Subject: Batman: The Animated Newsletter #1 - July 5,
1998
Date: Sunday, July 05, 1998 12:37 AM
Batman:The Animated Newsletter
Week of 5-11/12
Sneek Peek #1
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BRIEF ANIMATED BATMAN HISTORY:
The five-time emmy-winning Batman: The Animated Series (BTAS) debuted in
September of 1992 with the episode "Cat and the Claw" Part One. It ran on
weekdays (and even during prime-time on Sundays for a month or so). 65
episodes (and millions of dollars in merchandise) later, season two began
in 1994 with "House and Garden"...but this season died out with only 15
additional episodes, for the show was not raking in as much money as it
previously was. Also, in September of 1994, most of the first season
episodes were shelved, and the 15 new ones were aired... only on Saturdays.
A year later, BTAS was re-introduced to the weekday line-up. All the
original episodes were brought back this time, as well as 5 new episodes
(none of which were spectacular, but still good), leaving the episode
count at 85 in September of 1995. Most thought the series ended right
there without any closure, for the majority of the BTAS staff went on to
work on the new SUPERMAN cartoon which debuted the following September
(1996).
The series was top-notch, and fans were sad that it wouldn't go on. But
the stories that had been told were excellent...much better than most
comics and movies that have veer been produced. It was an excellent run. In
1997, after the WB's five-year contract with the FOX network, BTAS was
pulled from the TV, the last episode airing being "Trail". Was BTAS dead?
We were all proven wrong.
As soon as BTAS left the FOX network, it was teamed up with Superman on
the WB network. Better yet...NEW EPISODES WERE INTRODUCED!
In early 1997, production of these new BTAS episodes began. 21 episodes
were slated for the first new season alone, as well as a three part
crossover with the Superman series, bringing the total up to 24.
NEW episodes began on bright and early on the morning of September
13th, 1997. 2 years (less two days) after BTAS ceased production, it
was reborn.
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INTRODUCTION:
This newsletter will feature airdate schedules for Batman/Superman.
News and rumors on the show and little tidbits about the comics and
movies.
I believe this is (my and) the first newsletter dedicated to Batman:TAS
so be gentle (Tee Hee)! So sit back and enjoy...
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WB ANIMATION SCHEDULES:
The New Batman/Superman Adventures currently airs on WB and WB
affiliates.If you want to know the WB affiliates in your area check your
locla cable operator or check out TV schedules.Times for these shows
vary from affiliate to affiliate.The New Batman/Superman Adventures airs
Monday to Friday at 4:30pm (eastern) on most affiliates).The weekend KidsWB! airs on either Saturday or Sunday depending on affiliate.Here is
the this weeks schedule:
Weekday episodes:
JULY 6TH-Batman-TORCH SONG (#95)
JULY 7TH-Superman-MXYZPLIXILATED (#21)
JULY 8TH-Batman-SECOND CHANCE (#80)
JULY 9TH-Superman-LITTLE GIRL LOST Part One (#37)
JULY 10TH-SUPERMAN-LITTLE GIRL LOST Part Two (#38)
Weekend episodes:
JULY 11/12TH-(8:30am)-Superman-WARRIOR QUEEN (#36)
(9:30am)-Batman-LOVE IS A CROC (#94)---NEW!!!!!!!
(10:00am)-Superman-GHOST IN THE MACHINE (#15)
Note:All episodes after #85 of BATMAN are considered THE NEW BATMAN
ADVENTURES while the original 85 are considered BATMAN:THE ANIMATED
SERIES episodes.
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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.
'LOVE IS A CROC'
Batman #94
Airdate:Saturday(Sunday),July 11th(12th) 9:30am
The episode features Batman and Batgirl going toe to toe with Killer
Croc and a love struck Baby-Doll. When this episode aired in the UK it
got mixed reviews. There is a bit of Batgirl humor and a lot of action!
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EPISODE OF THE WEEK:
(by the Dynamic Duo)
This section is my favorite. This section lets me tell you about my
favorite rerun airing this week! You are not to miss this episode at all
cost! Tape it if possible! The episode can be either Batman or Superman.
Batman: TAS
Episode:#80
Airdate: Wednesday, July 8th
"SECOND CHANCE"
This is one of those rare episodes where the villian is a complete
mystery until almost the very end.I never saw the villian coming until I
discovered (along with the Dark Knight) who it was. The animation of
this episode is superb. The real hero of this episode is definatly
TWO-FACE. He has finally been able to pull himself togethor (and repress
the 'dark side') and have the operation that will make him whole once more.Then...he's kidnapped by hoods and taken away. This scene leads
into a great scene for both Batman and Robin. The Robin scene had more
edge to it in my opinion. The finale of this episode is pure gold. I
won't spoil it becuase not everyone has seen all the episodes
yet!Recommended veiwing!
Rating:4.5/5
THIS WEEK'S EPISODE TO MISS:
Superman-WARRIOR PRINCESS (#36)
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EPISODE REVIEW: (SPOILERS!)
(by Bob Evatt)
Mr. Evatt is an experienced reviewer of the new BTAS episodes and has much
of his work shown at the Lazarus Pit website, and is now contributing to
this newsletter! His other reviews can be reached via this link:
http://effect.net.au/allan/lazarus-pit
EPISODE: "Torch Song" (#95)
WRITTEN BY: Rich Fogel
DIRECTED BY: Curt Geda
ANIMATION BY: TMS
ORIGINAL AIR DATE: June 13/14, 1998
NEXT AIR DATE: July 6, 1998 (Monday)
RATING: *** (out of 5)
"What are you doing tonight?"
"The same thing we do EVERY night, Pinky."
"What?"
"Uh, never mind." --Bruce Wayne and Barbara Gordon, on the phone.
Cassidy, a popular rock star, once dated Garfield Lynns, the pyrotechnics
engineer for her tour. He remains obscessed with her, driving her to fire
him. Furious, he tries to kill her by overloading the pyrotechnics, only to
be foiled by Batgirl. Later, he dons fireproof armor and threatens her
personally, as Firefly. Batman must alter his tactics to overcome Firefly's
attacks and rescue her.
This is a run-of-the-mill "obscessed ex-lover" story with some fire thrown
in. As such, it's not bad. Garfield is nicely threatening at the beginning,
and his personal shrine to Cassidy (complete with candles) is a creepy
touch. Kudos to the writer for not making Cassidy a stock victim.
Unfortunately, Garfield's character suffers as the episode progresses. His
appearance as Firefly, while upgrading him to super-villian status, shifts
the focus away somewhat from his personal obscession with Cassidy. His
final plan--namely, to set Gotham on fire so he and Cassidy can escape
unnoticed--was dissapointingly generic. It would have been much more
disturbing (and true to character) if he planned to torch Gotham simply to
impress her, much like Ronald Reagan's would-be assassin's plan to shoot
him in order to impress Jodie Foster. Perhaps the censors would have
objected to that storyline... but I digress.
The visuals are much better than the story. The various fire effects, as
well as the episode as a whole, are animated nicely. Batman's fireproof
armor is interesting and well-used, though it would be a safe bet to assume
that the toy manufacturers have something to do with it. Firefly's
flamesabre was a nice touch, as was Batman's tactic to snuff some flames by
blowing them out with an explosion. In all, the good action compensates
somewhat for the weak story. Still, this episode could have been much
better.
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CARTOON NETWORK WB ANIMATION SCHEDULE:
Cartoon Network got the rights to air 52 episodes of the original 85
episodes on their network.The episodes air 7 days a week at 6pm and
12:00am eastern time(7:00pm on Sundays and will no longer air on
Satrudays starting the 11th of July). The episodes air in numerical order
and not in episode order. If you want the channel ask your local cable or
satellite operator. Here's the schedule for this week:
JULY 5TH-Episode #40-JOKER'S WILD
JULY 6TH-Episode #38-HEART OF STEEL Part One
JULY 7TH-Episode #44-HEART OF STEEL Part Two
JULY 8TH-Episode #40-JOKER'S WILD
JULY 9TH-Episode #41-TYGER TYGER
JULY 10TH-Episode #42-MOON OF THE WOLF
NOTE:Most of the episodes airing now on the CARTOON NETWORK won't be
airing on KidsWB! until next season! If you want to complete your
collection then get as many as these episodes on tape as possible! Just
some friendly advice.
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EDITORAL
(by Laura Hysert, aka "Phoenix")
"Getting a Little Crowded in Here..."
You'd have to be living in a cave for the past five years not
to know
that the Bat-movie franchise is spiralling towards bloody annihilation.
Most
Bat-fans agree that the lethal combination of poor writing, poor acting,
and poor direction, as well as an inability to grasp the essence of Batman
and the gritty world he inhabits, has lead to this failure. And in almost
all of these points, the animated series have avoided these pitfalls with
abundant grace.
Well...almost.
The producers of the animated series have had a faint tendency over the
years to cash in on gimmicks engineered by their big-screen ugly
stepsisters. Until now, this fetish has not been seed for any major
disasters. After all, is it a coincidence that the original series debuted
after the Bat-hype surrounding Batman Returns' tromp in the theatres? To
those reading and writing this newsletter, I'd wager a bet that this jump
on the bandwagon is not exactly a bad thing.
But with The New Batman Adventures, Paul Dini and company may have
shacked up with the devil once too often.
Hot on the heels of 1997's Batman and Robin, the movie that made Chinese
water torture seem an exquisite release, The New Batman Adventures debuted
on the WB network. Forgotten was The Schumacher Tragedy as Bat-fans were
promised that the animated Bat would be the "true" Bat: darker, grittier,
and more intelligent than even the much-acclaimed original animated series.
And in many ways, the producers have delivered.
But in formulating the new series, they have once again decided to cash in
on a gaudy device from the most recent live-action movie, a mistake that
could potentially kill much of what makes the animated series so great.
This phenomenon is what I call the crowding of the Bat Cave: adopting from
Schumacher's addled brain the oh-so-brilliant idea (tongue firmly in cheek
here) of giving Batman not one, but two, permanent, subordinate partners.
So...what's wrong with that? you ask.
Ah...where do I begin?
First, being such a blatant rip-off from a movie that makes Godzilla seem
like Citizen Kane is shameful in itself. This menage a trois didn't work in
the movie; why should it fare any better on television? The fact that the
series is good despite this flaw is merely a testament to its overall
quality.
But there's more to it than that. Simply put, Batman is a loner. He is an
obsessive, dark, and violent crimefighter. Bill Cosby he is not. I confess,
I've always felt uneasy with the role of Robin in the comics and the
series. Having a close working partner of any description, I believe, is
incompatible with the lone, avenging demon of the night that Batman
projects himself to be, and with the reserved, brooding essence of the man
himself. Others I've talked to have argued that Robin's main purpose is to
lessen Bruce's darkness and prevent him from going too far with it. I
accept this as a reasonable answer. But TWO partners in the Bat Cave? More
does not always mean better.
And in the new series, I've rarely seen this team-up work. Episodes like
"Never Fear" and "Growing Pains" have developed Batman and Robin's
relationship to an acceptable degree, but Batgirl always seems out of place
- like a house guest who stumbled into the Cave one night and never left.
With just Batman and Robin together, Batman can leave the kid at home sometimes, exercising his inner, dark self in adventures that are always
that much more satisfying, since they let the guy who's got his name at the
top of the credits just be himself. Sometimes he needs a helping hand, and
Robin is at the ready. That's fine.
But add another partner, and now poor Bruce can't seem to shake these
eager little lackeys, ever bolstering for his approval. They seem to follow
him everywhere. Think of it - how many of the new episodes have seen our
hero in his element - in the dark, alone? I challenge you to think of more
than one. So now, instead of Batman: fearsome vigilante, we have Batman:
field trip chaperone. This detracts from the very essence of who Batman is.
You want hero team-ups? I hear X-Men is still on Fox. This is Batman,
folks, not the Brady Bunch.
And in case you think I must have a death wish for poor Barbara Gordon,
let me tell you: this is an insult to her character, too. When "Batgirl
Returns," the last episode of the old series, aired, we were left with an
intelligent, intuitive, talented and independent Batgirl who was beginning
to develop her own effective methods of crime-fighting. Along comes the new
series, and Batgirl is reduced to being just a Robin with breasts. Though
she can now partake of the wonders of the Bat Cave, the show's producers
have forced Barbara to sacrifice her independence in exchange for the
protection and iron law of the Wayne patriarchy. Batgirl has been
shortchanged, and so have we. Nightwing has proven that an independent
crimefighter can work with Batman without continually being under his
thumb; why can't the animated producers restore this freedom to Batgirl?
This lady's got wings, and it's about time they let her use them.
Diluted characterization, unrealized potential, sweetness and light
stabbing through Batman's dark and enticing world - is this what the
overcrowding of the Bat Cave will lead to? Good God, I hope not. The
animated series' producers have more sense than that. But they have stepped
onto that doomed path, and unless they change direction, The New Batman
Adventures just may stumble into that abyss and never recover. But it
doesn't have to be this way. I'm not professing to have the answers, but
I've alluded to what I think could make The New Batman Adventures, a really
good show, a great one.
To sum up: kick Batgirl out of the Bat Cave and let her (gasp!) rely on
her own smarts; we know she's got them. (Note: And for that matter, show
her in action more. Bullock gets more air time than she does, for crying
out loud.) Nightwing can stay where he is, though the above note applies to
him, too. Robin can also stay, but Batman should leave him at home more often; less emphasis should be placed on Tim, who's already had more
development this year than any of his elder counterparts. He may warrant
that as a new character, but that doesn't mean he's the best character, and
we all know Nightwing is a bombshell just waiting for his chance to blow us
away. And most importantly, don't forget the reason why there is a Robin, a
Batgirl, and a Nightwing. Batman is one of the most complex, enduring, and
wonderful characters ever created. It's about time the visual media let him
show us under the mask to glimpse the man inside.
Laura, aka Phoenix
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BATMAN:THE ANIMATED TRIVIA
This section tests your knowledge of (Before and during WB) Batman
episodes. (Remember:The new episodes that air on WB are still in the same
continuity). The questions can be anything from the littlest thing
mentioned by someone or what happened to who in which episode and
how. The majority of these questions will be multiple choice. So start
rackin' yer brain!Here goes!
1.What is the very first thing uttered by the Joker in his first
appearance(and what episode is it?)
A:"What? Compare me to Batman?" (BE A CLOWN)
B:"Hi-Ho couch potatoes!" (HOLIDAY KNIGHTS)
C:"Here's your two cents. Now what are you going to do to me?" (JOKER'S
FAVOR)
D:"That's my cue!" (THE LAST LAUGH)
E:"I'm the Joker - living proof you don't have to be crazy to host this
show, but it helps." (ALMOST GOT 'IM)
Answer under the 'SITE WORTH CHECKING OUT' section.
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BATMAN:GOTHAM ADVENTURES
DC recently ended their long running BATMAN ADVENTURES/BATMAN & ROBIN
ADVENTURES comic series to produce a 5 issue mini-series dealing with
the lost time between SUBZERO and SINS OF THE FATHER (which takes place
before HOLIDAY KNIGHTS). They then spun off a new animated Batman comic
based on the new series airing only on KidsWB! The new animated Batman
comic is based on the designs of THE NEW BATMAN ADVENTURES! Here's the
newest issue which hit the stands on July 1, 1998:
BATMAN:GOTHAM ADVENTURES #4
Standard format
32 pages
$1.99/2.85 can
Letter column contest
Synopsis:What's the secret behind Catwoman's new look? Catwoman's new
look in TNBA is related to a tragedy...and Batman must stop this from
every happening..but can he? Find out in the 'Lost Years'-ish tale! Look
for the introduction of a new character!
NEXT MONTH'S ISSUE: Mr. Freeze returns (no, not Arnold Schwarzenegger
thank
God!) and decides its time ot finish what he's started in the episode COLD
COMFORT. But the return of a supporting character last
introduced and seen in episode DEEP FREEZE may cause some problems! All
of this and more in BATMAN:GOTHAM ADVENTURES #5, in stores in early August.
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COVERING THE BASICS....
This section will help you figure out what to look for on the comic
racks!The links below will take you to the cover of the comic
indicated.I hope to expand this section as the newsletter continues!
BATMAN:GOTHAM ADVENTURES #4
http://www.dccomics.com/directcurrents/comics/covers/download/dbmga4.jpg
BATMAN:GOTHAM ADVENTURES #5
http://www.dccomics.com/directcurrents/comics/covers/download/dbmga5.jpg
SUPERMAN ADVENTURES #23
http://www.dccomics.com/directcurrents/comics/covers/download/dsma23.jpg
SUPERMAN ADVENTURES #24
http://www.dccomics.com/directcurrents/comics/covers/download/dsma24.jpg
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ANIMATED NEWS AND RUMORS
News
BATMAN TOMORROW has new name!
-Due to promotional conflicts BATMAN TOMORROW has gained a new name!
Raving Toy Maniac (http://www.toymania.com)
has reported that its new
name is BATMAN BEYOND. The change of name is a result of promotional
problems (ie:"Today on 'Batman Tomorrow'!"). The airdate (now early
November) remains unchanged as does the premise of the show.
-Also BATMAN BEYOND related, DC Comics is publishing a 6 issue mini-series(now rumored to be ongoing) based on the series.It will be
written by Hilary J. Bader. Pencilled by Rick Burchett and Inked by
Terry Beatty. First issue hits the stands around the same time the show
premieres.
-For all of you people who get CARTOON NETWORK listen up:
CARTOON NETWORK will air MASK OF THE PHANTASM on Aug 1st as part of
their new 'Saturday Night Movie'(which means no Bats on Saturday). This
will be the network broadcast premiere of PHANTASM(expect WB to air it
next year). Plus in November CARTOON NETWORK will air SUB-ZERO!
