EDITORIAL
(by Tim "TWO-FACE" Leighton)
This isn't really an editorial this issue, it's a special
message. We're trying to get people both more involved with the newsletter AND
want to help them out at the same time. That said, we're offering anyone that
participates in our NO MAN'S ISLAND column a chance to win unedited copies of
RETURN OF THE JOKER.
The way it works is as follows: vote for the two characters
you'd like to vote off. Of the two characters that are being cast off in that
particular issue, anyone who voted for the one of them with the more votes will
be entered into a draw, according to the e-mail address from which their ballot
was recieved. Every issue, we will randomly select one e-mail address (from a
hat, to make it fair) and that participant, if willing, wins a copy of the
unedited movie!
If the selected winner for whatever reason declines, the will
be another draw for that same week. Each e-mail address can only win once! The
catch? The winner, if agreeing, must provide a tape and enough money to cover
postage of the tape to and from their place of residence. No extra profit for us
at BATMAN: THE ANIMATED NEWSLETTER (as that would be illegal) or anything. We
just want to get this movie out to more people as it's not going to be
definately released on tape just yet.
NOTE: I am not promoting the act of bootlegging videos and
making a profit from it, I am merely looking for the cost of the tape and
postage, so fans will be able to view the movie as it was supposed to
be.
That said, let's get
voting!
___________________________________________________________________
NO
MAN'S ISLAND
ROUND SIX
(the SURVIVOR rip-off...erm...homage)
(by Tim
"TWO-FACE" Leighton)
Since Round Five, we've managed to make contact with some
people on the inside on Gotham Island, most notably, Commissioner Jim Gordon.
However, our connection was lost a number of times, so in the meantime, we may
be picking up signals from others throughout the city using their ham radios.
Sorry my friends, that's the best we can do at the moment.
...A WALTZ DOWN MEMORY LANE...
A WORD FROM THE CAST-AWAYS:
FIREFLY: "Rrrrrrr...must...heat
up...bar..bee...Q...."
LOCK-UP: "Being locked up for the so-called crimes
against humanity I commited. Heh. I can't help but adore the dramatic
irony."
* * * * * * * * * *
AND WHAT'S HAPPENED SINCE:
Firefly's rampage last time sure got lotsa-poppin' this week.
Though Batman apparently used Mr. Freeze to thwart him (while he went after
Thorne), Freeze was unable to keep the fire from spreading into Robinson
Park. Poison Ivy was quite upset with this development, and hasn't been seen
with the Supa-Freakz since.
We're still wondering how Mr. Freeze agreed to be in Batman's
employ.
The Huntress had a run-in with Catwoman yesterday in the
financial district, downtown. Blows were exchanged and Catwoman made off a
large amount of jewels and other expensive trinkets. Both parties seemed to
have come out of the battle unscathed.
Zatanna - yeah, you might recognize her from that travelling
stage-show a few years back - she dropped by just to check up that
everything was OK with our "stray" citizen, Anne. "I heard that you had
someone here in need of cheering up," she said before offering to give her a little show and a magic bouquet of flowers. Quoted on her exit, "Those
flowers will have no problem growing in there. Damn, that place was
filthy!"
Alfred Pennyworth, who now runs the M*A*S*H* sector in the
absense of Dr. Leslie Thompkins, came into my office today with this note,
apparently passed on by Batman himself.
"I crossed paths with Batman early yesterday evening, just
after Freeze extinguished the fires that were claiming the city. He
mentioned that, as a result of Garfield Lynns' actions, he came down hard on
Scarface and the alleged 'lightweight' villains, knocking Croc and Man-Bat out temporarily. The others were obviously spooked, but Batman wouldn't give any
further details. He just stated that it'd be unlikely that they would cause
any more problems." When I asked about Dr. Thompkins, he paused, then
somberly said, "We've had her frozen and sent her back to the mainland for a
proper burial on the grounds of Wayne Manor once this insane game is over with."
Insane indeed. What kind of cheap ploy is this whole
"Survivor" thing anyway? Why did I put all of my officers and the rest of
the Gotham populace at risk? What kind of cheap fan-based newsletter stunt
is this?
Anyway, Batman certainly did scare the bejesus out of the
lightweights, as they have disbanded. The Ventriloquist, Killer Croc,
and Man-Bat still remain, but the Riddler and the Mad Hatter have fled for
the Supa-Freakz, hoping that their potential comrades of Two-Face, Scarecrow,
and Harley Quinn would be more in tune with their needs. Quoth Edward
Nygma, "I couldn't stand it around those animals any more. They were
complete idiots and reeked of B.O."
There has been no bloodshed or huge uproars since, so it looks
like the ex-DA's coin was in favour of the two brainy outcasts joining his
clique. Though Two-Face was unavailable for a sound bite, the Scarecrow had
this to say: "I've got a bad feeling about this."
Ex-Supa-Freakz trouble-maker Joker was spotted last night
approaching the M*A*S*H* sector with only Pennyworth inside. Batman was out
on the search for the whereabouts of Ra's Al Ghul at the time, so Nightwing
and Robin stepped in and protected him from the Joker's surprisingly lame attacks. Again with the fish? Come on. However, the Joker did manage to make
a tactiful retreat, claiming "I'll be back for you, Boy Hostage. Mark my
word."
Batman has yet to find any clues to Ra's Al Ghul's
whereabouts.
And, curiously, the Penguin and Rupert Thorne have been very,
very quiet.
* * * * * * * * * *
AND AFTER A SIXTH ROUND OF VOTING...
"You've got to help me, Cobblepot. The Batman's on my back and
I know you've managed to cut a deal with him. Please, help me. I don't ask
favours often but if you protect me, I'll give you half of my empire to rule
as you please until the end of this god-forsaken game if you cover me.
Please."
A surprisingly submissive Rupert Thorne was on his knees
before the Penguin last night, almost begging for his life. The Penguin
didn't seem to care in any way at all.
"You have the gaul to ask me feor protection? My dear Mister
Thorne, two weeks ago you busted into my businessplace and kidnapped one of
my tenants, knocking her unconscious; more importantly you put me out a
couple thousand dollars to repair this office. Why, pray tell, should I be
doing any favours for YOU?"
"Cobblepot, you know I can repay you. Consider
it."
"Hmmmm..."
Word has spread about Thorne's desperation, and warlord
Two-Face has moved in for the kill. "We were planning on conquering this
town eventually," Dent stated, "but knowing that we can eliminate Thorne in
the process, that makes it all the better for us." In Thorne's absense, Two-Face, Scarecrow, and Mad Hatter have ventured out to his sector of town
to stake a claim.
The Riddler and Harley Quinn have remained behind to
protect their homestead.
"I don't have anything to say to you," Quinn told us when we
asked for an interview. "Life's not worth livin' with Red and Mistah J gone.
And Haw-vey keeps hittin' on me - I really oughta lose this two-toned suit
of mine."
A taped transmission from the Iceburg Lounge came through, but
yet again...
"zzttkkkkttzzzkkttbut I have money. Investments. Baubles.
Drugs. I beg of you, Cobblepot."
"MmmmmmmmmOK, fine. But I need payment up front. And do not
intermingle with anyone else on my premises. I have other clients here that
would not take kindly to your mere presence here."
"Oh thank you, Cobblepot. You won't regret this."
"I know I won't." And then we heard him snap his
flippers...erm, fingers over the phone. "Bane?"
Word of Thorne's terror and the claiming of his territory by
the Supa-Freakz has spread like wildfire. Batman, Robin, Nightwing, Batgirl,
and the Huntress have been seen about town more often, scouring the city for
any potential troublemaking. Scarface's reaction was the most drastic: "OK,
we've gotta prove we're numga one in this town, goys. Langstrom, get your rodent gutt over to City Hall and take out those two dougle-crossas of ours. Croc,
dummy and I will stay here to keep home gase safe. Yous mugs get
me?"
At dusk, Man-Bat dive-bombed at City Hall; Alfred Pennyworth,
just outside in the main square, noticed this and gave us this account of
the events that unfolded. "I have no idea why good Mr. Langstrom would
attack this group, particularly after Lynns was unsuccessful in doing the exact same thing. Only Quinn and Nygma were on site at the time - I was just
inside talking to them, looking for their leader. Of the two of them, he
only seemed to be persuing Edward. It was quite a site, actually,
particularly when Quinn performed those amazing acrobatic skills - Master
Richard would be so proud - and nearly blocked his blinkin' block off with a
wooden mallot." That didn't explain the sudden burning sensation that could
be smelled in that sector of the city for days to come, though. "Oh
yes...she also had a joybuzzer and fried the nasty bugger. I left after that
- I didn't want to witness the afterward. Word has it, though, that Dr.
Langstrom provided a well-deserved belated Thanksgiving feast for everyone
downtown. It was the perfect complementary dish to Harvey's itty-bitty quail
eggs and charred donkey meat."
Ew.
Meanwhile, Zatanna slipped in a streak of wet muddy flooring
in the GCPD after a rainstorm last night, nearly breaking her ankle and
tossing her out of the game. Now that would have been stupid.
"Bane? What is the meaning of this, Cobblepot?" Thorne
stammered as his hulking former employee advanced towards him. "You promised
me protection! What kind of double-cross is this?"
"Oh my dear boy, you WILL be protected. We just need to
acquaint you with the rules of my business, here. Bane, please demonstrate."
And so Bane beat Thorne, again, and again, and again, for nearly five
minutes. "OK Bane, stop." And so he did. Obedient boy. Thorne was gasping and wheezing, collapsed on his knees.
"Don't be such a child, 'Mr. Employer'," Bane said, addressing
Bane. "I gave you the pleasure of allowing you to live."
"So," the Penguin stated, grinning as he chewed on his
cigarette holder, "have we come to an understanding?"
"You're crazy," Thorne spat, "you're just a bugged-out whacko
momma's boy with a bird fetish. I'm out of here. I quit this game. I'm going
to Bludhaven or Metropolis or St. Canard to start up again. I don't need you
or anybody here."
"You see, boy, you've gone and upset me now. Consider our
agreement void. Bane, do your work."
And Bane broke his back before he knew what hit
him.
Batman arrived about ten minutes later on a routine check-up
on the Penguin; no sign of Thorne or Bane could be found.
* * * * * * * * * *
ROUND SIX
Kicked Off:
RUPERT THORNE (23.5%)
MAN-BAT
(17.6%)
Those whom you DID vote for, but they're still hanging
around:
ZATANNA (14.7%)
HUNTRESS (11.8%)
KILLER CROC (5.9%)
THE
JOKER (2.9%)
THE VENTRILOQUIST/SCARFACE (2.9%)
HARLEY QUINN
(2.9%)
BATMAN (2.9%)
THE PENGUIN (2.9%)
TALIA (2.9%)
THE PHANTASM
(2.9%)
CLAYFACE (2.9%)
HARVEY BULLOCK (2.9%)
And now, here's our up-to-date list of
contenders.
BATMAN
ROBIN
BATGIRL
NIGHTWING
ALFRED
COMMISSIONER
GORDON
DET. HARVEY BULLOCK
RENE MONTOYA
THE HUNTRESS
ZATANNA
THE
JOKER
THE PENGUIN
CATWOMAN
THE RIDDLER
TWO-FACE
POISON IVY
THE
SCARECROW
MR. FREEZE
THE MAD HATTER
BANE
KILLER CROC
THE
VENTRILOQUIST/SCARFACE
HARLEY QUINN
CLAYFACE
RA'S AL
GHUL
TALIA
THE PHANTASM
* * * * *
*
E-mail juno@dccnet.com with your votes of the TWO
you'd like to see cast off. Remember, we need TWO choices! (I stress that
again. TWO!)
PS - Voting for this issue closes at midnight on December 10,
2000.
AND DON'T FORGET THE 'RETURN OF THE JOKER'
GIVEAWAY!
___________________________________________________________________
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.
"Correction" to last week's issue:
Loyal subscriber Kevin
King pointed something was awry in the answer column when it came to question #433; my mistake was saying that Azrael and the Creeper had never
appeared in the animated comic books. He said that Azrael had appeared
in an animated-style NML pin-up (which is true, but I still don't think it
counts) and that the Creeper appeared in an issue of ADVENTURES IN THE DC
UNIVERSE (which is a series I didn't include in our list of sources, but I'm
still wondering if it should count.) Honestly, I don't know who is right
or wrong here, so I'll leave this up to you all to decide. Thanks for
pointing that out, Kevin!
ALL ABOUT THE PRE-RELEASE OF RETURN OF THE JOKER:
(note,
there still may be some spoilers in here)
436. When was RETURN OF THE JOKER officially released to the
public?
A: October 24, 2000
B: October 31, 2000
C: November 7,
2000
D: November 28, 2000
E: Decemeber 12, 2000
437. Who is drawing the cover to the RETURN OF THE JOKER comic
adaption?
A: Bruce Timm
B: Terry Beatty
C: Craig Rousseau
D:
Tim Levins
E: Rick Burchett
438. On this cover, which of the following characters doesn't
appear?
A: Batman (Terry McGinnis)
B: Batman (Bruce Wayne)
C:
Harley Quinn
D: Any of the Jokerz Gang
E: Batgirl
439. Which villains were originally going to have cameos in
the movie, but they never made the final cut (by that, I mean the edited
version)?
A: Two-Face
B: The Penguin
C: Harley Quinn
D: Mr.
Freeze
E: Killer Croc
440. To this point in time, how many figures does the current
RETURN OF THE JOKER toy line consist of?
A: Two
B: Three
C: Four
D: Five
E:
Six
441. What was the original title for RETURN OF THE
JOKER?
A: BATMAN BEYOND: THE LAST LAUGH
B: BATMAN BEYOND: THE
MOVIE
C: BATMAN BEYOND: THE UNKINDEST CUT
D: BATMAN BEYOND FOREVER
E:
BATMAN BEYOND: RETURN OF THE JOKER (it never changed)
442. Production on RETURN OF THE JOKER was done at what
overseas animation company?
A: Dong Yang
B: TMS
C: Sunrise
D: Koko
E: FOX
Animation studios
443. Plans for a third animated Batman film were already being
made when RETURN OF THE JOKER was announced, and therefore destroyed any
hopes of an entirely "classic" BTAS movie. What team was working on that
movie?
A: Paul Dini, Bruce Timm
B: Paul Dini, Alan Burnett
C:
Boyd Kirkland, Randy Rogel
D: Curt Geda, Randy Rogel
E: Butch Lukic, Stan
Berkowitz
444. What colour is the Joker's face on the cover of the
video?
A: White
B: Cyan
C: Light Green
D: Emerald
Green
E: It doesn't appear; it's hidden in shadows
445. The "final outcome" of which character is NOT revealed in
ROTJ:
A: Alfred Pennyworth
B: Dick Grayson
C: Bruce
Wayne
D: Harleen Quinzelle
E: Tim
Drake
_____________________________________________________________________
AND
THESE ARE OUR FINAL ANSWERS (to the trivia)
Answer to #436: D (in Canada), E (in the USA)
Answer to #437: C
Answer to #438: B, D
Answer to #439: A, B, D, E
Answer to #440: C (they're all repaints, though)
Answer to #441: E
Answer to #442:
B
Answer to #443: C
Answer to #444: D
Answer to #445: A, B
_____________________________________________________________________
