TO INFINITY AND BATMAN BEYOND
- a column dedicated to "Batman Beyond"
(by Ed Wiser)
ewiser@iglou.com

Well, we are halfway through the first season of Batman Beyond, and what good and bad have we seen so far? From a quality standpoint, I am totally satisfied with the work the WB animation team has done in developing this new show. The design of the show has been fantastic. I especially love the little tips of the hat to BTAS, such as using people in the background scenes that came from the original show. This has been a common practice this year in all the shows, and indicates that WB animation is doing the shows for the fans. Most people would not catch all the visual references that fly by during the show, such as the Col. Hal Jordan on the airplane in the STAS show that guest starred the Green Lantern. The writing of the show has been wonderful for the most part. I have not liked a couple of the shows, but that was also true with BTAS. Not every show can be on par with "Rebirth". There has been a consistent level of writing for the show that will make it better in the long run. As the writers get used to the Batman Beyond universe, I think we will see better villains and stories that advance the Terry and Bruce relationship, giving a reason for the show to be made. I wish that Ty Templeman would get a chance to write for the WB animation team. Ty's work with the BTAS comic books has shown his great talent for writing Batman stories, and I would love to see what he could do with Batman Beyond.

From a collectible standpoint, all we have right now is the first assortment of Batman Beyond figures from Hasbro. As most everyone has said on the net, I think these figures leave a lot to be desired. Like all of you, I wish I could get a NORMAL Batman. The Jokerz Leader figure is not totally bad, but could be more true to the model sheet. At the time that the figures were made over a year ago, though, I am sure that the designers had little to go on. The multicolored Batman figures really are not for the collector or fan, but are aimed at kids getting their parents to buy them another Batman figure to play with. Hasbro is not going to make the Batman line like Star Wars, and make a figure for every one second of air time that a design is on the show. I wish that we had all the Jokerz gang in the first assortment. Instead we will have to look for one villain per assortment in the future. As badly as we want the figures, I don't think Hasbro will change their mind on the figure assortment. After so many years of handling BTAS figures in a similar manner, they aren't going to rock the boat. I honestly don't think they know what would sell, and since they've found kid's parents will buy the multicolor Batman figures, they're scared to make more villains or other characters. With only two waves of figures a year in the line, it is hard to get the more obscure figures. Also, Look for a Batman Beyond Maquette at the Warner Brother stores this year. Hopefully we will see other neat things that have ties to the show.

On the comic book side, things are off to a great start. The six issue mini-series has been pushed to an ongoing series. The comic book is living up the standards of the WB animation comic in quality. For a long time I have felt that if you didn't read the comic titles tied to the show, you were missing half of the stories. With issue three, we see a new Blight story continuing to develop the relationship of Bruce and Terry and also showing more sides of Blight. In issue four, Etrgan is introduced to the Batman Beyond continuity. I look forward to seeing how the comic will add new dimensions to the Batman Beyond show.

By this time next month, I should have my web site that ties into this column on-line. I will give the URL and hope to hear from people interested in the Batman Beyond show. If you have news or are interested in helping with the web site, contact me at: ewiser@iglou.com
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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.

Easter. April Fool's. Whatever - we're days past those holidays anyhow! Be that as it may, the goal of this quiz is to pick out the WRONG (or foolish - hence, April Fools) answer out of the collection of RIGHT ones. Remember - the INCORRECT answer is what you're searching for. Good luck!

101. The following celebrities have appeared on BTAS:

A: TIM BURTON
B: JOEL SCHUMACHER
C: DANNY DeVITO
D: BRUCE WILLIS (in the form of "Trent Wallace")
E: ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (in the form of "Donald Shaltenpepper")

102. The following people know who Batman is:

A: Terry McGinnis
B: Bane
C: Ra's Al Ghul
D: Leslie Thompkins
E: Tim Drake

103. The following cities have appeared in the animated continuity:

A: Gotham City
B: Paris
C: Bludhaven
D: London
E: New York

104. The following characters have worn lipstick:

A: Poison Ivy
B: Killer Croc
C: The Joker
D: Catwoman
E: Harley Quinn

105. Batman has fought the Joker at these locations:

A: An amusement park
B: Atop a speeding train
C: A garbage dump
D: Arkham Asylum
E: In a flooding tunnel
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ANSWERS TO THE TRIVIA

Answer to #101: 'C'
Answer to #102: 'B'
Answer to #103: 'E'
Answer to #104: 'C'
Answer to #105: 'E'
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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) Thomas Wayne, Bruce Wayne's father, has been voiced by two actors on BTAS. In the BTAS episode "Nothing to Fear", it sounds like Richard Moll (Two-Face) does his voice, whereas in "Perchance to Dream" - or any other episode - he is voiced by Kevin Conroy (Batman). Anyone else notice this?

2) The name of a spaceship in the STAS episode "In Brightest Day" is named "Col. Hal Jordan". This is a nifty in-joke; in the comics, the original Green Lantern (now repleaced) was named Hal Jordan.

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

Once again, the readership amazes me. (You guys rock!) I've really enjoyed reading what people have to say about the Batman figures, and it's nice to know that a lot of people agree with me. Reader, Doug, wrote this in:

Favourite figures:
1. Harley Quinn (has to be, because I waited so damn long for them to make one. Even sold my whole collection when it looked like the line was going to die and had to buy them all back again because I'm a completist-DAMN the Penguin!)
2. Mad Hatter (dead on likeness)
3. Phantasm ('nuff said)
4. Joker (Wild Card) just love that smile
5. The Creeper (this guy's just about as obsessed with Harley as I am. Gotta respect that.)

Now I am in complete agreement with you as far as which new figure I most want to see: Catwoman! DO IT DO IT DO IT (and don't screw it up) Scarecrow would be nice too (Toy Review: I'll get a "Hell Yeah!" goin' on for that one!)
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COMIC REVIEWS
(by Aaron Maurer)

BATMAN BEYOND
ISSUE: "Never Mix, Never Worry" (#3)
WRITTEN BY: Hilary J. Bader
PENCILED BY: Rick Burchett
INKED BY: Terry Beatty
ISSUED: March 17, 1999 (Cover date is May)
RATING: ***.5 (out of 5)

"Nobody likes a villain who doesn't stay to clean up, you know."
--Terry McGinnis after Blight has left him with a trashed lab

SUMMARY: An army semi-truck carrying a radioactive element is run off the road by men working for Derek Powers. It now lies at the bottom of a canyon and Powers (in his Blight state) is going to go after it before the army has a chance disable it. Batman arrives as Blight is looking for the element (Yostrum, one of a series of new, second-stage, man-made elements). They get in a fight, but ultimately, Blight escapes because Batman has to save some helicopter pilots from their falling craft. In the batcave, Bruce Wayne tells Terry that another element in that series was stolen the previous month. Those two elements when combined with another create an inert element that can render all radioactive elements inert. Since just about everything is run on some form of nuclear power, this is a serious problem. There is only one place that holds the third element, and Terry goes off to get to it before Blight does. On his way, he finds a colony of kids living below ground (think the Underdwellers meets a street gang). Their leader shows Batman a shortcut to the power plant in exchange for Batman never telling anyone about them. Blight is already inside, so he and Batman get in a fight. As Blight pulls the element out of its containment field, Terry sprays it with an element that renders that one inert. He convinces Blight that it could also render him inert, which causes him to flee. Later, Terry takes food, toys, and other goodies to the tunnel kids.

COMMENTS: I thought this was a well-done issue. Rick Burchett is getting into the character designs more, so this comic is beginning to resemble its animated counterpart a bit more. I liked this story, even though it was a bit of a rehash of old Batman episodes (Heart of Ice and
The Underdwellers come to mind). Lee Loughridge does a terrific job at coloring this comic (as well as Gotham Adventures), and all of the scenes with Blight were very nice to look at.

CRITICISMS: I didn't really have many problems with this comic, except that Mr. Burchett doesn't have the designs completely down yet; this comic tends to resemble The New Batman Adventures a little bit more than Batman Beyond. However, I'm sure everything will be fine in a few more issues. Other than that, I thought that this was a very interesting comic (although I don't know how Powers contained those two elements he stole once he got them home).

BOTTOM LINE: An entertaining read perfect for "Batman" and "Beyond" fans alike.
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COMIC SCHEDULES & COVERING THE BASICS

This section gives a little bit more indepth look into each monthly issue of BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES and SUPERMAN ADVENTURES. Below each comic listing is a link to the cover of that comic. TALK ABOUT SERVICE!
The price 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".)

BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES #13
April 7th
It's the return of Mastermind, the Perfessor and Mister Nice (from the pages of the original BATMAN ADVENTURES series)! This criminal trio has faced its share of challenges in the past, but now a visit from a strange child could lead to the dissolution of their partnership, if not their very lives! Can Batman save some of his greatest enemies?
Cover: http://www.dccomics.com/directcurrents/comics/covers/download/dbmga13.jpg

NEXT MONTH: - The final issue of "Gotham Adventures" written by Ty Templeton (we'll miss you)! This issue follows-up on the storyline in , where Harley resists being seduced by the dark side and returning to the Joker. Her romance novel is panned by critics so she goes on a rampage involving...mind control?
Cover: http://www.toonzone.net/comics/covers/bga/bga14.jpg

BATMAN BEYOND #4
April 21st
Etrigan, the Demon, assists Batman in fighting crime in the futuristic Gotham City.
Cover: http://www.toonzone.net/comics/covers/bb/bb4.jpg

NEXT MONTH: Issue #5 - On a field trip to the Gotham Museum of Natural History, Terry and his class are menaced by what appears to be a re-animated Egyptian mummy! Other strange events follow as several students contract a mysterious emaciating disease. Is there a connection between these strange occurrences and the new foreign student in school who seems obsessed with Terry's girlfriend Dana?
Cover: Not available.

SUPERMAN ADVENTURES #32
April 7th
Meet Daily Planet janitor Ben Sullivan's girlfriend...Lois Lane? Ben, a mild-mannered staffer with a huge crush on Lois, accidentally becomes the object of the reporter's affections when she's hit by a supervillain's hypnotic device. Now Ben's in seventh heaven while Superman not only must foil a foe who can plant hypnotic suggestions in anyone's mind, but also find a way to break Lois's trance before it becomes irreversible!
Cover: http://www.toonzone.net/comics/covers/sa/sa32.jpg

NEXT MONTH:
Superman's greatest enemies have never figured out that Clark Kent and the Man of Steel are one and the same person -- until now. Who's learned the world's greatest secret, and how can Clark prove him wrong before he reveals it to the entire world?
Cover: http://www.toonzone.net/comics/covers/sa/sa33.jpg
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NEWS AND RUMORS

ALL-ENCOMPASSING/OTHER
-Mania.Com seems to have the inside scoop about Kids'WB! next season. Use this URL to go and check out the information:
http://www.mania.com/columns/amhh/amhh031999_kidswb.html
-Another "World's Finest" tape may be coming to video stores! A tape collecting the 3 episodes, "Knight Time", "Girls Night Out", and "Demon Reborn", apparently titled "World's Finest: Further Adventures of Batman and Superman" may be compiled and sold in stores. This would be a good move by the WB!

"CURRENT" ANIMATED SERIES'
-The current animated series has only about 5 more Superman episodes (one of which being a Batman crossover), all of which will air by May. After that, BTAS/STAS will not return until Sept. of 2000 at the earliest.

BATMAN BEYOND
-The Comic Book Continuum has an article about this weekend's BATMAN BEYOND episode, if you want some more info on the episode go here:
http://detnews.com/metro/hobbies/comix/stories/9903/17/index.htm

ANIMATED COMICS
-Also it seems that BATMAN BEYOND will only be a limited series, with a new ongoing series (so far titled BATMAN: ADVENTURES BEYOND) premiering in the fall with Hilary J. Bader still writing, but as of yet, an undetermined art team.
-Not much has been known about who is joining Hilary J. Bader as the writer of the new ongoing BATMAN BEYOND but from whats been going around there's going to be no set artist, but a rotating sets of artists from the Batman stable. More news will be provided as it becomes available.

OTHER COMICS
-Want to get real in-depth with Batman and Superman and the rest of the DCU this year? Well take this link to find out their plans: http://www.mania.com/newsarama/dc99.html
-Greg Rucka discusses his plans for the future of DC's huge hit: Batman's No Man's Land as well as some other goodies. Just follow the link below: http://www.mania.com/comics/interviews/gregrucka.html
-The NO MAN'S LAND novelization won't be here for a while but you want a sneek peek on what you can expect from Greg Rucka? Well then take THIS link!
http://www.mania.com/comics/features/nmlnovel.html
-For more, see the "Road Through No Man's Land" section below.

MOVIES
-Rumor has it that the third animated movie will be based on BATMAN BEYOND, and NOT BTAS. Say it isn't so! NOOOOOO!
-The Gotham Weekly News says that there is a rumour that recent Oscar-winner Gwyneth Paltrow could be the actor chosen to play everyone's favourite feline fatale in the rumoured "Catwoman" movie.
-NBC will be showing "BATMAN FOREVER" from 8:30pm to 11pm on April 4th

TOYS & MERCHANDISE
-**THANKS TO " NextNexus@aol.com " FOR BRINGING THIS UP!!!
"LOTDK" CLAYFACE NOW AVAILABLE
Gotham's filthiest villain, Clayface, from the cancelled "Legends of the Dark Knight" line now is available directly through Kenner. The highly detailed "LODK" figure, which will not be shipping to retail outlets, can be ordered with a credit card by calling: 1-800-456-1348. Originally anounced as an Internet exclusive after the line was cancelled, the Clayface figure is available only through the listed phone number due to reported licensing complications Kenner's experiencing selling certain products via the Internet. Reports from various collectors indicated Clayface figures arrived within five business days.
-The video game based on the animated incarnation of Superman will be released this spring. The N64 version will be on May 11, and the Playstation version will be sometime in June.
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