Batman: The Animated Newsletter
Weeks of September 6 - September 18/19 (?)
Volume 2,
Rated: PG for some "low-key coarse language and occasional griping"
THIS ISSUE'S SUBLIMINAL MESSAGE: "OK, WHO IS RUSHING TO GET ANOTHER STATION THAT CARRIES KIDSWB
NOW THAT WGN CHICAGO IS KA-PUT?"
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SPECIAL IN THIS ISSUE
We have two interviews with two big-influences on the animated Bat-universe this issue. We have an interview with producer/writer Alan Burnett, and with artist Rick Burchett (of "Gotham Adventures" fame). Enjoy!
AAAAAAAAAAAND, in this issue we have a special guest-editorialist, Lisa Blank, giving us a good ol' fashioned chemistry lesson! Kelly Tindall has returned with another editorial, and we have a brand new column debuting in this issue, written by "Reliable Source". Scroll down to the editorial section to read what they have to share!
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LOOKING FOR AN EGO-BOOST
1200 subscribers! In the evening of August 19, 1999, we passed the 1200 subscriber mark. YAY FOR US! YAY!!!
Why can't I hear you cheering?
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IMPORTANT NOTICE
Many new subscribers - and some of the old - have been e-mailing me recently, asking various questions about the newsletter. What I find unsettling is that their e-mails contain an attachment entitled
"Happy99.exe". I don't know if they know it's even there or not, but if any of you get this file in your inbox, DO NOT OPEN THE FILE. It's OK to read the e-mail, but do not open the file, for it is virus-ridden; a friend of mine opened one in the past and it erased his hard drive completely. What you should do is just delete the e-mail with the attachment - that will keep your computer safe. I just thought I should pass that info along to you all.
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THE END OF SUMMER
(a special introduction by B:TAN Co-Editor 'Dick Grayson')
This is it. The final 'summer' issue of BATMAN: THE ANIMATED NEWSLETTER. Some of you start school or college (like me) next week. Some already have. Pretty odd, eh? One of the good things about the fall arriving is new episodes of our favorite shows. While we'll only seethree episodes of
BATMAN/SUPERMAN, we'll be having 13+ episodes of BATMAN BEYOND coming our way. We've heard so much about this next season, yet we don't know that much. The season starts off with the episode SPLICERS. Then we get ONCE-BURNED eventaully down the road. But what else?
That's one of the good things about suprises. You never know what's gonna happen.
Here's another suprise. This will be my final BTAN issue for the time being. I'm heading away to university and that will definately limit the appropriate time I need to contribute to this amazing newsletter (which has hailed critical acclaim as well as wide fan appeal). I'll be back
every now and then throughout the school year and holidays to spread some insider news as well as just some quirky stuff. I'll try to pop up in the message boards now and then to keep in touch with everyone. It's been a blast being a part of the newsletter for the past 14 months or so. We've had our ups and downs, but all has always turned out fine. We've had contributors come and go, but the core groups always remains.
This newsletter started last year oddly enough as a discussion topic. The discussion was on why there are no good newsletters dedicated to the animated world. We (Tim & I) said that fans always make the best newsletters and websites. Then, after that conversation, my Canuck pal Tim 'TWO-FACE' Leighton & I started up this non-profit newsletter. We barely had 100 (or was it 200?) subscribers when we began, and now we have nearly 1300 subscribers, and probably more in the future. This newsletter has been a real pleasure to do, and this newsletter would still only be a discussion topic without the AMAZING aid of Tim 'TWO-FACE' Leighton. This newsletter would be impossible to do without him. Thanks a lot, Tim.
*TWO-FACE'S DIVINE INTERVENTION: HOOTS AND HOLLERS, A LA 'THE ARSENIO HALL SHOW'*
I've met a lot of people, I've interviewed people I never thought I'd even talk to. This newsletter enabled me to do a lot, stuff I never thought I'd do. In this issue we have interview with two amazing people, Rick Burchett and Alan Burnett. Both very important people in the Bat-Universe who I had the pleasure of recently interviwing them. We also have our usual goodies, and a few suprises along the way. So with this, I hope you will continue to enjoy this amazing newsletter and I'll be back before you all know it! Wish me luck! (I'll need it!) Thank you everyone who helped us along the way. Thank you, especially, Brian, Brian (yep, we had two!), Harley,
Gookie, Laura, RobinIII & anyone else who contributed to the newsletter or helped us out. I'd also like to thank my great, amazing pal Mike Malackowski! It's been great a trip and I can't wait to return and jump back on! Enjoy!
signed
Proud Canadian & B:TAN Co-Editor
'Dick Grayson' a.k.a. James Harvey
http://welcome.to/worldsfinest
*TWO-FACE'S DIVINE INTERVENTION, A SECOND TIME* It's a shame to see ya go, James...now I'll be
even more stressed out! Even more than that time I had Sal "the Boss" Maroni on the stand and...well...you all know how it turned out...go watch for a 10 second segment in a certain neon-flavoured movie and you'll see...just remember...don't blink, or you might miss it.
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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.
'SPLICERS'
Batman Beyond #14?
Airdate: September 17, 1999
Teenagers at Hamilton Hill High School's new fad is 'splicing' where teens take characteristics of animals and geneticaly splice them into their own bodies. You can guess this goes downhill fast!
'THE DEMON REBORN'
Superman #44?
Air date: September 18, 1999
BATMAN'S FINAL CURRENT-DAY ANIMATED APPEARANCE! This episode features Batman and Superman teaming up to take down Ra's Al Ghul, who has plans to send the world back to its natural,
pre-human state. WOOHOO! THE BAT IS BACK!
'ONCE BURNED'
Batman Beyond #15?
Air Date: 1999-2000 season
Ten returns to rekindle her love for Terry, and the Royal Flush Gang returns to once again kill Batman - but then again, is there more than meets the eye this time?
'LEGACY (Pt. 1 & 2)'
Superman #48, 49?
Air date: Fall of 1999
This two-parter features the final showdown between Superman and Darksied in which he strips Superman of his memory and adopts him as a son in an effort to take over Earth. This is being touted as the FINAL Superman episode EVER. However, I must say that I've read a synopsis of the
episode, and it's a doozie.
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WB ANIMATION SCHEDULES:
(courtesy of Brian Cruz and/or the official BTAS/STAS site)
THE NEW BATMAN/SUPERMAN ADVENTURES airs Mondays thru Fridays beginning at 4pm (ET). It also airs every weekend at 8am (ET). BATMAN BEYOND airs on the occasional weekday at 4pm (ET), sharing the time slot with THE NEW BATMAN/SUPERMAN ADVENTURES. BATMAN BEYOND also airs every weekend at 9am (ET). Check your local listings for time and station in your area. If this newsletter section is not updated in time, please refer to either of these two links for schedule information:
http://www.batman-superman.com/batman/cmp/episodes.html
http://www.toonzone.net/brian/schedules/
THIS WEEK:
Mon 9-06-99: Batman #95 Torch Song
Tue 9-07-99: Superman Speed Demons
Wed 9-08-99: Batman #92 Joker's Millions
Thu 9-09-99: Superman #45 Knight Time
Fri 9-10-99: NONE
Sat 9-11-99: NONE
NEXT WEEK:
Mon 9-13-99: B-BEYOND #01 Rebirth (Pt. 1)
Tue 9-14-99: B-BEYOND #02 Rebirth (Pt. 2)
Wed 9-15-99: B-BEYOND #04 Golem
Thu 9-16-99: B-BEYOND #09 Spellbound
Fri 9-17-99: B-BEYOND #12 Disappearing Inque
B-BEYOND #14? Splicers -------NEW!!!
Sat 9-18-99: Superman #44? The Demon Reborn ------NEW!!!
B-BEYOND #14? Splicers ------NEW!!!
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 BTAS, as well as both animated movies. BTAS airs Monday-Friday at 6pm (ET) and then repeated again at midnight. If our schedule listings is not complete or up to date then please go to
TOON ZONE for the complete episode schedule at:
http://www.toonzone.net/brian/schedules/batman-cn.html
NOTE: The schedules at Brian Cruz' site are currently unavailable; if anyone knows of any other place where people can get listings for BTAS on the Cartoon Network, please e-mail us!
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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: THE ANIMATED SERIES>
JOKER'S MILLIONS
Written by Paul Dini
Directed by Dan Riba
Animation by Dong Yang
Original air date: February 21, 1998
My rating: **1/2
Why did I choose to review this episode in this issue? I just recently realized that of all the episodes airing in the coming week, I hadn't yet reviewed this one. So what did I think of "Joker's Millions" when it
first aired a year and a half ago? Let's have a look-see...
Batman. Batgirl. Nightwing. Joker. Penguin. Harley. Poison Ivy. So many characters were in this episode...and there was no room to stick with any of them.
It's odd. The new BTAS shows are becoming even more crowded than movies like Batman & Robin, but no one's complaining. Well I am.
Anyhow, the episode began quite well. Just like in World's Finest, Joker is still broke, and needs money to live off of - so he and Harley crash some type of electronics convention. Batman and Batgirl are already there,
and rush them out into the street.
Just as Joker and Harley make their getaway, Harley realizes that they are out of gas, because they didn't have enough money to refill the tank before hand. Joker uses some rocket-chair contraption and escapes the car,
leaving Harley alone, to be captured. It's nice to see that Joker still doesn't give two hoots about Harley - he shouldn't. I liked that scene simply because Harley got burned. (Not literally).
Mr. Joe Kerr returns to his run-down apartment, leafs through his mail, and sees that some mob boss who had recently died left him $250 million. Joker rejoices, goes on a shopping spree (an honest one), and bribes city
officials to erase his criminal records. Obviously, Batman doesn't like this one bit...but it's all legal (besides the bribing) so there's nothing he can do about it.
The best parts of this overall middle-of-the-road episode happen at the Iceburg Lounge - the Penguin's night club. He's about the only good character in this episode, that does justice to his character. His night club is
pretty swank, too - all blue, with a huge lake of icy water in the centre. Basically looks like his hideout from Batman Returns, but filled with tables, chairs, and alcoholic beverages.
The Joker is at the club, where Penguin is welcoming him back into his crimeless life. Barbara and Dick also attend, just to keep an eye on things. While in the club, the bodyguard of the dead mob boss arrives, and tries
to kill the Joker because he feels he deserved the inheritance more - and he wants revenge. Batgirl and Nightwing save the day, yatta yatta yatta.
A couple minutes further into the show, Joker discovers that all but $10 million of his inheritance is counterfeit money. He then discovers a video tape; upon playing it, he sees the mob boss, in his hospital bed,
telling him that the whole inheritance was a huge gag, which infuriates the Joker. About time someone made a fool out of him, too. On top of that, the IRS is hunting down the Joker, looking for $137 Million (in taxes or
whatever), but now that all the money is either spent or fake, Joker is really in trouble.
The episode, in the short scheme of things, was pretty good. The reaction of Harley when she reads the page one headline of the Gotham Gazette, "Joker looks for new Henchgirl", is pretty cool - and the
"FAKE HARLEY" auditions that the Joker holds in his mansion are pretty funny, too; the person he chooses is pretty cute (in a disgusting way)...and has a hideous laugh.
It's...sickening...but funny. The scene where Batman is forcing a man's head in the toilet and flushing it while interrogating him is cool, too.
BUT, there are lots of negatives, too. Harley, for the most part, is just plain stupid in this episode...the scene where she gets trapped in the washer is just silly. Poison Ivy's role is non-existant, as are the roles
for all of the heroes. The saddest part is that the Joker isn't even threatening at all...we see the guy whimpering during the finale; sadly, this episode was what I feared the most from Paul Dini - everyone was just
played for laughs. It was more like a Tiny Toons or Animaniacs episode. It was funny, but the comedic moments were not tied together very well. The only character that was cool all the way through was the Penguin. (No
pun intended).
All that I want...and everyone else, for that matter...is a darkly-funny Joker story...don't try to make him light!
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