The Brace and Bold #159
February 1980
Cover art by: Jim Aparo
Story: The Crystal Armageddon!
Writer: Denny O'Neil
Art: Jim Aparo
What in the world could cause Batman and Ra' Al Ghul to team-up? Well a guy named Professor Hatter has created a formula that can turn almost everything into crystal. The League of Assassins have kidnapped him, and neither hero nor villain isn't sure what the League's endgame is.
Ra's offers to help Batman locate Hatter and the League, as his spies in the league have told him about where they are located. (Wait I thought Ra's was the leader of the League of Assassins?) Before Ra's tells him where, he collapses. Talia happens to show up at just the right time to take them all away, and get Ra's into a Lazarus Pit. When he awakens he is insane and he and the Dark Knight fight for a while, until he regains his sanity.
The League has Professor Hatter in a boat at sea in the Far East. They have captured his brother to ensure Hatter's cooperation. During a scuffle Hatter accidentally kills his brother, and then decides to pour the formula into the ocean and kill everyone.
Both Batman and Ra's have figured out that the formula won't work on silicone (wow that is pretty rare), so Ra's sprays Batman down with a silicone spray, and Batman attacks the boat. He doesn't stop Hatter from dropping the formula though! Don't worry Ra's also sprayed the surrounding ocean with the same spray, so there is just an island of crystal there. Everyone except Batman and the boat crystallizes
Ra's flies off telling Bats that the next time they meet it will be as enemies. Unless of course Batman can't get off the crystal island and dies...
Replies
I miss covers like that.
About this time, Bob Haney was being phased out by DC.
IIRC, Ra's Al Ghul had lost control over the League of Assassins temporarily , retaining some loyal followers.
I thought it was a bizarre issue with some standard Ra's motifs (Talia, the Lazarus Pit, "Detective") by Ra's' creator Denny O'Neil. Ra's works with Batman to save the world he wants to control. A nice touch was that Ra's never tried to betray Batman unlike most hero/villain "team-ups".
Ra's was the fourth villain to get co-billing status in B&B after Eclipso, the Joker and Two-Face.
Mark S. Ogilvie said:
I like it, too, even if it is rather type-heavy; ye gods, there are FOUR FIVE SIX logos* in the top quarter of the image! It quickly draws you in and makes you want to know why Batman is declaring that only his "deadliest enemy" can save the Earth.
* 1) The DC Bullet
2) The Brave and the Bold logo
3) The Batman logo
4) The Ra's al Ghul logo
5) Master of the Assassins
6) The Comics Code Authority seal