-08-02: BTAS #06 The Underdwellers
Fri 08-09-02: BTAS #34 Night of the Ninja
NEXT WEEK:
Mon 08-12-02: BTAS #36 The Strange Secret of Bruce Wayne
Tue 08-13-02: BTAS #41 Tyger, Tyger
Wed 08-14-02: BTAS #28 Dreams in Darkness
Thu 08-15-02: BTAS #18 Beware the Gray Ghost
Fri 08-16-02: BTAS #35 Cat Scratch Fever
THE FOLLOWING WEEK:
Mon 08-19-02: BTAS #45 Terror in the Sky
Tue 08-20-02: BTAS #49 I am the Night
Wed 08-21-02: BTAS #46 Almost Got 'Im
Thu 08-22-02: BTAS #42 Moon of the Wolf
Fri 08-23-02: BTAS #02 Christmas with the Joker
BATMAN BEYOND:
THIS WEEK:
Sat 08-11-02: 10:00am #08 Heroes
Sun 08-12-02: 12:30am #26 Terry's Friend Dates a Robot
Sat 08-18-02: 10:00am #09 Spellbound
Sun 08-19-02: 12:30am #27 Eyewitness
_____________________________________________________________________
EPISODE REVIEW: (SPOILER ALERT!)
(by "Belle Book")
I originally sent this out when it was first aired, but somehow it never got
onto BTAN. This is a rewrite, with additional thoughts from a later reviewing of the two
parts.
JUSTICE LEAGUE
"Fury (Pt. 1)"
Written by: Stan Berkowitz
Teleplay by: Dwayne McDuffe
Directed by: Butch Lukic
Rating (out of 5 stars): ****1/2
The Injustice Guild, now led by a woman and with a female ninja added to the
group, rob a chemical plant in Gotham City - which leads to a run-in with Batman. Batman
manages to take down the Shade, Copperhead, Solomon Grundy, Star Sapphire, and the ninja,
Tsukuri, but the leader defeats him. Fortunately, he manages to grab her necklace, which
reveals her to be an Amazon! Since Wonder Woman can't return to Themyscira, Hawkgirl goes
there to investigate. When she shows Hippolyta the necklace, the Queen tells her it
belongs to an Amazon named Aresia. Despite being an Amazon, Aresia originally came from
the outside world. She survived a war in her homeland, and then was the sole survivor of
an attack on the refuge ship she was on by pirates. Now Aresia is back in Man's world -
and her plans will prove dangerous, possibly even deadly!
This was a really interesting episode! It's both an exploration of the dark
side of Wonder Woman's Amazon upbringing, and a caution against extremism. At the same
time, we see the tragic results of hatred - the victors in the war treat the losers like
they're less than human, while the pirates destroy the refugee ship. Is it any surprise
that Aresia might have harbored a resentment against Man's world, and possibly a desire to
avenge her wrongs on that world? Or course, that doesn't include the hatred of men
Hippolyta felt and probably taught, a lesson that's only beginning to be shown in this
part, and which will be revealed in full in the second part. Therefore, the first part
shows us just how someone like Aresia could be created.
The characters are also interesting as well. I'll start off with the
Injustice Guild. The gang first appears in "Injustice For All", which will be
shown in September, and at this point, there's only the Shade, Copperhead, Solomon Grundy,
and Star Sapphire in this group still. The Shade and Copperhead get little time, but they
are effective. As for Solomon Grundy, I liked hearing him ask about facing the Justice
League. He doesn't want to face them again, and considering that he faced Batman and lost
earlier on, who can blame him? As for Star Sapphire, she also is portrayed quite well,
handling Batman before being defeated, and later on asking what Aresia's up to.
Tsukuri's the newcomer, and she's interesting too. We know next to nothing
about her, except that she came on board in between "Injustice for All" and
"Fury", and that she's quite dangerous - Batman had a hard time with her before
finally defeating her. Maybe Aresia recruited her. I don't think we'll ever know, although
maybe IfA might fill in the blanks, since there's indications that she's a replacement for
the Cheetah.
Aresia is a very interesting, and in some ways, a very sympathetic
character. Thanks to Hippolyta, we learn a lot about her - that she's not a native Amazon,
her background, her being taken in by Hippolyta and the other Amazons. The trauma she
underwent must have left terrible psychic scars. Add to that the bitterness she must've
felt toward the victorious men who attacked her people and the pirates, as well as
possibly feeling like an outsider and wanting to prove herself as a true Amazon, and who
can blame her for being so destructive? I can't, even though she is wrong to try to
destroy all the men. However, there is one question that I'd love to have answered - since
Hippolyta said that books from the outside world are forbidden, how could she have gotten
books about biological warfare, and maps? Could she have an ally among the gods?
Speaking of Hippolyta, while we once again see the evidence of her hatred of
Man's world in her statement that they feared contact with the outside world might corrupt
them, there's also evidence of her softer side in her taking in Aresia. She couldn't
refuse taking in a helpless girl like Aresia once was. The only interesting thing about
her flashback in retrospective is the fact that she didn't tell Hawkgirl the whole story
about Aresia's rescue - how Aresia actually got to Themyscira in the first place.
Now for the Justice League. It's unsurprising that Superman takes on Aresia
when she attacks a gem depository in Gotham City - he's the only man strong enough to take
on her. Unfortunately, the poisonous allergen takes him down way too quickly, depriving
Superman fans of a good battle. As for J'onn J'onzz, we see him in a new light, as a
doctor. He's pretty good at it, too, despite the fact that he doesn't know what he's
dealing with.
We see the Flash and Green Lantern team up again, and it's neat to see their
byplay. The Flash is himself, making humorous comments, while Green Lantern looks long and
hard for clues, as a good policeman should. While we don't know what they found that got
them exposed to the allergen, I think the Flash was exposed to it first, and then Green
Lantern. Or maybe Green Lantern just had a stronger immune system than the Flash, so the
Flash succumbed quicker.
Batman was in fine form this episode. As usual, his detective skills came
into play - he was the one who discovered Aresia's identity as an Amazon, and he was the
one who realized that the plague affected men. He also could put up a good fight - it took
Aresia to defeat him. And he was the one who got Hawkgirl to Themyscira. Finally, one has
to wonder how he felt when Hawkgirl asked if he could imagine the trauma Aresia went
through. I knew he could - he lost his parents, after all.
Speaking of Hawkgirl, we see more of her personality here than just the
warrior woman she is in battle. She realizes that nobody could refuse taking in Aresia in
the first place. She can be sympathetic toward Aresia, as her conversation with Batman
indicates. Her detective skills are also shown, as she's the one who discovers the books
and maps. Finally, one has to wonder what she knows about Batman's past history of trauma.
Finally, there's Wonder Woman. As she's an Amazon, the episode spotlights
her. We first see her trying to understand why women wear cosmetics. She thinks cosmetics
hide a woman's natural beauty, but as another woman puts it, Diana is naturally very
beautiful, anyway. Then I cheered as I saw her taking care of that insensitive truck
driver. Her confusion when Batman tells her he fought an Amazon that was stealing
chemicals was understandable - there seems to be a code of honor which forbids stealing.
This then prepares us for her reaction when she actually sees Aresia. Basically, she has
to reconcile the beliefs she grew up with (including the fact that even she thinks men
aren't that essential), and her exposure to the outside world, and this episode begins the
process of her doing just that.
While it isn't quite as good as "Paradise Lost" or the later
"Legends", it's still a great episode, and I give it 4 and a half out of 5
stars.
Belle Book
____________________________________________________________________
COMIC REVIEWS
(BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES by Tim "TWO-FACE" Leighton)
WANTED: We still need a reviewer for JUSTICE LEAGUE ADVENTURES comics. Send
me an e-mail at juno@dccnet.com if you're a JUSTICE
LEAGUE fan and you'd like to take a stab at it!
BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES
ISSUE: "Hard Knock Life" (#52)
WRITTEN BY: Scott Peterson
PENCILS: Terry Beatty
INKS: Lee Loughridge
ISSUED: Jul7 31, 2002 (Cover date: Aug 02)
RATING: **1/2
It's been nearly 40 issues since Bane's last featured appearance in GOTHAM
ADVENTURES (), and it was nice to see that Peterson carried on from where he left
off in that issue. I thought that turning Bane into a "protector of the lower east
side" was a good way to develop his character. When you're given the chore to develop
someone who is basically no more than a really, really strong man, you have to be really
creative to make that character interesting. Scott Peterson succeeded in doing so in .
, the follow-up, is the exact opposite of its predecessor. It shows
Bane's fall from grace, and his loss of respect of the children he had taken in. Of
course, he didn't really care for them - they were just a way to keep Batman and the cops
at bay. Imagine the publicity a self-proclaimed Robin-Hood-type character would get if he
was taken to jail, and all the kids were homeless once more?
It was pretty obvious from the start how his plan would be undone, and what
role Tim Drake (who, coincidentally, is a child, too) played, but I still thought it was a
good issue. My favourite part was the very end when Bane is finally captured, on his
knees. He's not upset about the loss of the respect of the children, but, rather,
the blown cover for his criminal empire. It shows just how pitiful a man he really is.
;-Y
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