Batman: The Animated Newsletter
Weeks of
November 1 - November 6/7, 1999
Volume 2,
Rated: PG for some
"low-key coarse language and occasional griping"
THIS ISSUE'S SUBLIMINAL MESSAGE: "THIS
SPACE FOR
RENT."
_________________________
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.
'HOOKED UP'
Batman Beyond #21
Air date:
November 13, 1999
Batman has to come to Max's rescue when she
becomes addicted to a virtual reality world that is controlled by
Spellbinder.
'RATS'
Batman Beyond #22
Air date:
November 20, 1999
Batman must protect Dana from a dangerous
secret admirer...a lonely teenage outcast who lives underground with giant
mutant rats as his only companions.
'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
________________________
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/backstage/programming/kids_framed.frm
THIS WEEK:
Mon 11-01-99: B-BEYOND #03 Black
Out
Superman #42 Where There's Smoke
Tue 11-02-99: Batman #90 You Scratch
My Back
Superman #28 Father's Day
Wed 11-03-99: B-BEYOND #06
Shriek
Superman #43 The New Kids in Town
Thu 11-04-99: Batman #89 Double
Talk
Superman #26 Monkey Fun
Fri 11-05-99: B-BEYOND #15 Earth
Mover
Superman #52 Little Big Head Man
Sat 11-06-99: Superman #51 Superman's
Pal
B-BEYOND #20 Once Burned
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.
__________________________
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 11-01-99: BTAS #42
Moon of the Wolf
Tue 11-02-99: BTAS #45 Terror in the
Sky
Wed 11-03-99: BTAS #38 Heart of
Steel (Pt. 1)
Thu 11-04-99: BTAS #44 Heart of
Steel (Pt. 2)
Fri 11-05-99: BTAS #39 "If
You're So Smart, Why Aren't You Rich?"
Sat 11-06-99: BEYOND #15 Earth Mover
(?)
Sun 11-07-99: BEYOND #16 Splicers
(?)
__________________________
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!
__________________________
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>
HIDDEN
AGENDA
Written by Hilary J. Bader
Directed by Curt Geda
Animation by
Koko, Dong Yang
Original air date: October 16, 1999
My rating:
****1/2 (Out of five stars)
Curiosity, intelligence and programming skills
can be dangerous qualities for a high school student living in Gotham
City. Maxine Gibson, Max to her friends, has written a computer program to ferret out Batman's identity. After some Jokerz
vandalize her high school and then go after her, Max rewrites the program to
discover the identity of any Jokerz gang member who may be attending her
school. Guess who is at the top of her possible suspects
list?
Terry McGinnis is worried. How can he
protect Max and still protect his secret?
GOOD POINTS:
This episode neatly illustrates the contrasting
sides of good and evil. More than one character has a hidden
agenda, or a secret. Like another episode, ASCENSION, the title is appropriate for both Terry and the villain.
HIDDEN AGENDA starts off with Jokerz terrorizing
a hapless victim and attacking him with many sets of chattering teeth!
At first the chompers look silly, but the dentures are deadly and can bite
through wood and metal. The Joker would have enjoyed that little gag.
Later, at Hamilton Hill High School, Max is
portrayed as an intelligent and confident young woman. A little more
information about Terry is revealed when Max says that he probably did just
as well in the GAT test [an SAT type exam] as she did, and she got a perfect
score. At least one person at this school knows he's a smart
guy.
I liked the plot twist when Max thinks Terry is
a Jokerz. His confusion at her insinuations is well done.
Several things in the final fight scene are
clever. Terry, as Batman, can be seen in the background as eyes only, when
Terminal, the Jokerz leader, asks Max who will help her. Then Batman
materializes to answer, "Me". Terry and Max's short
conversation during the fight scene is perfect.
The final scene in the computer lab is a
gem. I especially enjoyed Max's silent reply and the closing banter
between Terry and Max. She's quite a strong-minded redhead.
The fact that this redhead shares the same computing skills and
determination with an older generation red head is a nice tie-in to the
earlier series. The ending reminded me of the BTAS "HEART OF STEEL" episodes, especially the ending of part two. Max's
character development in future episodes should be interesting.
After battling chemically enhanced, genetically
altered, or irradiated villains, a bunch of gang members as villains is a
good change. Terry doesn't have to permanently incapacitate, dilute or
otherwise destroy all miscreants. Batman fights crime, whether that
involves dealing with arch-villains or capturing run-of-the-mill criminals,
like the law-breaking Jokerz.
BAD POINTS:
The Jokerz leader's identity is obvious very
early in the story. No computer program is needed to deduce the
secret. But, the identity is key to the story, so, unfortunately for
any amateur detectives watching, the secret has to be given
away.
The switch on the fountain may have been too
easy of a plot ploy, but hey, it's just a half-hour show.
Okay, Terry knows something about
Alfred. What? Will we ever find out?
Sigh, there is no Bruce in this episode.
Hillary Bader, the writer, shows a more independent Terry, but I want Bruce
in a Batman episode.
Zanna
_________________________
EDITORAL
#1
(by Laura Hysert, aka "Phoenix")
Oh where, oh where has our Laurrrra gone? Oh
where, or where can she beeeeee? Oh where, oh where has our Laurrrrra gone?
I guess she'll no longer work for
freeeeeee....
________________________
EDITORIAL
#2
(by Kelly Tindall)
WHY I LOVE HALLOWEEN
It's the one night of the year when you just
ain't you.
It's the night of the year when you can be
Batman without being an outcast. It's the only time the Mad Hatter and
the Scarecrow can walk down Main Street at 8 o'clock.
It's the night of the year when, if you play
your cards right, you're the person that you could be during the day if you
could wash your inhibitions right down the drain, just like your makeup.
Halloween is the true you. Hope you
enjoyed
it.
________________________
AND
THAT'S THE FACTS
(by "Reliable Source")
(Yes, I understand that the title is
grammatically incorrect. So sue us. Actually, nix that. Don't sue
us.)
(DISCLAIMER: For those of you who are not
yet familiar, Reliable Source is an anonymous character who first surfaced
on Batman: The Animated Message Boards, spewing forth ridiculous predictions
about the future of Batman Beyond under the guise of spoiler warnings. His
controversial posts created quite a buzz, and have now landed him, at least
at this moment, a temporary column with this newsletter. The thoughts
and ideas expressed by this character are in no way officially connected to
Kids WB, Batman Beyond, this newsletter, or anything that is decent or
holy.)
Ladies and gentlemen, I would first off like to
apologize for my unexplained absence from last week's edition of the
newsletter. I would also like to reassure everyone that I am, in fact, quite alright, and to say thank you for the many cards, letters, and fruit
baskets that I have received in the past week. Everything is just
dandy, and rumors of my death were greatly exaggerated. That said,
let's dive right in.
In my last report, I stated that WB had sold the
rights to Batman Beyond away to Saban. In a late breaking story, WB has now
acquired the rights BACK from Saban, realizing the mistake that they
made.
"We realize that we can't milk this Pokemon
crap forever," said a WB spokesman, "and we have to treat Batman
Beyond with the respect it deserves." He then proceeded to show off the
brand new Outer Space Exploration Batman Beyond figure, in a nice bright
green space suit.
Meanwhile, the casting call for the live action
Batman Beyond movie is well under way. "We've cast that J. Peterman guy
from Seinfeld as Derek Powers," an official said. "I can't think of his real name." That's okay, no one would probably recognize him as
anything else, except maybe "that guy from the Travel Channel
commercials... who was also on Seinfeld as J. Peterman."
Unfortunately, with all the money spent buying
the rights back from Saban, there is now little money in the budget left for
things like good animation or decent plots. "That never really stopped
us before, though," our spokesman laughed. "After all, we have Hilary
J. Bader on staff." I was then beaten once again and asked to leave the
studio, as most all of my interviews end. But, such is the life of a
reliable source.
Next week, we'll have the return of the Reliable
Source Mailbag, so be sure to write in! The address, as always, is Reliable_S@hotmail.com. Thanks to
everyone who keeps writing in, and keep watching because your letter may be
the next one that I pull out of my sack. More as we hear
it.
________________________
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.
Ouch. I just got my wisdom teeth pulled the
other day. Ouch...my gums are killing me. Keeping that in mind, I decided to
centre this newsletter's trivia section entirely around teeth. It's a quiz
about nothing! Hmmm...that sure sounds familiar...
201. In the episode/comic "Mad Love",
the Joker briefly appears in the guise of a dentist. What does his nametag
read?
A: DR. JECKO
B: DR. JEKYLL
C: DR.
NAPIER
D: DR. SMILE
E: He didn't wear a nametag!
202. In the "old style" episodes, the
Joker's teeth were usually a bright yellow colour - except in one episode,
where they were the off-white colour (as seen in the "new style" episode). Which episode is this?
A: MAD LOVE
B: BE A CLOWN
C: MAKE 'EM
LAUGH
D: TRIAL
E: ALMOST GOT 'IM
203. Wow, my third question into this and my
creative well is already running dry. OK, how's this: Batman once
punched/kicked someone who, as a result of this, lost a tooth. Who was
this?
A: SUPERMAN
B: THE JOKER
C: BANE
D:
TWO-FACE
E: THE SCARECROW
204. One certain character noticed that he/she
had spinach in his/her teeth in one episode. In this episode, what was
he/she stealing at the time when this spinach was noticed?
A: A LARGE AIRWAVE-DISTURBING DEVICE
B:
FISH
C: TWO MILLION AND TWO DOLLAR BILLS
D: A DERGIBLE
E: A CANISTER OF
VENOM
205. Who is the only woman to ever lick Harvey
Dent's teeth on BTAS?
A: Gilda Dent
B: Rene Montoya
C: Grace
Lamont
D: Janet Van Dorne
E: Pamela
Isley
__________________________
ANSWERS
TO THE TRIVIA
Answer to #201: A
Answer to #202: C
Answer
to #203: B
Answer to #204: A
Answer to #205:
E
