COMICS-Crappy Comics: "The Disco of DEATH!"
Originally posted on the old "ES/Batman Fun Hour" in the summer of 1998
Brave and the Bold #151- June 1979
(Batman and The Flash)
Writer: Bob Haney
Artist: Jim Aparo
Finally did it! This is the first in my random series of back issues (old stuff) reviews! It took
something REAL corny to get me inspired enough to write this... and I think I've found it. While
driving through Kansas City, I stopped at a small comic store outside of Independence, MO and found a
definite period piece from 1979.
The title alone tells you what you are in for... "The Disco of Death"! Like all Brave and the Bold
stories from the 70 and 80's it was DC's answer to "Marvel Team-up". Take a popular monthly character
(Spiderman or Batman) and team them up with other heroes on a monthly basis. The reason these are so
fun to read is because they are SELF-CONTAINED! They rarely spill over into next month's issue and
are never involved in a massive crossover. It's kinda like watching the old 12 minute Superfriends
cartoons, circa the mid 70's.
Batman is baffled over a recent outbreak of serial murders at Gotham's premier boogie bungalow, the
Stardust Ballroom. We then find out that Bruce Wayne has invited his JLA buddy Barry Allen (Flash) and
wife Iris to Gotham City for the weekend. They are hanging out in Bruce's old Wayne Foundation building
(which had a tree growing in the middle of it) along with one of Bruce's bimbos, named Rhonda (I think
she popped up as one of Bruce's dates in a 1983 issue of World's Finest.. but who cares... look it up
if you must). Here, we get to see the highlight of the issue.. BATMAN in a John Travolta LEISURE SUIT!
This is nothing short of awesome... Bruce Wayne decked out in "Saturday Night Fever" outfit.. complete
with the white collared jacket and black shirt. Bruce is the man...
As expected, the two heroes and their ladies decide to hit the Stardust Ballroom, Gotham's premier
discoteque. Once there, they notice alot of regulars are into what Rhonda calls the "Freak Scene",
meaning they dress up in theme costumes. One dude is dressed up in pirate gear, and one like the
Joker. This may strike you as strange, but remember.. this is the scene that spawned the Village
People. One dude hittin it big on the funk-o-meter is a guy in a "Phantom of the Opera" costume.
Our heroes depart and return to the Wayne penthouse. A few hours later, they both don their costumed
IDs and set out separately.
Batman ends up at the Gotham hospital where he discovers that girl he saw dancing with the "phantom",
now in a coma.
Batman then swings by the Stardust to investigate and sees the Flash is trapped inside, dancing
with a hot little number in a tight dress. --Okay, Batman was investigating the murders and the
dying girl... but WHY did Flash end up there, hmmmm? Maybe Iris was having trouble satisfying Elmo the
Barking Seal?--Flash is trapped in an phantom force field and is being danced to death by this chic.
Next to them, is the Phantom freak, dancing with the dying girl. Flash vibrates out and finally
escapes. The Phantom is a ghost and out for revenge on the Stardust Ballroom.. so he's been
trapping girls and dancing their "spirit selves" to death. The previous two murder victims each
died at exacty 12 hours after the disco closed.. which means Batman and the Flash have less than
8 hours to save the comatized girl.
They race over to Police HQ, where Flash identifies his former dance partner in an autopsy report.
This girl was the Phantom's first victim and "once dead.. she became his enchanted accomplice". But
they still need the Phantom's motive..so they track down the Stardusts orignial owner, Guy Stanton.
Stanton was the barker back in the old bullhorn singer and dance hall days of the 30's. He recalls a
former soldier, Jack Dawes who entered a40-day marathon dance contest with his girlfriend, Emily
Hanks. Emily died of exhaustion and Jack flipped out. He whiped out a gun and shot Stanton (This
would be, presummably before the days of gun control.. soldier's could carry around heat wth no trouble). Stanton recovered, but Jack went to prison, where he eventually died many years later in an escape attempt.
Batman believes the whole thing is a mob ruse, while Flash belives the ghost story and how Jack Dawes
blamed the Stardust for the death of his girlfriend. While Batman runs down some empty mob leads,
Flash hops on his Cosmic Treadmill (the next infomercial home fitness craze.. like the AB-FLEX) and
heads back to the 30's. He snaps a picture of Emily Hanks.. who looks alot like his wife, Iris.
Batman eventually realizes Flash was right and the two enlist Iris's service to end the Phantom's
curse. With a little make up and help from Batman's "Disguise Workshop", Iris is the spitting image
of Jack Dawes' old flame, Emily. It's tough to tell, because Jim Aparo draws all female faces alike.
With Iris' help, they talk the phanotm of Jack Dawes into ending his curse on the Stardust Disco.
The comatized girl is saved and everything's happy.
Definitely a product of the 70's! Why dont they do trendy stories anymore? I know Image Comics has
a guy named "Grunge" and now he's dated. I do remember some break dancing scenes in Fantastic Four
back in the 80's. The Disco bug was HUGE in the late 70's.. alot of comics featured Disco scenes
(even yer beloved X-MEN). Dont believe me, then how else do you explain Dazzler? It's alot of fun
to read something thats' so damn corny and so retro. Of course, the plot was pretty lame and had
some big holes. They never explained what happened to the Phantom's female partner...did her
spirit return to her body and bring her back to life? Especially important, when you consider that
her body was shown in the morgue. And why did Jack Dawes appear like the Phantom of the Opera....
he looked perfectly fine in the flashback sequences. Also, Iris Allen is very opposed to Barry
donning his Flash garb, but doesnt whine when she is asked to pitch in.
Another thing that dates this book is the interaction between Flash and Batman. No mention is
made of how well they know each other. Each knows the other's secret ID, but no mention is made
of this to the reader. You would have to know that they're both pals in the Justice League..where
everybody knows each other. Flash's Cosmic Treadmill is used as if it was par for the course.... Flash
has a time machine..so what? Also, Bruce's bimbo made mention of the fact that she once kissed Batman
at a charity function for five bucks. Batman's "urban boogie-man" guise of modern times is the
complete opposite of this. He definitley was a Urban Boggie-man in this one, but of a different sort.
It's alot more mellow and fun, too. Batman isnt worried about his determination, or obsession with
Gotham as "his town". Flash is an optimitist..he belives in ghosts and shares his heroing with his
wife. A great example of what DC's comics where like in the 70's. As a bonus, it also has the
classic DR .J and Rick Barry "Spalding Street Ball" ad on the back!
I'd give this a $1.25 rating. It's self-contained, nostalgic and unintentionally funny. Despite
its title "THE DISCO OF DEATH", it remainns very lighthearted. Of course, the plot kinda SUCKS
and the action scenes are about as exciting as watching microwave popcorn cook.. although, that
CAN be kinda cool. It gained points simply for the fact that it wasn't shy to dive into the whole
70's disco trend. Plus, where else you gonna get Batman acting like John Travolta?
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