Batman: The Animated Newsletter
Weeks of October 25 - October 30/31, 1999
Volume 2,
Rated: PG for some "low-key coarse language and occasional griping"

THIS ISSUE'S SUBLIMINAL MESSAGE: "WHY DOES THE WB KEEP MAKING TOYS OF THE SAME CHARACTERS ALL THE TIME? WHY DON'T OTHER CHARACTERS EVER, EVER GET A CHANCE???"
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HAPPY HALLOWE'EN, EVERYBODY!
  Happy Hallowe'en, everyone!
  This is a rather special issue of BTAN. #1, we have famed comic-writer GREG RUCKA joining us for a 22 question interview, featuring some spoilers of the end of NML. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! Scroll down just past the episode reviews to read it.
  So, who here is dressing up as a Bat-character, or any comics character for that matter, for Hallowe'en? If you have pics, SEND THEM TO US! If anyone is interested in doing so we'll be uploading the pics onto the net for a short time, and then provide links to them in of BATMAN: THE ANIMATED NEWSLETTER. Sound good? GREAT! We'll keep in touch.
  And a special note: Zanna, I'm sorry that I didn't credit you for your review in the credits of last week; to be fair, I credited you THIS week, even though Justin Chen submitted the review. That should fix things up, non?
  And another note: The delivery of BATMAN: THE ANIMATED NEWSLETTER may be a day or two late next week, cuz the editor might be hung over (interpret as you will) from his Hallowe'en festivities. We apologize for the POSSIBLE forthcoming delay!
  And on another (and final) note: WE PASSED OUR 1400 SUBSCRIBER MARK! WOOOO HOOOOOOO! Thanks to all of you for subscribing! :-)
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UPCOMING NEW EPISODES
 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 new episodes for BATMAN, SUPERMAN, and BATMAN BEYOND. 

 'ONCE BURNED'
Batman Beyond #20
Air date: November 6, 1999
   Batman/Terry's emotional resolve is put to the test when an old girlfriend, who also happens to be the notorious Ten of the Royal Flush Gang, reverts back to a life of crime. The situation becomes even more complicated when he learns that she's being forced to steal to save her family from kidnappers.

 'LEGACY (Pt. 1 & 2)'
Superman #44, 48
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.

 For synopses of all other upcoming second season BATMAN BETOND episodes, check out of BTAN at this address:

 http://www.toonzone.net/wbc/newsletters/btan
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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 three links for schedule information:

http://www.batman-superman.com/batman/cmp/episodes.html
http://www.toonzone.net/brian/schedules/
http://www.ktla.com/rebuild/programming/kids_framed.htm

THIS WEEK:
Mon 10-25-99: B-BEYOND #14 Joyride
    Superman #54 A Fish Story

Tue 10-26-99: B-BEYOND #12 Disappearing Inque
    Batman #88   Cold Comfort

Wed 10-27-99: B-BEYOND #08 Heroes
    Superman #45 Knight Time

Thu 10-28-99: B-BEYOND #10 Dead Man's Hand
    Superman #50 In Brightest Day

Fri 10-29-99: B-BEYOND #07 Meltdown
    Batman #100  Cult of the Cat

Sat 10-30-99: Batman #108  Beware the Creeper
    B-BEYOND #16 Splicers

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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CANADIAN EPISODE SCHEDULE
(BTAS/BEYOND on YTV)
(courtesy of our friends at YTV)

-To find the episode guide and airing schedule of BATMAN and BATMAN BEYOND on YTV then please
go to http://www.ytv.com and click on the YTV GUIDE icon at the bottom of the screen. To check
out the schedule then click on BATMAN or BATMAN BEYOND in the time grid and it will have the
schedule for the current week.

BTAS will air at 7:30am on weekday mornings (in all time zones), and BATMAN BEYOND will air at
2:30pm on Saturday and Sunday. YTV has the rights to show all 109 BTAS episodes; it looks like they'll be airing new BEYOND episodes (Note: Episode #14 on Oct 31), but we don't know for sure. As for STAS, we're VERY unsure at this point. We'll keep you posted!

THIS WEEK:
Mon 10-25-99: BTAS   #28 Dreams in Darkness

Tue 10-26-99: BTAS   #18 Beware the Grey Ghost

Wed 10-27-99: BTAS   #35 Cat Scratch Fever

Thu 10-28-99: BTAS   #49 I Am the Night

Fri 10-29-99: BTAS   #46 Almost Got 'Im

Sat 10-30-99: BEYOND #13 Ascension

Sun 10-31-99: BEYOND #14 Joyride (?)
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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 either of these sites for the schedule:

http://www.toonzone.net/brian/schedules/batman-cn.html
http://homes.acmecity.com/animation/saturday/352/schedule.html

To see the 52 episodes that the CARTOON NETWORK does show, go to this link:

http://www.toonzone.net/brian/eplists/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

NOTE: Due to the loss of the WGN, editor Tim "TWO-FACE" Leighton has been virtually unable to
review any new episodes. Until he can once again, we'll be having someone substituting for him. Thank you to Justin Chen for this review!

<BATMAN BEYOND>
LOST SOUL
Written by Stan Berkowitz
Directed by Butch Lukic
Animation by Dong Yang, Koko
Original Air Date: October 9, 1999
Rating: ****1/2 (out of five stars)

As soon as this episode begins, you'll think the WB has renewed The New Batman Adventures. Decades before Batman Beyond takes place, we see reporter Summer Gleason (oddly absent from TNBA) reporting the passing of Robert Vance, a pioneer in the field of electronics. Realizing that his death was imminent, Vance "digitized" his mind into a computer program, from which he hoped to guide his corportation after his death. Unfortunately, we see his corporate heirs proceed to simply turn him off.

Fast forward over 35 years. Vance's company, once a leader in the technology industry, has stagnated since their founder's death. Within the Vance building, a boy activates the long lost Robert Vance program. Revealing himself to be Bobby, Robert Vance's grandson, the boy also says that his father, the company head, has also died. The digital Robert knows that Bobby is alone now, and that his grandson must now run the company. The younger Vance shows little desire to continue on the family tradition, and realizing that, Robert Vance requests that his program be put online.

When power starts going wrong around the city, Terry and Dana's date is cut short as their elevator plunges forty stories, and then flies back up just as fast. Pulling the electrical wires on the car to stop it, Terry heads off to Bruce. Bruce reveals that Vance's program has been hoarding information from the online networks, probably for some hidden purpose. 

At the Gotham Power Plant, the rogue program has taken over the building's laser defenses, keeping the police pinned down outside. But turning on his invisibilty, Terry manages to slip inside. But thanks to a troublesome cat's sense of smell, his cover is blown. Terry almost avoids the lasers, but finally a direct hit is scored, knocking Terry out cold. Of course Terry can't die on the show, so after regaining consciousness, he is sent off by Bruce to keep the peace in some of the blacked out parts of Gotham. Soon enough, the Batsuit begins to have a mind of its own, and Terry is totally helpless inside as it moves out of Terry's control.
Robert Vance has entered the suit through the laser, and is now integrated in the suit's circuits. Terry manages to actually converse with the program, who reveals that his stay in the suit is merely temporary until he can find a new body. Back at the cave, Bruce hits the kill switch to paralyze the suit just as Vance is about to drown Terry. Later, Terry is safely out of the suit, and Bruce plans to repair the infected programs. After they leave, the suit eerily comes to life by itself.

From then on, a completely normal Terry must confront and defeat the very thing that has given him so much power. There's hardly a dull moment; almost each and every scene contains something of importance. Terry questions whether Batman is just a suit, or really the man inside. In a powerful moment, Bruce hands him the original Batman utility belt (though not the suit). Terry, disguised only by Nightwing's old mask, uses his own wits and skills to beat the possessed Batsuit. We know Terry has smarts as well, such as when he stops the elevator. McGuinness is truly becoming darker and more like Batman than Spider-Man, especially in a scene where he encounters some ATM thieves. No jokes or anything else funny here, just very blunt words backed up by the appropriate actions. And the method he uses to defeat his own suit is not be taken lightly either, it's something one would expect Bruce to think up. The supporting cast is also well done, with Bruce (that's right, Terry IS the focus now) expressing his reluctance to send Terry out there alone. Also Robert Vance is the CEO who can't let go. He's reminiscent of the theme park mogul from "Deep Freeze", who has to stay around no matter what the cost.

"Lost Soul" is really a major mark in BB chronology. There's something for everyone here, a fresh plot, great action, strong characterization, and then some. I only wish it could be a bit longer, or that Terry had worn the original Batman or Nightwing outfit rather than just taking the mask and belt. But these complaints are minor at most. This is an episode that solidifies Terry McGuiness as Batman both inside and out, and for that, 4 1/2 stars.

Justin Chen, aka The Overseer
t_overseer@yahoo.com