GOTHAM WEEKLY NEWS #207

Sunday 25th April 2004

"BATMAN BEGINS" ACTIVITY THIS WEEK

This last week has been an active one on the set of BATMAN BEGINS as filming has taken place in various locations around London. Notably at Canary Wharf, City Point and University College London. Work has also started on the Arkham Asylum set at Mill House (see photos left and below).

BATMAN himself, Christian Bale, was recently on British TV and spoke briefly about the movie. He was very firm in refuting that  he was making a "comic book movie" and said that that was actually an insult to the millions of fans out there. He said "We're making a film based on a much loved graphic novel. I think to use the term 'comic book' really under values the source material!"  He summed up his take on the film as  "a cross between Serpico and The French Connection mixed with a really cool samurai, kung fu movie, and there's like some really strong 70s conspiracy movie vibes in their too! It is definitely not a Batman that you've seen on screen before."

For more on the latest on-set happenings see the Movie News section below.

So enjoy and as always we'll see you next week - Alan J. Porter

Check out our new GOTHAM WEEKLY NEWS logo t-shirt. Now available on-line here.

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IN THIS ISSUE

• Comics News
• Superman/Batman #8 gets 3rd print
• Mythology gets Esiner noms.
• Harvey nominees announced.
• Devin Grayson interview on-line
• Comics Shipping
• In Stores - April 28th
• TV News
• B:TAS DVD details
• Justice at the Track
• TV Schedules
• Justice League
• Teen Titans
• Super Friends
• UK Schedule
• Movie News
• Batman Begins
• Possible Batsuit sketch
• More crew additions
• On Set updates
• Arkham set photos
• Catwoman
• Trailer news
• Jim Lee on Set
• Trading Cards
• Catwoman Barbie cancelled?
• In The Stores
• Batman Helps Out Barbie
• Teen Titans Figures
• Meet The Bat Team
• Runnymeade, Apr 24
• Los Angeles, Apr 25
• Oakland, Apr 30-May 2

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Comics News

DC GOES BACK TO PRESS ON SUPERMAN/BATMAN #8

DC Comics Press Release -

The excitement over SUPERMAN/BATMAN #8 continues as DC Comics goes back to press for a third printing of this sold-out issue. This issue features the first chapter of the storyline "The Supergirl From Krypton," written by Jeph Loeb with art and cover by Michael Turner.

This third printing is scheduled to arrive in stores on May 26, and features a third cover by Turner and Peter Steigerwald. "This is amazing," says Turner. "I am thrilled that people like this book. Jeph, Peter and I are having so much fun. I've had a blast working with DC and everyone here at Aspen. I'd like to give a special thanks to Dan DiDio (VP - Editorial), Eddie Berganza (Group Editor), and Tom Palmer, Jr. (Associate Editor) for their help on these books. We may have to do this again!"

DC has also released the artwork for the Jim Lee variant cover for the already solictied SUPERMAN / BATMAN #10 (left).

MYTHOLOGY GETS TWO ESINER NOMINATIONS

In the list of Batman realted Eisner Nominations we reported last week, we inadvertently left out the fact that the excellent Mythology: The DC Comics Art of Alex Ross, by Chip Kidd, Published by Pantheon has also been nominated in the the Best Comics-Related Book and the Best Publication Design catergories.

HARVEY NOMINEES

Following on from last week's Eisner announcments, this week saw the nominations for the Harvey Awards published. Amomg them the following Batman creators were recognized.

Best Single Issue or Story  - "Gotham Central" #6-10 | Greg Rucka and Michael Lark
Best Inker  - Scott Williams | "Batman"
Best Letterer  - Richard Starkings | "Superman / Batman"

DEVIN GRAYSON INTERVIEW.

Prolific Batman family writer and current NIGHTWING scribe, Devin Grayson, recently did a lengthy interview with the Newsarama web site on the direction of the character and the developments in store for him. You can find the full interview here

Comics Shipping (April 28th)

BATGIRL #51 - Written by Dylan Horrocks; art by Rick Leonardi and Jesse Delperdang; cover by James Jean - A mysterious environmental artist is the talk of Gotham City, but her Garden of Eden is having disturbing effects on the city's population. That can mean only one thing: Poison Ivy's back! Can Batgirl nip Ivy's plan in the bud before Gotham is overrun by psychotropic green? - BATMAN  |  32pg.  |  Color  |  $2.50

BATMAN #626 - Written by Judd Winick; art by Dustin Nguyen and Richard Friend; painted cover by Matt Wagner - Part 1 of the 5-issue thriller "As the Crow Flies," written by Judd Winick with art by WILDCATS VERSION 3.0's Dustin Nguyen & Richard Friend and painted covers by Matt Wagner! Gotham's underworld is thrown into turmoil as its crimelords slip into a rabid — and murderous — frenzy. Is it coincidence, or part of an elaborate and sinister powerplay? Join a hot new creative team for an unforgettable soon-to-be classic! - BATMAN  |  32pg.  |  Color  |  $2.25

BATMAN: GOTHAM CENTRAL - Written by Greg Rucka and Ed Brubaker; art and cover by Michael Lark - Collecting the first five issues of the critically acclaimed series! After the gruesome murder of two cops, Gotham's Special Crimes Unit is in a race against time to bring in Mister Freeze...without the help of the Dark Knight! Plus, a sketchbook by Michael Lark and an introduction by mystery grandmaster Lawrence Block. - BATMAN  |  128pg.  |  Color  |  $9.95

BATMAN: HARLEY & IVY #1 - Written by Paul Dini; art by Bruce Timm and Shane Glines; painted cover by Timm - The highly anticipated miniseries by Paul Dini & Bruce Timm — the superstar creators of Batman: The Animated Series — kicks off! A snafu by Harley sends Poison Ivy back to Arkham, and Ivy swears off working with Harley forever. But Harley won't take no for an answer, so when Ivy breaks out and heads to South America, Harley's right behind her. Oily politicians and cutthroat mercenaries abound! - BATMAN  |  32pg.  |  1 of 3  |  Color  |   $2.50

CATWOMAN #30 - Written by Ed Brubaker; art and cover by Paul Gulacy and Jimmy Palmiotti - Place your bets — the climactic battle between Catwoman and Zeiss happens here! With all her friends deserting her and the East End slipping through her grasp, can Selina survive a rooftop showdown with a villain who once fought Batman to a standstill? - BATMAN  |  32pg.  |  Color  |  $2.50

JLA #97 - Written by John Byrne and Chris Claremont; art and cover by Byrne and Jerry Ordway - The John Byrne/Chris Claremont/Jerry Ordway blockbuster "10th Circle" arc continues with Part 4 of 6! A critically wounded Wonder Woman bears a "message" to the rest of the JLA — one that sends her teammates on an unexpected journey to the Florida Keys. Meanwhile, the mysterious Nudge tries to free Superman from the thrall of the vampire coven before its sinister plans are unleashed against a small, southwestern town! - DC UNIVERSE  |  32pg.  |  Color  |  $2.25

TEEN TITANS GO! #6 - Written by J. Torres; art by Todd Nauck and Lary Stucker; cover by Dave Bullock - Thunder and Lightning duel in the middle of Jump City! But when Cyborg and Beast Boy get involved, it turns into a massive free-for-all. And you know what that means: a slew of property damage! - DC UNIVERSE  |  32pg.  |   Color  |  $2.25

TV News

B:TAS DVD SET DETAILS

Here is a look at the final box art for the upcoming Batman: The Animated Series DVD set.

Here's some further info from Toon Zone

• According to a spec sheet from Warner Home Video, there will be 28 epsiodes on this release. We've heard different numbers from other sources, but this is the only number provided to us by Warner.
• There is a lot of confusion about the title of this release, caused unfortunately by an error in a widely-circulated report by Diamond Previews. In their pre-order catalog, Diamond referred to the release as "Season 1". It's not. As you can plainly see in the artwork above, the accurate title of this release is Batman: The Animated Series - Volume One.
• with episode count of 28 episodes this is less than the full first season, which had twice as many episodes. The second season, however, had about   a third as many as the first season did. It appears that Warner's has decided to ignore the "seasons" and release the DVD sets as 3 volumes with a roughly equal amount of episodes on each.
• Both this and Challenge of the Super Friends - The 1st Season will be beanded as part of the "DC Comics Classic Collection".
• There's no information yet about whether the episodes will be on the DVD in airdate order or in production order. Each order has advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand, if you use airdate order, the 2nd episode produced - "Christmas with the Joker" (a fan favorite) - won't show up on this release, and will have to wait for the next volume. On the other hand, if you use production order, the 2-part episode "Two-Face" gets six different episodes inserted between each part of the story!

JUSTICE LEAGUE AT THE TRACK

Justice League comic book heroes BATMAN, Superman and Wonder Woman are just several icons to be featured on nine cars with special paint schemes during the NASCAR "Justice League Racing Weekend presented by Hot Wheels" at Michigan on August 21st and 22nd.

The driver/hero lineup is as follows: Greg Biffle /The Flash; Jeff Burton /Green Lantern; Kurt Busch /Superman; Mark Martin /BATMAN; Ryan Newman /Justice League; and Ricky Rudd /Wonder Woman. In teh supporting Busch Series races the paint schemes include Biffle/The Flash; Matt Kenseth /Martian Manhunter; and Martin/BATMAN.

The Justice League Racing Weekend Presented by Hot Wheels program will also introduce collectible merchandise featuring the Justice League characters and car graphics.

TV Schedules

JUSTICE LEAGUE (Cartoon Network)

• Sunday 25th April - 10:30 - Secret Origins Pt 2

TEEN TITANS (Cartoon Network)

• Saturday 24th April - 12:00pm - Nevermore
• Sunday 25h April - 10:00pm - Nevermore
• Monday 26th April - 6:30pm - Mad Mod
• Monday 26th April - 10:00pm - Car Trouble
• Tuesday 27th April - 6:30pm - Apprentice Pt. 1
• Tuesday 27th April - 10:00pm - Apprentice Pt 2
• Wednesday 28th April - 6:30pm - How Long Is Forever?
• Wednesday 28th April - 10:00pm - Every Dog Has His Day
• Thursday 29th April - 6:30pm - Terra
• Thursday 29th April - 10:00pm - Only Human
• Friday 30th April - 6:30pm - Fear Itself

TEEN TITANS (KidsWB)

• Saturday 24th April - 9:00am - Forces of Nature

SUPER FRIENDS (Boomerang)

• Not showing this weekend

UK TV SCHEDULE

Toonami, Turner's new UK cartoon Network has just started broadcasting. The following Batman shows will be running.

BATMAN OF THE FUTURE (Batman Beyond) :

• Weekdays - 06:30am, 10:30am, 3:00pm.
• Weekends - 07:30am, 12:00 noon, 3:00pm

JUSTICE LEAGUE

• Weekdays & Weekends - 00:30am, 05:10am, 11:30am, 02:30pm, 06:30pm.

Movie News

LATEST BATMAN BEGINS RUMORS & NEWS

• The always excellent Batman-On-Film site recently posted this drawing by cartoonist/illustrator Michael Kornstein of what the Bat-suit for BATMAN BEGINS may look like. The designe is based on published reports to date and is apparently very close to the actual thing.
• BOF also reports that Robert Godwin is Christian Bale's stunt/fight coordinator for BEGINS....John Foo and Dean Alexandrou, part of the NO FX stunt team, worked as "Shadow Warriors" on BEGINS from March 9th to the 25th....David Legano has landed a role in BB as a mercenary according to IC SOUTH LONDON....John Kazek has been cast and is currently filming his part in BB....Barry Dowden has joined the cast as a Gotham PD detective, possibly as Detecitive Flask, Jim Gordon's partner.....Michael Coleman has joined the cast as a "patron"....Boxer-turned-actor Tamer Hassan has been offered an unspecified role in BATMAN BEGINS....Duo Vertigo is filming scenes for BEGINS at the London HippoDrome
• Cinescape carried a report this week that gave a few more details on the Batmobile. Apparently the vehicle seen in the official photos " is a fully-working, 160mph capable assault vehicle that's been tested at a local UK Ministry of Defence site by a military test driver, as well as location shots... It's been doing stunt jumps, and I understand that the rear jet is used to boost/stabilise here. CGI is being kept to a minimum, we're talking live-action stunt work for the most."
• Talking of the Batmobile BOF reports that  British designer / engineer Andy Smith is the man behind the vehicle. According to BOF "Andy Smith was part of the original BRITISH team who engineered the first Batmobile that starred in the Tim Burton "Batman" film, co-starring Michael Keaton. He is renowned for his ability to take a rough sketch or a mock-up of a vehicle and turn it into a fully functioning engineered work of art that is second to none. The creators of such mock-ups don't worry about how it will work. That is left to the phenomenal talents of Mr. Smith.His most recent outing in the world of big boys toys was his trademark influence in the building of the Aston Martins and Jaguars that raced each other across the ice fields of Iceland in the Bond movie "Die Another Day." "
• British model Alana's recently posted on her website that she tested for a role in "...the new BATMAN film!" Which she describes as "...the girlfriend of a very rich man who's buying everything up in the film. I have to walk out of a restaurant/club on his arm and then pose for photos for the press. We then get in his limo and I start doing my make-up. All of a sudden there's a big 'thud' on the roof ......... it's BATMAN!!!!!!"
• There's been a lot of reports from the various locations were the BATMAN BEGINS crew has been filming this week.
• The Wharf has a new update on the filming of the Chris Nolan-helmed Bat flick at the Canada Square Park restaurant. According to The Wharf, "Christian Bale was a real gentleman," when he "was at the Canada Square Park restaurant filming scenes." A set insider said, "It's a big role but he seemed very comfortable and really looked the part."
• Superhero Hype reporting that "I can confirm that Warner were filming Batman outside City Point London EC1, opp Moorgate station on the 3rd and 4th of April. Shooting was carried out at night and the Brewery (the old Whitbread brewery, now a venue) in Chiswell street was used for makeup and catering."
• Batman Begins did some filming on Thursday  22nd April, at University College London.  The Science Library is 'Gotham Press', the Biosciences Building is 'Gotham Police Department - 37th Precinct' and there are cop cars, taxis, red american fire hydrants, NY phone booths, newspaper stands and street signs all down the street.
• Mandy.com notes that "Tomb Raider"/"Harry Potter" vet Camille Benda has joined the crew as a costume designer. Meanwhile Laura Arman-Jones spoke to WNOL about the adventures she had handling the costume. Something she said could have been the source of the ripped Bat-suit rumors: "Stitching, sewing, pinning, ironing. When we did Batman's costumes we'd work on one piece until it was coming out of our ears. Everything had to be stitch-perfect and hand-sewn. One costume probably took us 100 hours -- but then you need about eight copies of each costume, because they get ripped and ruined in the stunts."
• Cinefex has additional crew details about the special effects staff.
• Artist James Jean told The Daily Record, "Right now, I'm doing some sketches for the new Batman movie," but refused to say what he'd been sketching.
• "The Losers" artist Jock dropped CBR News a line detailing some of his involvement with the new Chris Nolan-helmed Bat flick. Apparently, Jock is working from his home studio in England on "style sheets" that Nolan and Bale will be shown to give them a better taste of a comic book style.

CATWOMAN UPDATES

• It seems that the first CATWOMAN theatrical trailer will debut with  Troy on May 14th. It is rumored that a CATWOMAN trailer is also set to run with prints of the third HARRY POTTER film (starting June 4). This will possibley be trailer #2. As we understand it there are only two trailers planned for CATWOMAN.
• Comic book artist JIM LEE spent a day on the CATWOMAN set doing a series of sketches that will appear in the movie's comic adaptation. You can read his report and see some of the sketches here. set visit
• Inkworks has released information on its upcoming set of CATWOMAN movie trading card. Details are available on-line here.
• Action-Figure.com is reporting that Diamond UK says the Catwoman barbie doll will not be available as solicited. We don't know if this is in the UK only or if the whole concept has been shelved.

IN THE STORES

BATMAN HELPS OUT BARBIE

According to on-line reports from various business sites, slumping sales in its powerhouse Barbie line caused Mattel's first quarter earnings to plunge 72% i from $32.8 million to $9 million. But sales of BATMAN and JUSTICE LEAGUE toys were the notable standout sucesses, helping lift profits in the toymaker's Entertainment category by 15%.

FIRST LOOK AT "TEEN TITANS GO!" FIGURES

Here's an early look at the upcoming Bandai 3.5" action figures from the TEEN TITANS animated show. Additional photos (including a size comparison between the Teen Titan and Justice League figures) are available at Toy News International

Meet The Bat Team

DYNAMIC FORCES AN FEST - Runnymeade NJ, April 24th

Dynamic Forces, creator of comics related collectibles, is venturing into the convention arena with a new style of show, designed to me more "intimate" than traditional cons and give visitors more access to the guests. The guests for this new show include: BRIAN AZZARELLO and EDUARDO RISSO.

LOS ANGELES COMIC BOOK AND SCI-FI CONVENTION - Pasadena CA, April 25th.

The lastest incarnation of this ever popular event focuses on the world of BATMAN fan films with showings of BATMAN: DARK JUSTICE and BATMAN BEYOND - YEAR ONE and interviews with the movie's producers and lead actors.

WONDER CON 2004 - Oakland CA, April 30 to May 2

WonderCon is one of the major comics conventions and always attracts a large crowd and an impressive guest list. Among the guests this year are: ED BRUBAKER, DARWYN COOKE, PAUL DINI, GREG RUCKA, BRUCE TIMM, DEVIN GRAYSON, MATT WAGNER. Gotham Weekly New's own logo designer, RAY FEIGHREY will also be at the show, helping out at the CBLDF booth.

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GOTHAM WEEKLY NEWS is a FOREST COMICS Publication.

 FOREST COMICS and GOTHAM WEEKLY NEWS are (c) and TM  - Alan J. Porter (1994 - 2004)

 "GOTHAM WEEKLY NEWS", "GOTHAM GAZETTE - The BATMAN Magazine On the Web" and "THE UNAUTHORIZED BATMAN COLLECTORS GUIDE" are not affiliated to, or endorsed by, either Warner Bros. or DC Comics.

BATMAN and all related characters and indicia are acknowledged as Trademark and copyright DC Comics Inc..

 BATMAN created by Bob Kane & Bill Finger