__________________________
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.)

Hello once again, kids, and welcome to another edition.  As promised, we're going to kick things off with a letter from one of our faithful readers.  This week's letter comes to us from "Nerdgirl."  She writes:

"Maybe you can help me.  I, like countless other TNBSA and BB fans, have a burning question on my mind.  What became of Dick Grayson in Batman Beyond?  The producers promised us that we would find out what happened to DG in the second season.  So far, I have read the descriptions of most of season 2's episodes, and none look like they will dive into what happened to DG.  I have searched far and wide on the net for any info, to no avail.  There doesn't even seem to be any leaks anywhere. Reliable Source, you are my only hope.  You, like no one else, have the knack for finding answers to questions that are either impossible or not meant to be answered.  I know you can find the answer to this question and publish it in BTAN.  I know this sounds like kissing up, but I know deep in my heart that you won't let me and countless other DG fans down.  I know you won't disappoint us."

Well, Miss Nerdgirl, it did sound a bit like you were kissing up.  And I would just like to point out to all you other readers, that Nerdgirl got her letter printed.  That is exactly how you do it, so please all take a lesson from her.  Kissing up will get you very, very far.  And, Nerdgirl, if you are single, and looking for a very Reliable guy, feel free to send me a picture of yourself along with your phone number.

But seriously, folks, she poses a question that many Bat-fans have asked since the beginning of Batman Beyond.  What happened to Dick Grayson?  For that matter, what happened to all the old characters we used to know and love on Batman: The Animated Series?  Well folks, though the network is breathing down my neck over this one, and I have refrained from doing it thus far, here is the true word on what's happened to DG, as well as some other old favorites.

DICK GRAYSON, after becoming NIGHTWING to escape Batman's shadow, eventually grew tired of fighting crime and decided to become an actor on the popular soap opera "Gotham Nights."  He was a huge success, until his accidental death in a tragic love scene.  He is survived by his wife, the animal training lady with the gorilla, and his son, Dick Grayson Jr.  Or, as he is affectionately called, Little Richard.

TIM DRAKE went back to his fathers's criminal roots and became a drug dealer, and eventually, a pimp.  His claim to fame was having his ladies dress up as Batgirl, Supergirl, Catwoman, etc.

COMMISSIONER GORDON retired, and was replaced by new commissioner HARVEY BULLOCK.  And you thought the city was bad before.

POISON IVY and HARLEY QUINN realized their true feelings for one another and got married.  There will be a very... interesting flashback sequence explaining this, including a lengthy honeymoon scene.

THE RIDDLER was shot and killed by a vengeful JOSIAH WORMWOOD ("The Cape And Cowl Conspiracy") because everyone knows Riddler was just a lame Wormwood wannabe.

CLAYFACE was mixed into the cement that is the foundation of Hamilton Hill High School, where he remains still, slowly suffocating to death over the next thousand years.

KILLER CROC was captured by Roland Dagget's scientists and dissected.  His head was sent to Rupert Throne as a Christmas present, who had it mounted on his wall.  He often stares up at it pondering the meaning of life and muttering to himself incoherently.

TWO-FACE had plastic surgery to have both sides of his face match.  Unfortunately, the plastic surgeon misunderstood and made both sides match the DEFORMED side.  However the public loved this and Harv's mug graced many a copy of "People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People" editions.

And lastly, MAN-BAT is living deep within the recesses of the Batcave.  In the final episode of the series, Terry accidentally awakens him, and the enraged Bat rips out McGinnis's liver and eats it in the most graphic scene ever to make it onto a Saturday morning cartoon show.

I hope that helps put to rest any lingering questions out there.  Folks, you too can have your questions answered if you just send them my way at Reliable_S@hotmail.com.  Thank you to "Nerdgirl" for writing in, and I'm serious about that picture thing, really.  'Til next week, more as I 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.

Gangs. Who here got beat up by a gang recently - or ever? Someone close to me was assaulted by a number of hooligans recently; since that's on my mind, I decided to make the focus of this particular quiz on the various gangs in Gotham City.

206. What is the name of the first member of the Jokerz ever seen, in order of original air date?

A: JOKERZ LEADER
B: J-MAN
C: SCAB
D: GRIN
E: HARLEY-QUINN-TIN-TERANTINO

207. Two-Face's gang originally consisted of two identical twins. What were their names?

A: MIN and MAX
B: PHIL and LIL
C: SUGAR and SPICE
D: JASON and TODD
E: None. He's only used the "Two Tonne Gang".

208. Catwoman has predominantly worked ALONE; however, she did once confide in someone, prior to Batman learning her secret identity. Who was this one person?

A: CANDICE
B: THOMAS BLAKE
C: MAVIN
D: OSWALD COBBLEPOT
E: RUPERT THORNE

209. Aside from Rhino and the Ventriloquist himself, name the only other member of Scarface's gang that has appeared in more than one episode.

A: MUGSY
B: BUGSY
C: TINY
D: MR. BIG
E: TOMMY NO-NOSE

210. Which of members of the Valestra Mob were NOT killed by the Phantasm?

A: Carl Beaumont
B: Chuckie Sol
C: Buzz Bronski
D: Salvatore Valestra
E: Jack Napier (?)
____________________________
ANSWERS TO THE TRIVIA

Answer to #206: B
Answer to #207: A
Answer to #208: C
Answer to #209: A
Answer to #210: A, D, E
___________________________
LITTLE FACTS AND BLOOPERS
(by Tim "TWO-FACE" Leighton)

Here is a section that just points out various little facts and bloopers 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:
I am a potato. Multi-eyed, yet see nothing.

CONTRIBUTED BY OTHERS:
Uhhhh...nothing witty to say here...dang, I'm losing my edge.
___________________________
MERCHANDISING: WHERE THE REAL BAT-CASH IS MADE
(by anyone that wants to contribute)

This article is brought to us from the desk of Christian Fitzgerald:

Hasbro has recently released new toys for the Christmas shopping season, including the new "Street to Sky Batmobile" from Batman Beyond. I decided to take advantage of a promotion at Toys 'R Us, purchase the Batmobile and receive any regular Batman figure free. This promotion ended October 31st.

The idea behind the new Batmobile is that the regular car is changed into a jet by pushing a lever on the back to deploy the "Primary Flight Wings", then pulling it again to extend the "Secondary Flight Wings." The Batmobile also features a "Rapid Fire" disc launcher. In general the toy is very good looking, and it is fairly true to the series. Personally, I think it looks much better as the regular Batmobile in "Ground Cruiser" mode. The front wheels are set inside the "Intermediate Wings" which are folded down for flight, but give the Batmobile a roadster look when they are up. The primary wings are folded up for the cruiser mode and look like fins, a retro look that reminds me of the 60's Batmobile on steroids.

I would have to say I am disappointed with the toy. The first one I bought I took back because the locking mechanism that keeps the wings up in cruiser mode would not lock one of the wings. This is a weakness in design because even if it did work I can see a kid playing with it could snap the little tab right off in the first few days. I took that one back and exchanged it for another that did work correctly. Another complaint is that to make the Batmobile look anything like the package, you have to apply 20 decals. The decals are very hard to get straight, especially in the cockpit, and they are prone to stretch easily which makes proper fit difficult.

The disc launcher is another part that will break easily, because to load it, the cockpit canopy must be open. The instructions do not make this clear so everyone that used mine tried to load it through the top of the cockpit, where the discs exit when launched, but they wind up getting jammed and they are extremely difficult to get out. The disc launcher only fires about a foot and a half anyway so it isn't that much fun to begin with.  My record distance was about three feet, but it is not easy to make the discs fly far.

Overall the Batmobile is a pretty cheap attempt. The cockpit canopy fits terribly, it is loose when it is open and always falls off when you try to open it. The plastic that holds it on wears away quickly. The canopy is almost impossible to open in the first place, and then when you do pop it off it comes all the way off because the snap lock is more secure than the hinge. This is not a problem with just the one I have, because I returned one that had the same problems. I also am disappointed with the wheels. They are small and do not turn well. The Batmobile slides across any floor. Rubber on the wheels would have been a definite improvement.

As a toy, stay away from the Batmobile, it seems like it will break under a normal kid's use. Hasbro tried to design all of these features that require complex mechanisms inside the toy, all of which break. Collectors will like this though because it really does display well. If you have the patience to apply all of the decals, the Batmobile looks really good.

My verdict is, unless you are a die-hard Batman Beyond fan, or you don’t like to play with your toys, find other toys to spend your $24.99 on, or wait until it is on sale after Christmas.

Until next time...

Christian Fitzgerald

ChrisAFitz78@yahoo.com

http://www.geocities.com/chrisafitz78
___________________________
COMIC REVIEWS
(by Aaron Maurer)

Mr. Maurer was unable to submit a review for the printing of this newsletter, so editor Tim "Two-Face" Leighton is here to fill the void.

BATMAN BEYOND (ongoing)
ISSUE: "Ebony Tears" (#2)
WRITTEN BY: Hilary J. Bader
PENCILED BY: Craig Rousseau
INKED BY: Rob Leigh
ISSUED: October 27, 1999 (Cover date is December)
RATING: **** (out of 5)

    I can't believe how much better the ongoing BEYOND series is in comparison to the original miniseries.  Very rarely has Hilary J. Bader impressed me in the past - on either BTAS or BEYOND, but in this new monthly, she has impressed me twice in a row!
    This issue seemed like something in the vein of Ty Templeton - it was a character-driven issue that centres around the villain.  Sounds good, huh?  Having Inque as the focal point of the issue doesn't hurt any, either - Inque's always been my second-favourite villain from BEYOND, and I love seeing how her character develops. It's also nice to finally get some background on her character: so, she wanted to become a gelatinous blob of goo, huh?  Now we just gotta find out WHY...and that's for a later tale.
    Gladly, this character-driven story still has a good amount of action to keep me on the edge of my seat.  I absolutely loved it - I have high expectations for the next installment of the series!  Keep up the great work!

;-Y
___________________________
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".)
   If we are unsure of the exact date of when an issue is being released, just check out "DIRECT CURRENTS" at http://www.dccomics.com for details.

BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES #21
December 1st?
Synopsis: A young girl has been kidnapped and the only "eye witness" is a blind jazz musician. Can even Batman, the world's greatest detective, use the information the old man provides to find the girl before the kidnapper takes his revenge?
Cover: Unavailable

NEXT MONTH:
Synopsis: Commissioner Gordon and Batgirl are in the spotlight of the first animated comic to
hit the shelves in 2000!

BATMAN BEYOND #3 (ongoing)
November 24th
Synopsis: The Terrific Trio returns.
Cover: http://www.dccomics.com/directcurrents/
comics/covers/download/dbmbd3.jpg

FOLLOWING MONTH: Issue #4.
Synopsis: The Royal Flush Gang returns.
Cover: Unavailable

SUPERMAN ADVENTURES #39
November 10th
Synopsis:  The animated-style Supergirl takes the spotlight in a special issue! Someone from Supergirl's past life from Argo has returned...or have they? The happy reunion quickly becomes tragic when the mysterious returnee turns against both Kara and Superman! Is a foe of the Man of Steel's behind this surprising turn of events? 
Cover: http://www.dccomics.com/directcurrents/
comics/covers/sma39.jpg

NEXT MONTH:
Synopsis: Unavailable
Cover: Unavailable