BATMAN: THE ANIMATED FIGURES
(by Kevin Smith)
Oh_Ho77@hotmail.com
Mr. Smith was unable to submit an article for this issue of BTAN. But
fear not, he will return shortly!
____________________________
COMIC REVIEWS
(by Aaron Maurer)
*Aaron Maurer was unable to submit a review in time for the distribution
of this issue; therefore, editor Tim "TWO-FACE" Leighton has written up a review
of the most recent animated Batman comic, of Gotham Adventures. Mr. Maurer
will return shortly!
BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES #14
TITLE: "Masks of Love: A Harley Quinn Romance"
WRITER: Ty Templeton
PENCILLER: Craig Rousseau
INKER: Stan Woch
ISSUED: May 5, 1999 (cover date is July)
RATING (out of 5): ***
I wish I could say I liked this issue, but sadly, I can't. I'd give it 3
stars out of 5 at most. Why? Well, compared to BGA#10 (which I'd give 5 stars), this just
cannot live up to it. The new artists, while good, just can't compare to Burchett and
Beatty. And Ty's story, while good in general, contained a lot of little things that
bothered me. In particular, I really hated the mind-control gimmick that was brought in
out of the blue - that was just corny, and there was no hint of it before hand. Harley
gives a two-panel explanation of where these chemicals came from - and it just didn't do
it for me - it was just too neat and tidy. The final scenes with a FRIENDLY Joker were
kinda lame, too - namely cuz he was under a transe caused by the chemical that I could not
take a liking to.
And personally, I wanted to see the building blow up...that would've
made for some great art.
I did enjoy some things...the first pages with Robin in training, the
various funny things done to the Bat-signal, and the idea of her acting out scenes from
her book to get publicity...
So in the end, I liked half of it, and didn't like the other half.
Fitting eh? So 3 stars outa 5 is my final rating.
Personally, for Ty's final story, I would've re-arranged the issues so
that an excellent issue was in , i.e.:
BGA#10 - Joker/Harley story
BGA#11 - Harley seeks publicity for book
BGA#12 - Two-Face the crime-fighter
BGA#13 - Mr. Nice, Mastermind, Perfesser
BGA#14 - The Riddler story from
So, basically, switching when Issues #11 and 14 were printed. I think
that'd have been a more fitting way to end Ty's current run on the series.
It still is an enjoyable comic, and I bet that if you're a fan of Harley
you'll enjoy it, but it's not as great as it could or should have been. Now I'm
looking forward to Ty's next issue for the series (we just don't know WHEN that will be)!
____________________________
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".)
BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES #15
June 2nd
Bane returns! Pulling daring bank robberies throughout Gotham, there are no leads. And no
criminal in town seems to know Bane's whereabouts. Why are his hideout's neighbors in a
rundown part of town Is it simply the threat of his vengeance... or is there some other
force at work?
Cover: http://www.toonzone.net/comics/covers/bga/bga15.jpg
NEXT MONTH: - Alfred's been kidnapped! But why doesn't Batman
seem concerned? That's the question on the minds of Nightwing, Batgirl and Robin, who
can't come to Alfred's aid until they battle their way through hordes of heavily armed
thugs.
Cover: http://www.toonzone.net/comics/covers/bga/bga16.jpg
BATMAN BEYOND #5
June 16th
The return of Inque. She's on a mission to steal top-secret data, but there's more to her
plan than meets the eye. Pieces of her body left behind at the scene exhibit strange
behavior and could lead Batman to Inque or to his own death, or both.
Cover: http://www.toonzone.net/comics/covers/bb/bb6.jpg
NEXT MONTH: None. A continuing BATMAN BEYOND series will start up this
fall.
SUPERMAN ADVENTURES #34
June 2nd
The Man of Steel's been possessed, and only one man can save him... or at least stop him!
An ancient evil is on the loose in Metropolis, and it's taken control of Superman! It's a
job only the sorcerous Dr. Fate can handle. At least we hope so, or he may have to banish
the Man of Steel to a place with extremely warm temperatures!
Cover: http://www.toonzone.net/comics/covers/sa/sa34.jpg
NEXT MONTH:
The Toyman's toys are pulling off a rash of crimes throughout Metropolis, but the Toyman
insists he isn't behind it. Now Superman must find out if there's another mastermind at
work, or if the Toyman's just playing games to hatch a bigger, deadlier scheme.
Cover: http://www.toonzone.net/comics/covers/sa/sa35.jpg
_____________________________
NEWS AND RUMORS
ALL-ENCOMPASSING/OTHER
-A new net-interview with Writer/Producer Paul Dini can be found at the following address:
http://www.cam.org/~emru/criticaleye/interviews/pdini.html
-Do yourself a favor and check out BrainUK's BATMAN ANIMATED UK Fan Club! The link is
right here:
http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/batmananimateduk
"CURRENT" ANIMATED SERIES'
-The STAS episodes LEGACY and DEMON REBORN have, apparently, have been left for next
season. Great. Three more episodes to be scattered throughout the season. Perfect. Blech.
BATMAN BEYOND
-Early reports show that BATMAN BEYOND: The Movie has been selling great! It seems fans on
their way to see STAR WARS have been dropping by their local malls to pick up a copy of
the movie. Congrats, WB!
ANIMATED COMICS
-Feel free not to believe this rumor, but rumor has it that GOTHAM ADVENTURES and SUPERMAN
ADVENTURES are selling low. So as of B:GA #25 and whatever issue SUPERMAN is at that month
(#44?), these titles will be cancelled and repackaged as a BATMAN/SUPERMAN ADVENTURES
comic. The
heroes will alternate between months. I don't think this could happen, but if it
did...would it be good or bad?
OTHER COMICS
-Last week we stated Batman: Dark Victory #0 would be polybagged with Wizard #95, but that
has changed. Dark Victory #0 will now be released with Wizard #97, which is slated for a
September or October release. Sorry about the mistake
-For more, see the "Road Through No Man's Land" section below.
MOVIES
-???
TOYS & MERCHANDISE
-The Superman video game IS coming out for the N64 and Gameboy. But the fate of the
Playstation version seems to be very up in the air. I certainly hope it's not cancelled!
Let's keep hoping!
-Check out "Two-Face's Trading Post" if you're interested in purchasing
figures...lists provided below.
_____________________________
THE ROAD THROUGH NO MAN'S LAND
(by Tim "TWO-FACE" Leighton)
Yes, I know this isn't really an animated topic, but I thought, hey,
it's Batman's 60th anniversary, and this is the big event that celebrates it, so I should
have a section dedicated to this year-long crossover. Besides, so far it's been excellent
in every issue. We have this section split up into two parts - the first saying what has
already happened, the second previewing what's to come. Enjoy!
UP UNTIL NOW...
JANUARY - APRIL: For synopses of what happened in the first four months of NO MAN'S
LAND, go see Issues #26 and #27 of "Batman: The Animated Newsletter".
Follow this link: http://www.toonzone.net/wbc/btan
MAY: The first major turf war has begun in part one of
"Claim Jumping". Two-Face and the Penguin make arrangements to take out
both Batman and the GCPD, respectively. Meanwhile, Two-Face frees a mentally
two-faced assassin named Isabella Cheranova from Blackgate prison - but why? An up-to-date
map of Gotham is also featured: Batman now rules a HUGE chunk of town, and it looks like
Zsasz and Croc have expanded their territories as well. It also looks like the
Scarecrow and Mad Hatter HAVE been defeated and locked up in Blackgate permanently.
The "Claim Jumping" turf war ends with Two-Face being triumphant. He
doublecrosses the Penguin; Cobblepot loses half his territory. Then Two-Face
trounces the B-man and takes over his entire territory in the four hours during which Echo
holds him hostage. Echo is now free in Gotham.
A "No Man's Land" gallery issue was also released, featuring 22
illustrations of the Bat-cast in their NML settings. Pretty much all major players
are depicted at least once in this issue.
Next, a new assassin named "Cain" wreaks havoc in Gotham. Batman
confronts Batgirl about letting Two-Face take his territory, and then confronts Two-Face
himself - but let's him off the hook for the time being.
That's 22 issues of NML so far. For a complete list, e-mail us.
WHAT'S TO COME...
-May: Batman and Batgirl fight Cain, another assassin on the loose in Gotham.
-May: Francine Langstrom comes to the Penguin for help, which results in Man-Bat returning
to Gotham, in BATMAN CHRONICLES #17.
-May: Batman: Bullock's law focuses on Harvey Bullock in a "Raod to No Man's
Land" setting.
-June: Batgirl pays the price for allowing Two-Face to take over Batman's territory in
LOTDK #120 - as well as being UNMASKED! Then, Batman and Robin battle Clayface for the
life of Poison Ivy in "Fruit of the Earth" (3 parts). And don't forget
Harley's intro (which MAY be this month).
-July: Batman and Mr. Freeze battle in the heat of the summer at the power plant,
determining who controls Chinatown. Bane resurfaces, and Nightwing has a little
tussle with Lock-Up.
-See more below.
AS FOR THE OTHER HEROES:
-Batgirl falls prey to an assassin named Cain in the second half of May.
-Batgirl's identity is revealed in LOTDK#120, this June.
-Robin and Nightwing return to Gotham in June!
-Robin's first duty is to aid Batman in saving Poison Ivy from Clayface.
-Nightwing is ordered by Batman to take control of Blackgate Prison after returning to
Gotham in July; Lock-Up is unhappy with this.
-Robin, Superboy, Impulse, and a bunch of the "Young Justice" heroes come to
Gotham to try and fix things up.
-Azrael and Batgirl team up to take down Nicholas Scratch, in a giant comic also featuring
Batman, Robin, Nightwing, Joker, Penguin, and Two-Face.
-Catwoman breaks back into Gotham in Catwoman #72, this July.
-A one-shot focussing on how Harvey Bullock is handling No Man's Land is also due out;
Black Mask appears.
-Leslie Thompkins is the focus of BATMAN CHRONICLES #18, in August.
-Superman will return to Gotham in SHADOW OF THE BAT #92, in October.
AND AS FOR THE REMAINING VILLAINS...
-Two-Face is confronted by the Bat-team in LOTDK #120, in response to his holocaustic
triumph over Batman in "Claim Jumping".
-Two-Face re-appears in another big way later on in No Man's Land, apparently as the
second-last villain to be defeated. (How fitting.)
-Man-Bat appears, thanks to the Penguin and Francine Langstrom.
-Poison Ivy has sought refuge in the Robinson Park and turned it into a Garden-of-Eden
paradise. But then Clayface appears and turns this Eden into a Hell for Ivy.
-Black Mask and "The Widow Wacker" confront Bullock in a special one-shot due
out in June.
-The one-shot comic featuring Harley Quinn's intro to the mainstream Bat-universe will
also come out this June (I think?).
-Mr. Freeze seizes control of the power plant to stay alive - and to have something
valuable to trade with the rest of society. His story involves - a plumber? Freeze
also controls Chinatown. (LOTDK #121)
-Bane tries to gain control of the city - again - but has to break in from the outside -
across the river filled with land mines. Batgirl also has a significant role. This is in
Detective Comics #736, in July.
-Lock-Up is in trouble when Nightwing tries to take over control of Blackgate Prison in
July!
-The Joker doesn't appear as a major player until close to the end, along with the new,
improved Harley Quinn - whom will appear with the Joker AND Poison Ivy in August.
-The Mad Hatter, Killer Croc, Mr. Zsasz, and various other "lesser" villains
have their own chunks of Gotham to rule as well.
-Ra's Al Ghul, meanwhile, is in Washington D.C. battling Anarky in his new ongoing series.
_____________________________
TWO-FACE'S TRADING POST
(by Tim "TWO-FACE" Leighton)
I know that there are many people out there that collect Batman OR
Superman items - like
myself. I only started a year ago and, believe me, finding some of these items (like
action figures) that were released a couple years ago is pretty tough! So, I decided to
start up a
little section in the newsletter to help out our fellow Bat-fans. I can only
personally guarantee that my entries are 100% true, for I saw these items with my own
eyes. So we're working on the honour system here. Sound fair?
ALSO if you are LOOKING for something, e-mail me and I can put your
request in the "WANT TO BUY" section. There is the possibility that a
fellow subscriber is willing to sell what you're looking for!
IMPORTANT QUERY: Many fans have been unable to see any of the new-style
BTAS episodes, and any of the STAS or BATMAN BEYOND episodes. Can someone who is in the
know point out a website that tells the copyright laws regarding taping episodes off the
TV and selling them to people who want 'em? I'm not saying we're doing this - but I
know it would help many out. So if anyone has any official info on this (or, better yet,
if someone from the WB network contact us), that'd be great. In the meantime, we
won't be selling or trading any home-recorded BTAS episodes here.
Well, here we go! I hope this helps out someone out there!
1. JOKERZ LEADER. Mail editor Tim "TWO-FACE" Leighton if you
are interested in the Jokerz Leader figure from the new "Batman Beyond" line, in
a near-mint package. Pic available. E-mail: juno@direct.ca
2. KILLER CROC. Editor Tim "TWO-FACE" Leighton has a spare
Killer Croc figure lying around, in a mint package. Pic available. E-mail juno@direct.ca if interested.
3. THE MAD HATTER. Yup! Editor Tim "TWO-FACE" Leighton has one
spare BTAS "Mad Hatter" figure (in a mint-condition package) in his possession
that he is willing to get rid of. This is the only Mad Hatter figure in existance (to our
collective knowledge), and is a wonderful figure besides! Sure, that was a shameless plug,
but it IS a cool figure. Pic available. If interested, e-mail: juno@direct.ca
4. SUPERGIRL. Yep! If you want one of these, e-mail editor Tim
"TWO-FACE" Leighton, and he should be able to find one for you, in a mint or
near-mint package! e-mail: juno@direct.ca
5. TNBA EASTER EGG. From England. An approx. 5"X8"
box with great artwork all the way around. Contains a large red-foil wrapped
chocolate Easter egg (good until 7-99) and some gum-drop-like candies. Cost is $25.00 per
egg which includes shipping and insurance within the US. Email for scanned pic, or
if interested: keatking@icehouse.net
6. HUGE Batman collection for sale includes animated, movie, and comics
related Bat-items - so huge, we can't list all the items here! There are movie scripts,
action figures, archive books, and more. Collection is being sold as a lot for $430.00 and
cannot be broken up. For full list, e-Mail Dani at Peterpan@ma.ultranet.com
----------
WANTS TO BUY
1. CLAYFACE. Anyone know where to get a "Legends of the Dark
Knight" Clayface figure? I know it's not animated, but it still counts for this
column... Some have submitted phone numbers for Hasbro, but they only work for those in
the USA, and not Canadians such as myself...can anyone help? E-mail: juno@direct.ca
2. COMBAT BELT BATMAN, and BTAS BATMOBILE. If you know where to
find these figures - or a BTAS Batwing (I'm pretty sure one was made) e-mail this address:
cnwitkow@concentric.net
3. BATMAN/NIGHTWING TWO-PACK. Personally, I don't know if such a
thing even exists, but I could very easily be proven wrong. If anyone can find this
two-pack, e-mail one of your fellow subscribers at this address: jokerz84@hotmail.com
____________________________
FEATURED BAT-SITES FOR THIS ISSUE
BATMAN ANIMATED FAN CLUB
- Brian Davis has created a site designed for Bruce Timm and Batman fans alike! Check it
out at the following address:
http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/batmananimateduk
AND there is a weekly chat every Sunday at 2pm ET 7pm UK Time where you can chat with
friendly fans and guests like Terry Beatty (Gotham Advs Inker) (just click chat once you
join).
----------
DCX FAN-FIC SITE
DCX...where fans give the DC Universe new life...where stories offer
fresh perspectives on your favorite heroes...where Gotham still stands, and Superman
doesn't build robots...
DCX...The universe you thought you knew.
**COMING MAY 23, ONLY TO DCX ( www.imagine-that.org/DCX/ )
What does a homicidal artist have to do to get some respect? When the
Joker escapes from Arkham Asylum, he discovers he no longer tops the list of 'Gotham's
Most Wanted.' But his scheme to destroy the competition draws the attention of an old man
with a dangerous grudge against the Clown Prince of Crime. The first issue of BATMAN: Dark
Knight by John Hardin begins the story of a man who shows the Joker why revenge is a dish
"Best Served Cold."
DCX: Best served hot with a drizzle of fudge sauce and two cherries.
After her father went to prison, Stephanie Brown left that painful
chapter of her life behind. With her mother's remarriage, Stephanie's future seemed
bright. But all her dreams of happiness are threatened when her father escapes from
prison. Now, with the help of a boy named Robin, she must discover if she is a
"Prodigal Daughter." The story begins in ROBIN: Fly by Knight #1, the start of a
monthly series by Brian Bedard.
DCX: Come home.
What happens when goody two-shoes meets the school bully? A new Batgirl
is born, and she's ready to rumble! Meet the two teens - and an exciting new nemesis -
that make it all happen in this month's BATGIRL: Dark Knight Damsel. You can find
"Dusk," the premiere issue written by Brendan Crowther, at only one place.
DCX: We don't guess who the new Batgirl is. We KNOW.
**Discover these and many more of your favorite DC characters, including
Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern and Flash, at DCX. You never know who you'll find
here, so come and see for yourself. Starting May 23.
**And don't miss these Batman-related titles coming to DCX on JUNE 6:
BATMAN: Shadows of Twilight
CATWOMAN: Night Moves
NIGHTWING: Bludhaven Nights
**And on JUNE 20, catch the debuts of AZRAEL: Knight of Vengeance and
ORACLE: Hidden Voice.
____________________________
ANIMATED BATMAN/SUPERMAN SITES:
* - indicates a shameless plug for a site a certain double-faced editor
created with his bare hands - in other words, a cheap advertising technique.
OFFICIAL SITES
-----
THE NEW BATMAN/SUPERMAN ADVENTURES
http://www.batman-superman.com
BATMAN:THE ANIMATED SERIES
http://www.batmantas.com
BATMAN BEYOND
http://www.batmanbeyond.com
SUB-ZERO: THE DEFINTIE GUIDE
http://www.batman-subzero.com
DC COMICS
http://www.dccomics.com
TOON ZONE
http://www.toonzone.net
RAVING TOY MANIAC
http://www.toymania.com
VOICE CHASERS
http://www.voicechasers.org
UNOFFICIAL SITES
-----
*TWO-FACE'S TOWER OF TRANQUILITY AND TERROR
http://www.angelfire.com/tx/TimTwoFace/index.html
BRIAN CRUZ' WB CARTOON PAGE
http://www.toonzone.net/brian/index.html
BRIAN'S BATMAN PAGE
http://members.aol.com/bdavis2613/main.html
GOTHAM GAZETTE
http://members.aol.com/gothamajp
BATMAN: THE ANIMATED HOMEPAGE
http://www3.sympatico.ca/quartet/home.htm
RA'S AL GHUL'S THE LAZARUS PIT
http://www.aitnet.et/lazaruspit
THE DARK KNIGHT
http://www.darkknight.ca
ANIMANIA
http://hjem.get2net.dk/twt/home.htm
HARLEY'S HAVEN OF HEDONISM
http://www.angelfire.com/hi/harlequinhideaway
THE ANIMATED BAT
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Academy/7382/index.html
BATMAN/SUPERMAN SNAP JUDGMENTS
http://www.snapjudgments.com/batsup.html
BATMAN BEYOND MULTIMEDIA
http://www.prophecysite.com/batman.htm
THE BATCOMPUTER
http://members.spree.com/batcomputer
BATMAN: FOREVER KNIGHT
http://batman.techv.net
WORLD'S FINEST
http://members.spree.com/sip/worldsfinest
CHARACTERS ON THE ADVENTURES OF BATMAN & ROBIN
http://www.xse.com/leres/batman.html
ARKHAM ASYLUM
http://animation.acmecity.com/saturday/352
JLA: THE ANIMATED SERIES
http://animation.acmecity.com/character/375
THE NEW BATMAN ADVENTURES: THE UNOFFICIAL SITE
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Makeup/5158
ANIMATED TALES
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Dunes/2294/at
BATMAN BEYOND: WELCOME TO THE FUTURE
http://www.batmanbeyond.net
NEWSGROUPS
-----
news:alt.comics.batman
news:alt.animation.batman
news:alt.comics.superman
news:rec.arts.sf.superman
news:alt.tv.cartoon-network
news:rec.arts.animation
news:alt.animation.warner-bros
____________________________
QUESTIONS, SUBMISSIONS, AND FAN-MAIL
If you have any questions, problems, links do not work, or anything else
then please e-mail this address with your problems and we'll try to fix them as soon as
possible. Also if you'd like to send any fan-mail then please send it to this address:
juno@direct.ca
As for submissions, feel free to submit an article or opinion on
anything pertaining to BTAS. Keep in mind that as the editors, we have the right to edit
your submissions if we deem it necessary. Such instances would include problems with
length, grammar, and language. If we do feel we must edit something, however, we
will do our utmost to ensure that the opinion and the basic message of the submission does
not change, as that is the most important part of any artcile, and everyone is entitled to
it. And if you do submit something, please don't just submit a basic review of an episode
or a comic or something (because we have people writing for those purposes already) -
write about an issue you'd like to discuss.
____________________________
BATMAN: THE ANIMATED ARCHIVES
The very kind people at TOONZONE were nice enough to give us our own
little section of their huge and diverse website. The archives contain past newsletters
and is semi-regularly updated with the latest one. To check it out go here:
TOONZONE's BATMAN: THE ANIMATED NEWSLETTER ARCHIVES
http://www.toonzone.net/wbc/btan
____________________________
LIKE WHAT YA SEE? WANNA SUBSCRIBE? HERE'S HOW!!!
For those of you who are seeing this at the WBC HOMEPAGE BTAN ARCHIVES
section, and want to subscribe just follow these simple instructions:
To subscribe email juno@direct.ca
and put SUBSCRIBE in the subject line.
For more information the newsletter just email juno@direct.ca
Thank you for your time, and thanks for reading! Tell your friends!
-Tim TWO-FACE Leighton and Dick Grayson, editors
____________________________
TO ALL GOOD THINGS...
...there must be an end. We would like to thank the endless amount of contributors for
contributing their editorials, columns, news, jokes, reviews and other articles. We hope
you've all enjoyed it as much as we've enjoyed making it! See ya next time!
CREDITS FOR BATMAN: THE ANIMATED NEWSLETTER
EDITORS: Tim "TWO-FACE" Leighton and "Dick Grayson"
AIR DATE SCHEDULES: Brian Cruz
BTAS REVIEWS: Tim "TWO-FACE" Leighton
EDITORIAL #1: Laura Hysert
EDITORIAL #2: Michael Mandeville
COMIC REVIEWS: Aaron Maurer
TOY REVIEW: Kevin Smith
"BTAN ARCHIVES" MODERATOR: Eileen Delgadillo
TRIVIA: Tim "TWO-FACE" Leighton
ROAD THROUGH NO MAN'S LAND: Tim "TWO-FACE" Leighton
TWO-FACE'S TRADING POST: Tim "TWO-FACE" Leighton
PROMOTIONS AND JUST GETTIN' THE WORD AROUND: Dick Grayson, Eileen Delgadillo, Brian Cruz,
Brian Davis
THOSE WHO FILL IN FOR OTHERS WHEN THEY FOUL UP:-P Tim "TWO-FACE" Leighton
DELIVERY: Tim "TWO-FACE" Leighton
E-MAIL RECEPTION HANDLING: Tim "TWO-FACE" Leighton
BATMAN CREATED BY: Bob Kane (who else?)
Batman and all related indica are trademarks of DC Comics, Copyright c
1999.
_____________________________
