EPISODE REVIEW: (SPOILER ALERT!)
(by "Belle Book")
BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES
"Two-Face (Pt. 1)"
Written by: Alan Burnett
Teleplay by: Randy Rogel
Directed by: Kevin Altieri
Animation by: TMS
Rating (out of 5 stars): *****
District Attorney Harvey Dent is running for re-election, but he might be
fighting internal demons, if the nightmare he has before joining Commissioner Gordon for a
sting against Rupert Thorne is any indication. Then he has two bouts of rage. Fortunately,
he's getting psychiatric help dealing with a personality called Big Bad Harv, but he wants
to keep the fact a secret. Naturally, Thorne finds out, and tries to blackmail Dent.
Batman goes to his friend's aid, but disaster strikes, turning Dent's world upside-down.
Generally speaking Batman villains are first introduced either when they've
already embarked on their criminal lives (Catwoman, the Joker, the Penguin) or just as
tensions are about to push them into their respective criminal life (the Mad Hatter,
Clayface, the Riddler). Two-Face is one of the criminals whose internal tensions push into
his life of crime, but he's different from the others whom this happens to. One big reason
is that he is Bruce Wayne's best friend, and therefore Batman has a connection to him that
he does not share with any of the others. Second, we see Harvey Dent before he becomes
Two-Face in two other episodes -- "On Leather Wings" and "Pretty
Poison".
The storyline itself is very good. We see Harvey's efforts to fight his
enraged "bad side", at first by running away from Big Bad Harv in the nightmare,
and then by trying to get help from a psychiatrist. We see how the pressures of
re-election can bring Dent's hidden demon to the surface. And we see how even Batman's
best efforts can't stop this demon from becoming dominant, thanks to Thorne's men. Despite
the sadness, however, there are moments of humor, most notably in Commissioner Gordon's
remark about what's going on inside the warehouse where Thorne's men are hiding.
Characterizations are very good, as usual. Grace, introduced as Dent's
fiancee in this episode, begins her role of standing by Dent in this episode. She's the
one who tells Bruce that Dent's getting help for his problems. Though her role isn't too
important here, it will become important in Part Two. More important (and more
interesting, in a way) is Commissioner Gordon. He has the most humorous moment in the
episode, when Thorne's thugs are fighting Batman in the warehouse. When he and Dent see a
pair of arms grab a thug and pull him back inside from a window, Gordon says, "Looks
like they got a case of Bat-infestation." Hee-hee. Too true. Finally, once the thugs
had enough and gave up, Gordon's reaction to seeing Batman on the roof reveals that he's
both aware of who helped capture the thugs, and humble enough to thank Batman.
Candace, Thorne's secretary, isn't a strong character, but she's effective.
She's best at sneaking around, as her scene at the psychiatrist's office indicates. Thorne
is more interesting. He realizes that Dent's a threat to him, and is determined to
neutralize the threat, though less by driving him out of office than by getting the guy to
submit to blackmail. He also shows an insight about Dent that applies (without his
knowledge) to Batman as well, when he says about Dent, "The brighter the image, the
darker the negative." What he doesn't realize is that Wayne, like Dent, is a bright
image, while Batman (like Two-Face or Big Bad Harv) is the negative.
Speaking of Batman, we get more glimpses of his human side in this episode.
He is clearly worried about Dent, and advises him to get professional help; when it turns
out he already has, he's clearly relieved. Then when he finds out that Dent's in trouble,
he does not hesitate to follow Dent, and plays a key role in the battle to come.
Unfortunately, Batman's deflecting a thug's shot contributes to the eventual
transformation of Dent into Two-Face, because the shot hits an electric generator, which
sparks the explosion that destroys half of Dent's face. A final note I should make is that
Wayne tells Dent that if there's one thing he knows, "it's how to keep a
secret." Considering that he's Batman, I'd definitely agree.
But this is Dent's episode. Here we see the birth of a villain who tries to
destroy Batman, but is unaware of how closely tied he is to the person he's trying to
destroy. This is the source of much irony, though the irony's hardly amusing. At first,
Dent is trying to contain his dark side, but the pressures of re-election are clearly
getting to him. That is why he's resorting to the psychiatrist. Unfortunately, Thorne
discovers his secret, and helps to release Dent's dark side by attempting to blackmail
him. When Dent eventually is in the hospital, the scene where the doctor unwraps the
bandages, only to discover the true severity of the injuries, reminds me in a way of the
scene in the Batman movie where Jack Napier is about to discover that he's the Joker. And
just like Napier in the movie, Dent asks for a mirror, sees what he looks like, and goes
off the deep end, especially after Grace faints. The physical scars have helped Big Bad
Harv become dominant, and Two-Face has been born.
As an episode which shows us how a Batman villain is born, this is one of
the best ones, and therefore I give it 5 stars.
Belle Book
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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!
GOTHAM GIRLS
ISSUE: "Cat's Paw" (#1 of 5)
WRITTEN BY: Paul Storrie
PENCILS: Jennifer Graves
INKS: J. Bone
ISSUED: August 14, 2002 (Cover date: Oct 02)
RATING: **** (out of 5)
Now this is what the animated comics are supposed to be like! Sure, I
figured that the GOTHAM GIRLS miniseries would be a light-hearted romp, but hey, when
light stories are written well, they're just as good as the darker ones that Bat-fans tend
to enjoy more. On that note, I'll start with the story. The whole issue is
basically one extended fight/chase sequence between Batgirl and Catwoman - not that that's
a bad thing. The drawings are very nice and have great expression; their banter
between each other is fun to read, too, even if the cheese factor is a little much.
It's a bit of the fun of the 60's crossed with the style of the 90's.
And hey, who doesn't enjoy a good ol' fashioned cat-fight? :-D
The only thing that I didn't appreciate so much were the drawings of the
background characters, like the various security guards going ga-ga over Catwoman, and all
of Montoya's cohorts at the GCPD. They're all drawn to look quite goofy; even in a
light-hearted story like this, I don't think that was necessary. At least the five
major females are all lookin' good, and that's what counts.
I knew instantly that as soon as Catwoman swiped the formula that Poison Ivy
would be involved - but I didn't expect her to be Catwoman's contact. I have no clue where
this story is going, and that's half the fun!
;-Y
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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 (or higher) in
Canada. (Both our editors and many subscribers are Canadian, hence the well-deserved
"grrr".)
If we are unsure of the exact date of when an issue is being released, just check out
"DIRECT CURRENTS" for details:
http://www.dccomics.com/directcurrents/
-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
FOLLOWING MONTH:
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?
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Due to demand by some of our subscribers, we've decided to give a
"Letters to the Editor" section a shot. Feel free to submit something you'd like
to say to us, and each issue we'll choose one to post and then reply to. (NOTE: It can be
completely uncensored, positive OR negative, though any coarse language will be bleeped
out. We want this to be a no-holds-barred column!)
We didn't get any letters this issue. What gives?
TWO-FACE'S SIDE OF THE COIN
Uhhhhh...yeah. No letters equals no response from yours truly. Sorry,
that's just how the game works. :-D
;-Y
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BATMAN: THE ANIMATED TRIVIA
(by "M'ral")
e-mail: mral@zoominternet.net
As you may have guessed, writing this trivia section is getting more and
more difficult with each successive issue. It is. It SO is. I've decided that
it needed a bit of a shake-up anyway, so we've brought a new trivia-master on board to
test your knowledge. Some of you may know her from the TOONZONE boards. And some of
you will be scared of just how much this individual does know. So, without further adieu,
put your hands together for M'ral!
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.
781. In "The Demon's Quest pt 2", how many people would Ra's Al
Ghul's plan have killed if it had been successful and his projections been accurate?
782. What is Batman's cellphone number (as seen in "Old Wounds")?
783. What were the dates of the year on which Paige Monroe was fired by
Donna Day and Gotham Motors?
784. In "Appointment in Crime Alley", at what time was Batman
supposed to meet Leslie Thompkins?
785. In "What is Reality", how many ways did the Riddler split his
consciousness?
786. In "Sins of the Father", when Batgirl shut down Two-Face's
gas bomb, how much time was left on the timer?
787. In "Riddler's Reform", what were the map coordinates of the
Gotham Financial District, as given by the Riddler in one of his riddles?
788. What is Bane's usual fee for a hit?
789. In "The Strange Secret of Bruce Wayne", how much did
Two-Face, the Penguin, and the Joker pay Dr. Strange for Batman's secret?
790. According to her medical record as seen in "Subzero", how
tall is Barbara Gordon?
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AND THESE ARE OUR FINAL ANSWERS (to the trivia)
Answer to #781: 2,056,986,000
Answer to #782: (300) 555-0169
Answer to #783: April 3, August 7
Answer to #784: 8:00 pm
Answer to #785: 32
Answer to #786: 2 seconds
Answer to #787: 3175:3701
Answer to #788: $5 million, US
Answer to #789: $51,240,685...annnnd...53 cents.
Answer to #790: 5'2"
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LITTLE FACTS AND BLOOPERS
(by Tim "TWO-FACE" Leighton)
Here is a section that just points out various little facts and bloopers
that we have noticed while watching BTAS, STAS and BEYOND countless times. If you have
anything to contribute, feel free to do so! Enjoy!
CONTRIBUTED BY STAFF:
Wow, I think we've covered everything.
CONTRIBUTED BY OTHERS:
But have you?
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FIGURE THIS OUT!
(by Marc Rosenzweig)
Fear not, Marc will return shortly when there are new toys to review.
-Marc
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FEATURED BATMAN INTERNET ENDEAVOURS FOR THIS ISSUE
(feel free to submit something for our consideration)
WORLD'S FINEST: THE REVAMP
OK! It's shameless self-promotion time!
Actually, I wouldn't call it shameless, because WORLD'S FINEST, an affiliate
of mine (and an affiliate of TOONZONE, another affiliate of mine) completed a site-wide
overhaul about a week ago. Focusing on BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES, SUPERMAN, BATMAN
BEYOND, and now JUSTICE LEAGUE, this site is a treasure trove of helpful information, both
about the characters and the production of these four series', such as:
-bios of virtually every character on each show
-episode info
-info on the various comic series' based on these series
-picture galleries
-fan fiction
-behind the scenes stuff on each show
-interviews
-links to other great sites
-message boards
-annnnnnnd a link to this newsletter and its archives.
So take a look! If you like any of these shows, you won't be disappointed!
http://wf.toonzone.net
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ANIMATED BATMAN/SUPERMAN SITES:
Wow, our links section has grown so big that we've had to eliminate it from
the newsletter! Fear not, you can still find all these links at the WORLD'S FINEST
NEWSPAGE, if you follow this Link:
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:
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.
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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/news/btan
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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 either of the previous
e-mail addresses - preferably the prior.
Thank you for your time, and thanks for reading! Tell your friends!
-Tim TWO-FACE Leighton and Dick Grayson, editors
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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, 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, & WORKING, TOO!: Tim "TWO-FACE" Leighton
CO-EDITOR AT COLLEGE, ALSO WORKIN': "Dick Grayson"
AIR DATE SCHEDULES: Toonzone, Cartoon Network, and YTV
EPISODE REVIEWS: "Belle Book"
EDITORIAL: Tim "TWO-FACE" Leighton, and anyone that writes in
COMIC REVIEWS: Tim "TWO-FACE" Leighton
FIGURE THIS OUT: Marc Rosenzweig
"BTAN ARCHIVES" MODERATOR: Eileen Delgadillo, Craig "Gookie" Crumpton
TRIVIA: "M'ral"
PROMOTIONS, JUST GETTIN' THE WORD OUT: All our buddies at TOONZONE, particularly Dick
Grayson
DELIVERY: Tim "TWO-FACE" Leighton
E-MAIL RECEPTION HANDLING: Tim "TWO-FACE" Leighton
THE CREATION OF THIS NEWSLETTER INSPIRED BY: Alan J. Porter (of GWN)
BATMAN CREATED BY: Bob Kane & Bill Finger (who else?)
Batman and all related indica are trademarks of DC Comics, Copyright c 2002.
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