Batman: The Animated Newsletter
Week of March 29 - April 3/4, 1999
Volume 2,
Rated: PG for some "low-key coarse language and occassional griping"

THIS WEEK'S SUBLIMINAL MESSAGE: ". The number two. Come, let us worship. WORSHIP!!! Two! Two!!! *CHOIR* TWO!!!!"
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INTRODUCTION
Welcome to another action-packed issue of "Batman: The Animated Newsletter"!
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PASSING A MILESTONE
Since the last newsletter, we have crossed the 700 subscriber mark! WOOOOOHAAAA! Thanks to all our subscribers for supporting our newsletter - free of charge, of course. (Argh).
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DC'S ANIMATED LEGACY
In early 1990, in the aftermath of the blockbuster "Batman" film, ideas began to form about an animated Batman series. This task had been attempted in the past, from the 60's to the 80's, but the series were, moreover, a disappointment. However, in September of 1992, when "Batman: The Animated Series" debuted, it became a financial and critical success - seen as the best non-comics interpretation of Batman in history.
After 65 episodes, season two began in 1994 with a new name for the series - "The Adventures of Batman & Robin". Like all other aspects of the Bat-mythos in that year, things lightened up a bit - mostly due to Robin playing a heavier role in the series. In 1995, the series passed away silently with 85 episodes, a feature-film, and 4 emmy awards under its Bat-belt.
In 1996, the BTAS team moved on to work on a series for DC's other major hero, Superman. After 13 episodes, the season got off to a shaky start, but when it was paired up with Batman in the fall of 1997, it got the exposure it needed and began to thrive. In this year, Batman was renewed and 24 more episodes (including a number of crossovers with Superman) were given the go-ahead.
Just as the 1998/99 season of Batman/Superman was drawing to a close, the WB team surprised us once again with a new animated series - a futuristic version of Batman entitled "BATMAN BEYOND". The season has just begun and it's already a hit! This is the episode the WB team will be working on until the end of the 1999/2000 season. What will follow? Rumor right now is...MORE BATMAN (the regular one)! Woohoo!
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NEW EPISODE(S)
This section will just basically give an insight into what the new episodes are about and hopefully a synopsis of the episode. This section will feature both new Superman and new Batman episodes.

THE LOSS OF THE WB ON WGN: Beginning this fall, the WB will no longer be carried on WGN-TV’s national feed to avoid conflicts with other WB affiliates. WGN-TV will continue carrying the prime time WB in the Chicago area. If you’re outside the Chicago area and know of no other way to pick up the WB, you may call them at (818)977-5000 for more information. This is taken from the info section of the WGN website, http://www.wgn.com . Thank you for Peter Destructo for pointing this out.

KidsWB will soon be shown on a new channel called "WeB" - I know little about this - but if you can get that channel, I'm pretty sure the WB shows would be on.

'DEMON REBORN'
Superman #??
Air date: ??
BATMAN'S FINAL CURRENT-DAY ANIMATED APPEARANCE! This episode, originally entitled "Rise of the Demon", features Batman and Superman teaming up to take down Ra's Al Ghul. One parter, probably - WOOHOO! THE BAT IS BACK! This'll probably air in May.

'LEGACY (Pt. 1 & 2)'
Superman #??
Air date: ??
This two-parter, featuring the final showdown between Superman and Darksied, will be the season finale, airing this May.

'A FISH STORY'
Superman #??
Air date: ??
Aquaman appears on STAS.

'UNITY'
Superman #??
Air date: ??
A Superman and Supergirl team-up.
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WB ANIMATION SCHEDULES:
(courtesy of Brian Cruz and/or the official BTAS/STAS site)

This section of the newsletter highlights the schedule and times that WB airs The New Batman/Superman Adventures. For most affiliates it airs Monday - Friday at 4pm (ET) and Saturdays beginning at 8am (ET). WGN airs Batman/Superman Monday - Friday at 10am (ET) and Sundays beginning at 8am (ET). There's a chance that your local WB channel airs it at a differant time. To find out when, we recommend you follow this URL (provided by Toonzone): http://www.toonzone.net/brian/stations/index.html
PS - Remember that "Batman Beyond" airs 30 minutes AFTER "Batman/Superman" is over, because "Men In Black" has been squeezed in between.

Mon 3-29-99: Batman #057 Shadow of the Bat (Pt. 1)
Batman #061 Shadow of the Bat (Pt. 2)

Tue 3-30-99: Superman #16 Superman #16
Batman #085 Batgirl Returns

Wed 3-31-99: Batman #105 Girl's Night Out
Superman #25 Brave New Metropolis

Thu 4-01-99: Superman #43 New Kids in Town
Batman #107 Chemistry

Fri 4-02-99: Batman #094 Love Is a Croc
Superman #47 Obsession

Sat 4-03-99: Superman #42 Where There's Smoke
Batman #099 Critters
B-BEYOND #04 Golem

Note: 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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CARTOON NETWORK WB ANIMATION SCHEDULE:
"Yabba Dabba Doom"
(courtesy of Brian Cruz)

THE CARTOON NETWORK was able to get the exclusive rights to 52 episodes of the classic Batman: The Animated Series, as well as MASK OF THE PHANTASM and SUB-ZERO. If our schedule listings is not complete or up to date then please go to TOONZONE for the complete episode schedule:
http://www.toonzone.net/brian/schedules/batman-cn.html

Mon 3-22-99: #42 Moon of the Wolf
Tue 3-23-99: #43 Day of the Samurai
Wed 3-24-99: #45 Terror in the Sky
Thu 3-25-99: #47 Birds of a Feather
Fri 3-26-99: #48 What Is Reality?

NOTE #1: BATMAN & MR. FREEZE: SUB-ZERO will be airing again on CARTOON NETWORK on May 22nd at 8pm (ET) as apart of their CARTOON THEATRE
NOTE #2: CARTOON NETWORK will be having a BATMAN 'SUPER-CHUNK' on May 29th. The 3 hour BATMAN Super-Chunk will be from 4pm-7pm (ET). The 'SUPER-CHUCK' means that we'll have three hours worth of BATMAN episodes.
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EPISODE REVIEW: (SPOILERS!)
(by Tim "TWO-FACE" Leighton)

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

<BATMAN BEYOND>
DEAD MAN'S HAND
Written by Stan Berkowitz
Directed by ???
Animation by Dong Yang
Original air date: March 20, 1999
My rating: ***1/2

Batman vs. The Royal Flush Gang, a gang so obsessed with playing cards, they make the Queen of Hearts look sane.

An old group of villains return to Gotham - the Royal Flush Gang, a gang from the upper echelons of society (a la "The Terrible Trio") who have existed for generations, and have a fetish for anything relating to playing cards. Meanwhile, Terry is having problems with his girlfriend, Dana Tan; she has officially broken up with him because he is never around, do to the errands he is constantly running for his boss, Bruce. After they break up, Terry encounters a girl named Melanie, and instantly falls for her; soonafter the viewer, and Terry himself, learns that Melanie is a part of the Royal Flush Gang, which makes battling them a lot more personal for Terry.

Basically, that's it. There are many good things about this episode:

-Terry insists that he wants to actually have a life, and Bruce does his utmost to force him to work for him.
-The action sequences are terrificly done - constant movement of the camera gives it a very "The Ultimate Thrill" type feel. As corny as the romantic subplot is at times (that cheesy rock music when Terry and Melanie meet for the second time is a bit much), it works well.
-The sequence where Terry and Melanie are fighting each other in costume but always checking their watch to make sure they make it to their date was kinda cool. It's odd, though - in the future, whereas wristwatches should be the size of a penny (or a certain scarred coin, if you will), they're half the size of your arm?
-I guess Batman still does have his famous grappling hooks at his disposal, huh? That was nice to see.
-The idea of a gang with a playing-card theme isn't as cheesy as I first thought. Hmmm - is there a Joker reference here though?
-The scene in which Bruce relates Terry's love relationship with Melanie with his earlier tangles with Selina Kyle was a nice touch - it's always nice to see the past being brought up now and again.

There are only a couple problems with this episode - only two members of the Royal Flush Gang are developed at all. The reluctant Melanie, known as "Ten" in the group, is the obvious focus of the gang (she looks like a Two-Face/Harley Quinn hybrid if you ask me). The King is somewhat developed, too, as he is the one that provides the history of the gang. With all the others, it's like, "wow, there's the queen - the old girl member", "wow, there's the Jack (ass?) who is not very nice at all", and "wow, there's that mute Bane wannabe with a big spade slapped on his chest". There's a lot of room for development here.

The only other problem was that this otherwise fine episode wrapped up way to quickly. If this episode were given as little as 2 minutes more, it would have been fine. All in all, it's enjoyable, if you can manage through the occassional cheesy musical sequence. 3.5 stars.

PS - Melanie never returned Terry's coat, did she? I originally thought that was gonna lead to Terry making the connection between Melanie and the gang, but it looks like it just turned out to be a blooper.
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EDITORAL
(by Laura Hysert, aka "Phoenix")

BITCHES, BIMBOS AND GLAMOUR DOLLS, Part One

That's a very odd title. I wonder if Tim and James will let me get away with repeatedly writing the word "bitch" in my editorial. Hmm.

I see this as the introduction to a series of editorials exploring (ha!) the women of BTAS and STAS. This seems like a good idea now. Heaven only knows if it will seem like a good idea when my fever subsides. I'll tell you later.

Let's take a quick look at the heroines and villainesses, shall we? We'll start with the villainesses first. That is such a stupid name. "Villainesses." It's almost as bad as "authoresses." Maybe worse, because you can hardly say it. And "heroine." You know what that sounds like. Not very flattering at all. And the whole idea of cutesifying (Word Creation
Alert!) titles for women is just...but I digress.

The Villains:

Harleen, the Bronx Sleaze: Slept her way to a Psychology degree. Abandoned her job and acquired a thick, slummy New York accent when she started following the Joker around like a sick, sick puppy. Points to the writers for broaching the subject of abuse, though.

Pamela, the Ice Princess: Poison Ivy's so cold, she makes Mr. Freeze look like a jalepeno pepper soaked in gasoline (no, kiddies, don't try this at home. It's called a SIMILE.). You have to admire her poise, her audacity (she put a whole new twist on marrying for money), and her new hair style. Wish she didn't get caught so easily, though.

Selina, the Bitter Glamour Grrl: She really loved being a blonde. It made her so happy, she went out and stole pretty shiny things. But then she found out her hair dye manufacturers were bad, bad critters. Now she's gone goth and bitter, but she still steals pretty shiny things.

Livewire, the Snarky Brat: We all hate her. She's so damn annoying. She's not really a villain; she's that dirty-faced kid down the street who stands at the edge of your yard and shoots spitballs at your dog.

And the Heroes:

Barbara, the Kept Woman: We all want a sugar daddy. Some nice billionaire who will buy us lots of neat things and dress us up in Donna Karan gowns and take us to balls. So we really can't blame Barbara for jumping at the chance when it presented itself. Too bad she had to sacrifice her independence and self-respect for it.

Kara, the Perky Cheerleader: You have to love her Dorothy-like wonder and innocence. Even if she dresses like a Main Street hooker. But why the kid gloves? Is she afraid of ruining her nails? Is it possible for a Kryptonian to break a nail? And if so, why doesn't Superman wear gloves? I'm betting that's the reason Batman wears 'em.

Lois, the Bitch Goddess: Ah, the bitch goddess. Gifted with an eternal spring of acidic barbs, she got straight A's in school and still managed to have all the cool guys chase after her. But she's so consumed with her own agenda, she forgets that other human beings exist on this planet. Could explain why she has a crush on a muscle-bound alien.

As you can tell, I have little use for how women are portrayed in the animated series nowadays. There are some bright spots, though - like how Barbara was portrayed before she got a tour of the BatCave. And there's Maggie, Montoya, and Dr. Thompkins. All this and more will be explored...in time.

That is, as long as I don't wake up and exclaim, "This is crap! What was I THINKING?" I bet this is how Wing Commander made it to the screen: the entire cast and crew, doped up on Extra Strength Tylonel Cold.

Laura
Recovering Bitch Goddess Extraordinaire
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TO INFINITY AND BEYOND
- a column dedicated to "Batman Beyond"
(by Ed Wiser)
ewiser@iglou.com

Mr. Wiser was unable to submit an article for this column at the printing of this newsletter. But fear not, he WILL return shortly!
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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. Some are easy, some are not. Now have fun - let's see how well you do! Answers are provided in the following section.

This week is "Batgirl Week" on KidsWB, so I thought I should have a quiz dedicated to her, in the animated form.

Quote, by Alicia Silverstone: " [in the next Batman movie] I think Joel Schumacher will be Batgirl."

96. According to original air date, in which episode did Batgirl/Barbara Gordon make her first appearance on BTAS?

A: THE CAT AND THE CLAW (Pt. 1)
B: I AM THE NIGHT
C: BATGIRL RETURNS
D: SHADOW OF THE BAT (Pt. 1)
E: HEART OF STEEL (Pt. 1)

97. Who else in Gotham has Batgirl's blood type?

A: Commissioner Gordon
B: Selina Kyle
C: Alfred Pennyworth
D: Nora Fries
E: Rupert Thorne

98. In the one-shot comic "The Batgirl Adventures", around what holiday/observance is the story set?

A: Christmas
B: Halloween
C: Easter
D: Hannukah
E: None

99. What is the name of the voice actress who provided Batgirl's voice in "Batman & Mr. Freeze: Sub-Zero"?

A: Melissa Gilbert
B: Tara Charendoff
C: Adrienne Barbeau
D: Mary Jay Bergman
E: Mark Kay Bergman

100. What was the reason Barbara Gordon became Batgirl?

A: Commissioner Gordon was shot and she wanted to avenge his injury.
B: She had a crush for Dick, learned about him being Robin, and wanted to impress him.
C: Because "Uncle Alfred" was sick, and cyber-Alfred told her what to do from there.
D: Commissioner Gordon was in jail and she had to clear his name.
E: The FOX TV network needed higher ratings.
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ANSWERS TO THE TRIVIA

Answer to #96: 'B'
Answer to #97: 'D'
Answer to #98: 'A'
Answer to #99: 'E'
Answer to #100: 'D'
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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!

CONBTRIBUTED BY STAFF:
1) Awww...wasn't the "stealing your heart" metaphor at the end of "Dead Man's Hand" just the nicest subliminal message you ever saw? :-)

CONTRIBUTED BY OTHERS:
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BATMAN: THE ANIMATED FIGURES
(by Kevin Smith)
ktsmit2@ilstu.edu
Oh_Ho77@hotmail.com

I'm surprised. When I asked for readers' opinions on what figures they wanted to see, I didn't think anyone would reply, much less be able to write in twice on this subject. I've gotten more responses, and as promised, I'm letting them be heard. Editor, Tim Two-Face L. e-mailed
me his picks:

1. The Penguin (new style - or even a better remake of the old style, at this point!)
2. The Scarecrow (new style)
3. The Ventriloquist (old style)
4. Catwoman (new style)
5. Batgirl (a SOLO one, normal looking, new style)
6. Firefly
7. Poison Ivy (new style)
8. Clayface (new style)
9. ALFRED! (come on, we need 'im!)
10. A GCPD two-pack of sorts (Gordon/Bullock), or, if we can only get a solo figure, use just Gordon.

*****
Reader, Leonard Armstrong, voiced his opinions too. I thought he had some really good ideas! His suggestions for a "Legends of the Dark Knight" line would really appeal to collectors. Who wouldn't want a Carrie Kelly Robin and a Framk Miller Batman???

-This first set are all from the "Legends of the Dark Knight" episode of TNBA.
-Dark Knight Returns Batman (from the second segment.)
-Carrie Kelly (female) Robin (from the second segment.)
-Mutant Leader (from the second segment.)
-"Old Chum" Batman (from the first segment.)
-"Old Chum" Robin (from the first segment.)

This next set are some characters I'd like to see from "Batman Beyond."
-Terry McGinnis
-Older Bruce Wayne and Ace

And finally...
-Green Lantern (from STAS, "In Brightest Day" episode.)
-Commissioner Gordon
-Detective Bullock
-Alfred
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