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!
CONTRIBUTED BY STAFF:
1) RETURN OF THE JOKER was original
due to come out on October 24th, right? Right. Did you know that October
24th is also Bob Kane's birthday (born in 1916)? That would have been a very
nice coincidence, indeed. Rest in peace, Bob.
CONTRIBUTED BY OTHERS:
(by "Jade Carlyle")
1) In
"Joker's Millions" Joker, Fake Harley, and his goons are sitting around the
hideout deciding what to do after they figure out that the money is fake. At
this time, Fake Harley is sitting down filing her nails OVER HER GLOVES.
TIMTWOFACE'S DIVINE INTERVENTION: Well, IS it a blooper, or
was it just put in there to show just how much of an idiot Fake Harley
is? I guess it can be seen both ways.
(by "Gehan")
2) While the Guards at Arkham take Maxie Zeus
to his cell, during the end of "Fire from Olympus", he sees the Joker,
Two-Face and Poison Ivy in their cells. Since when are the inmates at Arkham
allowed to wear their regular 'costumes'? (TIMTWO-FACE'S NOTE: This is
also true in "Fear of Victory".)
3) In "Shadow of the Bat(Part 1)", Batgirl doesn't have the
yellow bat sign on her chest, but it magically turns up in the next
episode.
4) There's an estbalished chemistry between Batgirl/Barbara
and Robin/Nightwing/Dick throughout the series. But in "Batgirl Returns",
Barbara's fantasy shows us that she also has a mighty crush on Batman, but
the issue is never brought up again. Hmmm...
5) 'Robin' was originally supposed to be shot in "I am the
Night", not Comissioner Gordon.
6) In the original "Christmas with the Joker" script, the
Joker was supposed to steal a regular family, thus making it more intense
and
scary.
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MERCHANDISING:
WHERE THE REAL BAT-CASH IS MADE
(by anyone willing to
contribute)
Ahem...AHEM...A-he-he-he-he-HEMMMM...
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COMIC
REVIEWS
(BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES by Tim "TWO-FACE" Leighton)
(BATMAN
BEYOND by Bill Curtis)
(SUPERMAN ADVENTURES by Dick Grayson)
BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES
ISSUE: "Deals" (#30)
WRITTEN
BY: Scott Peterson
PENCILLED BY: Tim Levins
INKED BY: Terry
Beatty
ISSUED: September 6, 2000 (Cover date, Nov 2000)
Rating:
*****
What a touching story.
Clayface has never been a favourite villain of mine, YET he's
always been featured in a lot of my favourite stories. MUDSLIDE,
GROWING PAINS, and now, BGA#30.
My favourite panel in the idea issue was at the bottom of page
15 where Clayface meets Tommy for the first time. The lack of dialogue
- and even a background - was perfect. The sequence where Clayface teaches
the boy to stabilize and solidify; terrific! Hagen is almost acting human again.
I also thought the sequences in Arkham were particularly well
done. The all-out brawl between the inmates and Batman that Clayface
started up was really cute; Clayface's not-so-welcome return to Arkham was
really touching, too. Of course he belongs here, after everything he's done - but I still see him as a sympathetic villain, and he doesn't really
deserve all the rudeness he recieves from the Joker and Ventriloquist.
I guess that he primarily agreed to help Batman just so he could leave his
tormenting colleagues behind for a while. All he needed was some
respite at any cost.
I loved this issue. It was perfection all
around!
;-Y
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COMIC
SCHEDULES & COVERING THE BASICS
This section gives a little bit more in-depth
look into each monthly issue of BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES, BATMAN BEYOND,
and SUPERMAN ADVENTURES. Below each comic listing is a link to the cover of
that comic. TALK ABOUT SERVICE!
The price for any of these
issues, unless otherwise posted, 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 #32
November 1st
Synopsis: The
Scarecrow is up to his usual sinister tricks as he unleashes a deadly gas that has the entire city of Gotham going completely crazy! Mass mayhem and
destruction ensue as millions of Gothamites literally lose their minds. Can
Batman and the gang save the masses from themselves?
Cover:
Unavailable
FOLLOWING MONTH:
Synopsis: Batman begins to doubt
whether his actions really make a difference in the world, and the
guest-starring Phantom Stranger appears to show him what a world without a Dark
Knight would look like - and believe us, it isn`t pretty! Batman sees
first-hand that his quest has made the lives of his comrades much greater,
as one by one they seem to follow the wrong path in the Stranger`s
vision!
Cover: http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0009/19/BGothAd33.jpg
BATMAN BEYOND #14
October 25th
Synopsis:
Unavailable
Cover: Unavailable
SUPERMAN ADVENTURES #48
???
Synopsis:
Unavailable
Cover: Unavailable
FOLLOWING MONTH:
Synopsis: Unavailable
Cover:
Unavailable
_____________________________________________________________________
NEWS
AND RUMORS
ALL-ENCOMPASSING/OTHER
-The following artists are selling
artwork on eBay. The following are their names and Seller ID's:
Terry
Beatty: beatty@machlink.com
Craig
Rousseau: cerousseau
Tim Levins: tlevins
Min S. Ku: min3000gt
ANIMATED SERIES (BTAS, STAS, BEYOND)
-THE ZETA PROJECT, the
BATMAN BEYOND spin-off, will debut on the KidsWB on October 14.
-Rich
Fogel is story editor of the series.
-Fogel has written two Beyond/Zeta
crossovers for this coming season
-Hilary J. Bader, Kevin Hobbs, and Paul
Dini have also contributed scripts
-Season One will include 13
episodes
-For pics and more information, go to:
http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0009/26/index.htm
ANIMATED COMICS
-BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES #33:
On sale
December 13. Batman begins to doubt whether his actions really make a difference
in the world, and the guest-starring Phantom Stranger appears to show him
what a world without a Dark Knight would look like - and believe us, it
isn`t pretty! Batman sees first-hand that his quest has made the lives of
his comrades much greater, as one by one they seem to follow the wrong path
in the Stranger`s vision!
Cover: http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0009/19/BGothAd33.jpg
-BATMAN
BEYOND #15:
(Written by Jason Hernandez-Rosenblatt; art by Craig Rousseau and
Rob Leigh; cover by Brian Stelfreeze)
On sale November 29. Just who is
the mysterious new being called Erica Electra who`s been crossing paths with
future Batman Terry McGinnis? Is she friend or foe? And will Terry`s girlfriend now have reasons to be jealous?
Cover: http://www.fandom.com/multimedia/Batman/Miscellaneous/BatmanMiscellaneous226298.jpg
-BATMAN
BEYOND #16
Homeless men have been mysteriously disappearing from Gotham's
streets, thanks to the international terrorist group known as Kobra.
But as Batman investigates, he quickly goes from hunter to hunted - and
Bruce must somehow infiltrate Kobra to free the captured hero.
Cover: http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0009/19/BB16.jpg
OTHER COMICS
-BATMAN: OFFICER DOWN
Remember 1999?
Remember the huge ramifications that NML had on the entire Bat-universe?
In January 2001, all of the comic creative teams are making Batman's battle
against crime all the more gut-wrenching and all the more personal:
Commissioner Gordon gets shot three times in the back. Brought to you by
Greg Rucka, Matt Idelson, Ed Brubaker, Chuck Dixon, Devin Grayson, Nunzio
DeFilippis.
Feature Article: http://www.fandom.com/comics/Editorial.asp?action=page&obj_id=234722
Cover:
http://www.fandon.com/multimedia/Comics/News/ComicsNews234690.jpg
Cover
(to BIRDS OF PREY #27): http://www.fandom.com/multimedia/Comics/News/ComicsNews234691.JPG
-The
second issue of HARLEY QUINN: On sale November 8. Harley finds herself alone,
adrift and without direction. Even a bizarre cameo by Poison Ivy (among
others) can`t get our darling little nut job out of her funk -- but maybe a
new job will? Enter Two-Face and a wild kidnapping scheme which only gets
stranger as the job unravels! And if that weren`t enough, a familiar face is
now hunting for Harley, and the Penguin drops by for a visit!
-The cover can
be found here: http://www.fandom.com/multimedia/Batman/Miscellaneous/BatmanMiscellaneous226292.jpg
-The
third issue of HARLEY QUINN features an all-girl slumber party. Oh, Ivy's gonna
be very happy about this.
The cover can be found here:
http://www.fandom.com/multimedia/Comics/News/ComicNews232646.JPG
-A
Harley/Ivy team-up and a road-trip to Metropolis in the pages of HARLEY QUINN is
in the planning stages for future issues.
-Volume 4 of NML will be out
December 20, 2000.
Cover: http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0009/19/BNoMansLndTP4.jpg
*The
following 7 issues are all a part of DC's " This Issue: BATMAN DIES!" promotion
for December. (That's right! Batman dies in every one of the following issues
in some way.)
-Bane appears in BIRDS OF PREY #26
-Two-Face and Montoya are
again the focus of DETECTIVE COMICS #753.
-The Joker appears in ROBIN
#85.
-Mr. Zsasz appears in GOTHAM KNIGHTS #12.
-Catwoman appears in
NIGHTWING #52.
-Batman's war against the Penguin continues in BATMAN
#586.
-Cain re-appears in BATGIRL #11.
-ROBIN: YEAR ONE #2
On sale
November 29. Robin squares off against the Mothman, the original Blockbuster,
and
Two-Face - all while trying to live the life of a normal teenager. When
duty gets in the way of
blooming romance, Dick at last learns the impossible
cost he must pay to be a champion of good.
Cover: http://www.fandom.com/multimedia/Batman/Miscellaneous/BatmanMiscellaneous226294.jpg
-ROBIN: YEAR ONE #3
Robin's first battle with Mr. Freeze.
MOVIES
*RETURN OF THE JOKER NEWS:
-The release date for
RETURN OF THE JOKER has been PUSHED BACK to December 12th, 2000. Why? Undoubtedly, this was done with the idea that they'd sell more during the
holiday season. Perhaps, but come on...this just isn't fair, especially
after all the work everyone did to bring it out WAY AHEAD of the original
planned date (from November 7 to October 24). This all comes from Stan
Berkowitz himself, and the folks at Amazon.com.
-For NEW pics from RETURN OF
THE JOKER, check here:
*Video cover: http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0009/25/bbtape.htm
*Batman
fights "Ghoul": http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0009/25/bb1.htm
*Batman
in cloud of smoke: http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0009/25/bb2.htm
-Mad
Stan also makes an appearance in RETURN OF THE JOKER.
-The Batman Beyond
website (www.batmanbeyond.com) will be
adding interactive features that include a 10-minute "Return of the Joker"
preview Webcast, a soundtrack sampler, a clip from the music video,
interactive arcade games, character biographies, weekly contests and sweepstakes for chances to win great prizes, questions for the creators,
chat events and much more. (all the previous movie info was taken from Alan
J. Porter's "Gotham Weekly News" newsletter)
*BATMAN BEYOND: LIVE ACTION NEWS:
-Rumour has it that Paul
Newman is one of the contenders to play Bruce Wayne in the upcoming live-action BATMAN BEYOND feature. I'd like to see Adam West, myself - that
would be really cool, actually.
-Word ALSO has it that the Paul Newman
thing was JUST A RUMOUR. Crud. I liked that rumour.
-Word is
leaking out from the UK major record label Distinct'ive that Warners and Paul
Dini are apparently very interested in one of their clients to score the
upcoming BB live-action film. Who? Mike Truman, Chris Healings, and Lee
Mullin - the trio that make up the eletronica group HYBRID who are
responsible for the recent critically acclaimed album "Wide Again". No way to confirm this yet, but will keep an eye on it. Thanks to DARK
HORIZONS.
-Director BOAZ YAKIN says this about his take on the BATMAN BEYOND
feature: When asked if he can avoid the cliches of previous comic book
films, Yakin answered, "Just
because the characters are familiar and
mainstream doesn't mean we need to follow a traditional, generic arc with
them. Everything I do I hope is really sophisticated, so this
will not stop
here."
-YAKIN will also be co-writing the script and making it far more
intense and more adult-oriented than ANY of the previous Bat-movies.
At least that's his intention.
*BATMAN 5 NEWS:
-CINESCAPE reports some BIG OFFICIAL BATMAN
5 NEWS!!!
After months of rumors, Darren Aronofsky has
officially been tapped to direct the fifth Batman movie...and it will be an
adaptation of BATMAN: YEAR ONE. According to Variety, besides Aronofsky,
acclaimed writer-artist Frank Miller, writer of the Batman: Year One
mini-series, has come on board the developing project to craft the coming
film's script with Aronofsky. Miller also created BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT
RETURNS and is currently working in its sequel.
As the title
suggests, BATMAN: YEAR ONE tells the story of Bruce Wayne's first year in the cape and cowl. The story also provides us glimpses of a young police
Lieutenant named James Gordon in his first encounters with the Bat
(regardless of how it was presented in Tim Burton's Batman) as well as an
interesting, different approach to Catwoman. One would hope that by adapting
Year One, the series would be relaunched with a clean slate, thus allowing the
use of other previously used, perhaps abused (and killed off), members of
Batman's rogues gallery, including the Joker, the Penguin, and Two-Face.
In addition, the trade reports that producer Eric Watson, who
did his duties for Aronofsky's PI and REQUIEM, may jump on Batman 5 as
well.
Previously, rumors were flying that suggested that BATMAN
5 might not happen for quite some time due to the impending writer and actor
strikes scheduled for summer 2001.
What is most surprising
about this situation is that WB currently has another Batman movie in the
works, BATMAN BEYOND, under the direction of Boaz Yakin (Remember the Titans). Certainly, WB won't put both films out in the same year, so it will be
interesting to see how the studio schedules each of the
films.
Aronofsky has also flatly stated that his meetings with
Brad Pitt were NOT with regards to BATMAN 5.
LIVE ACTION TELEVISION
-Remember the BRUCE WAYNE television
series? You can read a review of the pilot script by following the link
provided. Note: Chances are that this won't be made for quite some time, if at all.
http://filmforce.ign.com/news/1391.html
-The
WB Network has just ordered 13 episodes of a pre-Superman 'CLARK KENT' series;
they sure jumped on that one quick! 'BRUCE WAYNE' has been in production for
months and it looks like they've cancelled it! :-(
-To view anything
regarding the Batman ONSTAR commercials, go here:
http://www.onstar.com
-Four online,
interactive comic books (featuring Batman, the Joker, Catwoman, Two-Face,
Alfred, and Commissioner Gordon) can also be found at the OnStar
site.
-It looks like a fifth webisode featuring the Riddler will be coming
soon.
-Check out http://www.fandom.com/batman for
downloadable versions of the ONSTAR commercials if the official ONSTAR site
is not being cooperative with your PC. Two of the commercials can also be
found at http://www.adcritic.com - just
search for "Batman".
TOYS, BOOKS, AND OTHER MERCHANDISE
-The following is a
listing of the 14 tracks you'll find on the RETURN OF THE JOKER soundtrack. Despite the delay of the debut of the video, the soundtrack is still due out
on Oct 17, 2000.
1. Batman Beyond: Return Of The Joker (Main Title)
2. Industrial Heist
3. Meet The Joker
4. Joker
Crashes Bruce's Party
5. Terry Relieved Of Duty
6. Nightclub
Fight
7. Trap For Tim, A
8. Joker Family Portrait
9. Arkham Mayhem
10. Batman Defeats The Jokerz
11.
Joker Meets His End (Again)
12. Healing Old Wounds
13. Crash
- Mephisto Odyssey/Static-X (The Humble Brothers remix)
14. Batman
Beyond: Return Of The Joker (End Title) - Kenny Wayne Shepherd
-Ubi Soft
Entertainment and Kemco are teaming to publish Batman Beyond: Return of the
Joker on the PlayStation game console, Game Boy Color and Nintendo 64 in
North America. The games will also be published in Europe, South Africa, New
Zealand and Australia under the name Batman of the Future: Return of The
Joker.
-DC Direct has announced a new Batgirl statue is due in stores next
April. Sculpted by Barsom Manashain the statue is Inspired by the
animated-style cover to Batman & Robin Adventures #21 by Ty Templeton.
This striking statue of Barbara Gordon, Batgirl, sits atop a Bat-Signal and measures 7 inches tall and 3.5 inches deep. Cost is $99.95 and ships on
April 25. A photo of the statue can be found at the following:
http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0009/19/BatgirlStatue.htm
-TOYS R US may be producing an "Arkham Asylum four-pack", featuring repaints
of Batman, Two-Face, Catwoman, and Poison Ivy. Will the two femmes
have new figures to correspond with their new designs? Thanks to the
JokerInc newsletter for that newsbyte.
-I snagged some pictures of four of
the upcoming RETURN OF THE JOKER action figures. Have a look!
GOTHAM
KNIGHT BATMAN
http://images.honesty.com/cgi-bin/honesty-image/12309796/newbatman.jpg
ARKHAM
ASSAULT JOKER
http://imagehost.auctionwatch.com/bin/viewimage.x/000c8bb9/jamil/Mvc094s.jpg
GOTHAM
DEFENDER BATMAN
http://imagehoset.auctionwatch.com/bin/imageserver.x/000cdbf1/toysexpo/BatBeyondJoke_a.jpg
RAPID
SWITCH BRUCE WAYNE
http://imagehost.auctionwatch.com/bin/imageserver.x/000d1497/toysexpo/RetJok_BruceWayne_a.jpg
-THE
NEW BATMAN ADVENTURES will be available for Game Boy by Christmas
2000.
-Looking for a Batman-related costume this Hallowe'en? E-mail CowardlyLot@aol.com and put in a request! Go to http://www.fandom.com/batman/editorial.asp?action=page&obj_id=225572
for details and great sample pics!
SPECIAL NOTE
For more BATMAN, SUPERMAN, AND BEYOND news
throughout the week, check out the WORLD'S FINEST NEWS PAGE at:
http://www.geocities.com/bbeyond/news.html
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