Date: Sunday, September 13, 1998 1:52 PM

Batman: The Animated Newsletter
Week of Sept 14 - 19/20
Volume 1, Issue #6

NOTE: This is yet another smaller installment of "Batman: The Animated Newsletter", so we can make the "Season Premiere Spectacular" extra special next week. Be sure to be there! But enjoy this issue in the mean time!

INTRODUCTION
Welcome to another installment of BATMAN:THE ANIMATED NEWSLETTER. In this newsletter you'll find all sorts of items pertaining to the hit show. There is also a bit of Superman:TAS thrown in for good measure - just keep in mind that this newsletter is predominantly about the Bat, K? We have the usual columns plus special articles in every newsletter! We have schedules, new, comic info, trivia, websites, editorials and much more! So sit back and relax!

BATMAN:THE ANIMATED ARCHIVES

Wow, It's Christmas! For all of you new B:TAN readers you can now catch up on the previous newsletters! A great friend of both Tim and I has put our old newsletters up at her site! The site is called "The Warner Bros. Club" and features tons of WB related games and information! Plus each new newsletter will be out up there as well! For all you wanting to catch up, or look back, here is the URL:

http://www.toonzone.net/wbc

The Warner Bros. Club site is also part of a much bigger site. The site is called TOON ZONE and contains three more WB related sites: Brian Cruz's WB Cartoon Page, Colin's WB schedule page, and the WB Comic Zone. The sites have been updated and somewhat revamped! Do you wanna see the people behind it? There's also a site for that as well. This isn't an official WB page but it's so good, might as well be! There's even a chat room and a great message board! If you're looking for anything WB related check out this site! Definitely worth bookmarking!

TOON ZONE
http://www.toonzone.net
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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.

'THE ULTIMATE THRILL'
Batman #96
Air date: September 14, 1998 (USA)
Roxy Rockett flies around being a bad widdle girl. Batman and Batgirl try to stop her before she falls down and goes boom. Pengy-poo is along for the ride. (Will the episode be good? We'll see...)

'CULT OF THE CAT'
Batman #100
Air date: September 18, 1998 (USA)
Obviously, a Catwoman episode, where it would appear she acquires a gang - a re-vamped Cat-man also gets involved.

'CRITTERS'
Batman #99
Air date: September 19/20, 1998 (USA)
Farmer Brown's debut episode, and the BTAS 1998-99 season premiere, which revolves around his fiendish and 50's-ish sci-fi plot to release a barrage of giant killer ants on Gotham.

'WHERE THERE'S SMOKE'
Superman #42
Air date: September 19/20, 1998 (USA)
We have NO IDEA what this one's about - which gives us all the more reason to tune in to it!

'ANIMAL ACT'
Batman #101
Air date: September 26/27, 1998 (USA)
The UK exclusive finally airs in the USA, which pits Batman and Nightwing against a group of felons who turn out to be...animals??

'OLD WOUNDS'
Batman #102
Air date: October 3/4, 1998 (USA)
This episode is WAS to be the season premiere of BTAS this year. It revolves around Dick Grayson telling Tim Drake why he and Batman aren't as close as they once were. It sheds light on why Dick left the Batcave, how he became a hero of his own, and how Batgirl became a much more intricate part of their team. Two-Face and the Joker are also set to appear, if the story follows it's "Lost Years" comic counterparts.

Here are the BATMAN episodes that are coming:

1. THE ULTIMATE THRILL (#96)
2. CRITTERS (#99)
3. CULT OF THE CAT (#100)
4. ANIMAL ACT (#101)
5. OLD WOUNDS (#102)
6. LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT
7. BEWARE THE CREEPER
8. GIRLS' NIGHT OUT
9. JUDGEMENT DAY
10. CHEMISTRY
11. MAD LOVE (Pt. 1)
12. MAD LOVE (Pt. 2)

They say that there are only these episodes airing this fall but I still don't believe 'em. Don't forget there's still the BATMAN half of the two Batman/Superman crossovers, ("Knight Time" and "Rise of the Demon") and keep in mind that "Girls' Night Out" may be a two or even three-parter.
Rumor has it that three more episodes will be held back for the summer of 1999 (like this past season). Only time will tell how many and which episodes we're getting. Right now production has temporarily stopped on BATMAN episodes but not on SUPERMAN or BATMAN BEYOND episodes.This season sounds interesting either way, and I can't wait until September 19th!
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WB ANIMATION SCHEDULES:
(courtesy of Brian Cruz)

The New Batman/Superman Adventures premiered this past year with ratings and critical success! KidsWB airs the show Monday through Friday at 4:30 PM (eastern time) and now in a 90 minute block on weekends starting at 8:30am (eastern time). The time may vary for the various WB affiliates across Canada and the U.S. The schedule is set to change again in September or October, so watch the SCHEDULE and NEWS section for upcoming information!

9-14-98:
BATMAN #96-THE ULTIMATE THRILL---NEW!
SUPERMAN #31-PROTOTYPE

9-15-98
SUPERMAN #13-THREE'S A CROWD
BATMAN #91-NEVER FEAR

9-16-98
BATMAN #97-OVER THE EDGE
SUPERMAN #22-SPEED DEMONS

9-17-98
SUPERMAN #7-FEEDING TIME
BATMAN #93-GROWING PAINS

9-18-98
BATMAN #100-CULT OF THE CAT---NEW!
SUPERMAN #25-BRAVE NEW METROPOLIS

9-19/20-98
SUPERMAN #42-WHERE THERE'S SMOKE---NEW!
BATMAN #99-CRITTERS---NEW!

Note: All episodes after #85 of BATMAN are considered THE NEW BATMAN ADVENTURES while the original 85 are considered BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES (BTAS) episodes.

EPISODE OF THE WEEK:
(by the Dynamic Duo)
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! All Batman and Superman episodes are eligible.

- There are FOUR new episodes this week! FOUR! "The Ultimate Thrill", "Critters", "Cult of the Cat" (all for Batman), and "Where There's Smoke" for Superman! I strongly suggest you try to catch ALL of these - but from what I have heard, "Cult of the Cat" is supposed to be the most impressive.

EPISODE TO MISS:
-We cannot rate the new episodes this week, but we can safely say that all the REPEAT episodes this week are of the finest quality - see 'em if you can!
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CARTOON NETWORK WB ANIMATION SCHEDULE:
"Yabba Dabba Doom"
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 Saturdays 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:

Mon 9-14-98: #40 Joker's Wild
             #41 Tyger Tyger

Tue 9-15-98: #42 Moon of the Wolf
             #43 Day of the Samurai

Wed 9-16-98: #45 Terror in the Sky
             #47 Birds of a Feather

Thu 9-17-98: #48 What Is Reality?
             #49 I Am the Night

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.
SPECIAL NOTE: "Batman & Mr. Freeze: Sub-Zero" will air on November 21, 1998.
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DISCUSSING BATMAN/SUPERMAN
I bet you're all (well most anyway) just like me. So full of Batman/Superman info and wanting to talk to someone about these mythical heroes, but you have no one with which to talk to them about. Well, that's changing! Below, in my opinion, are the best places to chat and post messages about the new (and old) episodes, news and rumors concerning THE NEW BATMAN SUPERMAN ADVENTURES:

MESSAGE BOARDS
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I think this is a great message board!It's called the BAT-TOON BOARD and well...it's pretty obvious what it's about. Here you can talk about new Batman:TNBA episodes and everything relating to it. You can also sneak in some Superman stuff as well! This message board is a apart of the great site called THE ANIMATED BAT website (URL in BATMAN/SUPERMAN WEBSITES section) run by Thomas Drake! (I'm not sure if it's his real name or not...)
Highly recommended! You can access the board through the site and through this URL:
http://www.InsideTheWeb.com/messageboard/mbs.cgi?acct=mb73926
but wait there's more...!

There's a message board that deals with chatting about BATMAN EPISODES (new and old...movies as well). It's fittingly called ALFRED'S MESSAGE BOARD and its where ya wanna go if you wanna talk about episodes! It's a part of a site called BATMAN:THE ANIMATED HOMEPAGE run by Bruce Wayne (not 'the' Bruce but a dedicated fan). The page offers clips, reviews, sounds, and now character designs from B:TAS/TNBA. (The URL for it is in the BATMAN/SUPERMAN WEBSITES section) It has a new working message board which is for superior to its predecessor! You can access the message board through the site but or through this URL:
http://www.InsideTheWeb.com/messageboard/mbs.cgi?acct=mb143299
check them both out!

CHAT ROOMS
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Toon Zone. The premiere site on the web for anything WB related. This also includes a new killer chat room (with an equally great message board) in which you can discuss all your fav WB shows..including BATMAN/SUPERMAN and the upcoming BATMAN BEYOND! The chat room has themed nights...one night will be BATMAN/SUPERMAN while the next may be...Tiny Toons or whatever. You can access this chat room through any of the Toon Zone sites and through this URL:
http://www.toonzone.net/wbc/chat/chatframes.html

HEAVY DUTY DUBBA (which include BATMAN/SUPERMAN) chat night:
Mondays & Wednesdays
Hours:7:30pm-9:30pm(eastern time)
Other chat night schedules include WB cartoons and WB cartoon comedies among others.

There you go! Two great message boards and a fun chat room! These are definitely worth checkin'out if you got the time!
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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 in the same continuity as the older ones). 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!

Answers are provided beneath the "Animated Batman/Superman Sites" section.

15. In which issue of the animated Bat-comics did Roxy Rockett debut?

A: BATMAN ADVENTURES ANNUAL #1
B: BATMAN ADVENTURES ANNUAL #2
C: BATMAN & ROBIN ADVENTURES ANNUAL #1
D: BATMAN & ROBIN ADVENTURES ANNUAL #2
E: None - she's only in "The Ultimate Thrill" episode.

16. Which of these BTAS original characters has already crossed-over into the mainstream Bat-continuity?

A: HARLEY QUINN
B: LOCK-UP
C: BABY-DOLL
D: SUMMER GLEESON
E: NORA FRIES

17. On BTAS, which of the listed people does NOT have a known true-identity?

A: THE PENGUIN
B: THE JOKER
C: BANE
D: KILLER CROC
E: THE VENTRILOQUIST

18. How tall is Poison Ivy? (It HAS been revealed on BTAS, ya know! Weight, too!)

A: 5'6"
B: 5'8"
C: 5'4"
D: 5'1"
E: 5'5"
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ANIMATED NEWS AND RUMORS

MOVIES
-The BATMAN SUPERMAN MOVIE is now on video and prices are surprisingly low! They range from 7.99 to only 12.99! Pick this tape up if you can! Its definitely worth it!
-Also it looks like BATMAN:THE ANIMATED MOVIE #3 is a definite YES!(woohoo!) - and rumors still state that it will either involve Two-Face, Scarecrow, or Ra's Al Ghul/Bane.
-"Batman & Mr. Freeze: Sub-Zero" will air on the CARTOON NETWORK on November 21, 1998.

COMICS/BOOKS
- BATMAN: ANIMATED hits comic store and book store shelves on Sept. 23rd. This date is, of course, subject to change. Written by Paul Dini and Chip Kidd.
- Harley Quinn is rumored to make a major comeback in "Batman: Gotham Adventures" within 12-15 months, where she finally writes her tell-all book about the Joker and other Arkham inmates!
-During the San Diego ComicCon, Paul Dini revealed that he will be writing a story arc for NO MAN'S LAND that will introduced Harleen Quinzel into the mainstream world. She will be introduced as a therapist at Arkham Asylum but she won't be making her debut as Harley for quite a while. Is this a good thing? Only time can tell. Also the introduction of Batgirl #2 during NO MAN'S LAND seems very true. (news courtesy of NEWSARAMA DAILY at the MANIA site)
-Rumors still seem to be flying about the Spoiler becoming Batgirl #2...but now with her baby? Hmmm...


ANIMATED SERIES'
-The Mad Hatter is now slated to appear in at least one future Batman episode as the main villain.
-Here's a recap of all the known upcoming episodes this season (sorry, no Superman episodes were available):
-Look for the return of Zatanna and Bane, plus the Scarecrow will be returning to terrify our heroes! The Riddler will have 3 whopping appearances as well. Catwoman will head her own team to counter Batman's. The Judge will be introduced and more of Batman's Rogues gallery will return.
-And, as for scheduling, every weekday we'll be having ONE FULL HOUR of Batman/Superman, instead of the half-hour time slot we've had all year. The weekend will, sadly, be shortened to one hour (from 90 minutes), to accommodate BATMAN BEYOND into the "HEAVY DUTY DUBBA" schedule.

- Plus some BATMAN BEYOND news...
aside from findin' out what happened to Tim Drake and Dick Grayson it is very possible that we'll be introduced to Ra's Al Ghul and SUPERMAN(!) in the second season!

http://www.mania.com/columns/amhh/amhh081498.html

http://www.mania.com/tv/features/batmanbeyond.html

http://www.toymania.com/sdcc98/batmanbeyond.shtml

(Thanx for Brain Cruz's WB Cartoon page for the URLS!)

- WB feels that "Batman Beyond" will be a huge success, so they've already planned 13 episodes for the series' second season.

- A JLA (Justice League of America) series does NOT look likely at this point in time. My personal opinion...YAY!
- News about the "future" of the JLA series can be found if you follow this link:

http://detnews.com/metro/hobbies/comix/stories/9808/18/index.htm
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