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Collecting Detective Comics #40, 298, 478 and 479, Outsiders #21, Secret Origins #44, Batman #550, Catwoman #4, Batman Villains Secret Files #1, Batman: Gotham Knights #68-71, and Batman: The Dark Knight #23.3.
The story from Detective Comics #40 is written by Bill Finger and illustrated by Bob Kane. Basil Karlo is driven mad when he learns that one of his films is being remade with another actor in the lead. Karlo adopts the alias of the film's villain Clayface and goes on a rampage.
The first Clayface didn't have any super powers of his own, he was just a common murderer that dressed up as one of his old horror characters. Karlo wouldn't get super powers until the Mud Pack story arc in Detective Comics (#604-607). The version of Clayface from Batman: The Animated series had Matt Hagan's shape-shifting powers, but Basil Karlo's origin as an actor. Batman gets involved with this story because Bruce Wayne's girlfriend is appearing in the film that Clayface targets for revenge. There are plenty of possible culprits for the murders. There is the film's previous director who had been fired, a disgruntled actor who was dumped by the leading lady, a gangster leaning on the head of the studio for protection money. Of course, the true killer turns out to be failed actor-turned-disgruntled make-up man Basil Karlo, angry that the studio dared to remake one of his films.
The story from Detective Comics #298 is written by Bill Finger and illustrated by Sheldon Moldoff. Batman and Robin are part of a charity exchange when they encounter another criminal calling himself Clayface, this time with shape-shifting powers.
I have the same problem with the previous issue that I have with other early Batman issues. The inking of the remastered artwork ends up looking too heavy and making it difficult to see what is happening. Thankfully, the artwork is more clearer starting with this issue. Maybe the older art doesn't mesh well with the modern remastering process, I don't know. Any way, the Matt Hagan version of Clayface is much more interesting than the Basl Karlo version. This Clayface has super powers for a start. Unfortunately, this version of Clayface would end up getting killed off during Crisis on Infinite Earths.
Detective Comics #478 is written by Len Wein and illustrated by Marshall Rogers. Preston Payne uses the blood of Matt Hagan to try and cure his hyperpituitarism, but it makes his flesh melt and gives him a corrosive touch. Batman gets involved when Payne tries to steal the components that will reverse his condition.
This version of Clayface is pretty rad. He has a corrosive touch and ends up turning people into goo. He is also more of a sympathetic character because he only became Clayface in an attempt to cure his terrible deformity. The latest Clayface isn't the only problem has to face in this issue. He is in a particularly bad mood because Silver St. Cloud has left him, so the last thing he needs is a villain that can turn people to goo running amok. You can't have a Batman story without some angst, I suppose.
Detective Comics #479 is written by Len Wein and illustrated by Marshall Rogers. Preston Payne will go to any lengths to regain his humanity and Batman is the only one that stands in his way.
Preston Payne ends up turning to people to goo because he keep on being stricken by a terrible fever that only fades when he passes it onto another person. It is surprisingly gory for a comic book from this time. You would expect something like that from the gritty and extreme 90's, not 1978. Payne also made himself a pretty neat-looking ex-skeleton to keep his body together. It gives him super-strength too, so he is more than a match for Batman.
Outsiders #21 is written by Mike W. Barr and illustrated by Jim Aparo. Kobra sends a shape-shifting operative to keep the Outsiders busy while he prepares for his latest scheme.
This issue is the first appearance of Lady Clay, or Clayface Four. She has shape-shifting powers and can also replicate another's powers. She will later fall in love with Preston Payne and have a child with him. More on the fifth Clayface later. I haven't read any of these Outsiders issues before so I don't really know who most of these characters are. I have a trade collecting the first few issues of this series on my read list, so I hope I will get to know the characters better. I am always happy to see more of Jim Aparo's and, even better, Alan Davis is the artist on later issues!
The first story from Secret Origins #44 is written by Mike W. Barr and illustrated by Keith Giffen. A mysterious shape-shifter sneaks into a Gotham Hospital seeking out Basil Karlo. Karlo recounts how he first became Clayface.
The second story is written by Dan Raspler and illustrated by Bernie Mireault. Matt Hagan had been nothing but a loser all his life until he found a shipwreck that he thought contained treasure. Hagan found an urn that released a strange substance and changed his body into clay.
The final story is written by Len Wein and illustrated by Tom Grummett. Locked up in Arkham Asylum, Preston Payne is disappointed to see a television show about Batman's villains where he hardly gets a mention. He goes off on a rant and recounts his origin.
This issue is a prelude story line in Detective Comics #604-607, where all the different Clayfaces team-up against Batman. Those issues aren't collected here though. I covered them in my review of the first volume of the Norm Breyfogle Legends of the Dark Knight trade. As you would expect for a series called Secret Origins, these stories re-tell the origins of the first three Clayfaces. Lady Clay doesn't get a re-telling for some reason. Clayface II's origin has more of a comedic tone this time around and makes out that he was a massive loser, which I thought was unfair.
Batman #550 is written by Doug Moench and illustrated by Kelley Jones with J.H. Williams III. Cassius Payne, the son of Preston Payne and Sondra Fuller (Clayface III and Lady Clay) escapes from a D.E.O. lab and Batman has to team-up with private detective Cameron Chase to find him.
Clayface III and Lady Clay previously appeared in Batman: Shadow of the Bat #26-27. They had a run-in with the Jean-Paul Valley version of Batman when the villain Abattoir kidnapped their son, Cassius. Those issues were collected in the Batman: Knightquest trade, which I covered in my review a while ago. This is the issue in which Cassius Payne takes on the name Clayface. If a piece of his body is separated from him, it can grow a mind of its own. If it bonds with another human, it will become a Claything and give the person Clayface's powers. One such piece merges with D.E.O. scientist Dr. Peter Malley and gives him the ability to melt things just by looking at them. This issue is illustrated by Kelley Jones, so you I know I wasn't looking forward to reading it.
Catwoman #4 is written by Ed Brubaker and illustrated by Darwyn Cooke. Catwoman finds herself face-to face with the serial killer that has been targeting the prostitutes of Gotham's East End.
This issue marks the appearance of yet another new Clayface. Somebody has been killing the prostitutes of Gotham's East End that Catwoman has taken to protecting. Catwoman investigates and discovers it is the new Clayface. We don't find out much about this new Clayface and I don't think he will appear again outside of this series. This issue is right in the middle of a story line. It's clear why the other parts of the story weren't included, because this new Clayface doesn't even appear in the first two issues, but it is still confusing to be dropped into the middle of a story. I have all the volumes of this Catwoman series, so hopefully this story will make more sense when I read the whole thing.
The story from Batman Villains Secret Files #1 is written by Steve Purcell and illustrated by Mike Mignola.
This is yet another re-telling of Clayface II's origin. It was pretty much a direct re-telling of Detective Comics #298. I get why the story was retold in, maybe the original issue is hard to come by and this is DC's way of letting people know about the character. That doesn't explain why the issue is included in this collection though. Do we really need to see Clayface II's origin again? That being said, it was cool to see Mike Mignola on art though.
Batman: Gotham Knights #68 is written by A.J. Lieberman and illustrated by Al Barrionuevo. Alfred has been captured by Hush and thinks back to the past as he tries to piece together Hush's plan to hurt Bruce Wayne.
Another issue, another new version of Clayface. This Clayface was a pawn in Thomas Elliot's plan to hurt Bruce Wayne. He was made to impersonate an adult Jason Todd, who Bruce still believed to be dead. That is all part of the Hush story line, so I will get around to covering that in a future review. Hush has also after Alfred for some reason. This issue is mostly about the new Clayface and setting out his origin.
Batman: Gotham Knights #69 is written by A.J. Lieberman and illustrated by Al Barrionuevo. Hush has found a new Clayface and is determined to learn his secrets so he can use him against Bruce Wayne.
This issue jumps back-and-forth in time as Hush begins to work out his big scheme with the new Clayface. There is also a seemingly unrelated case about a porn director being found dead. I'm sure that will end up having some connection with Hush's plan. There isn't much more to go on in this issue, it's mostly setting up the big mystery about what Hush is planning.
Batman: Gotham Knights #70 is written by A.J. Lieberman and illustrated by Al Barrionuevo. Batman and Hush race to find the former Clayfaces an unravel all their mysteries. If Hush thinks that he has the new Clayface under his control, then he is going to be proven wrong.
In this issue, Hush is having the new Clayface collect samples from all the previous versions to see if he can duplicate Clayface's shape-shifting abilities without losing his original form. Hush has also injected Alfred with a sample of Clayface's DNA and is controlling him, even making it seem that he had committed murder. It turns out that Clayface was the one who killed the porn director though, he just impersonated Alfred.
Batman: Gotham Knights #71 is written by A.J. Lieberman and illustrated by Al Barrionuevo. Batman is forced to release Cassius Payne from Arkham to save Alfred's life.
Clayface inevitably finds out that Hush has no intention of finding a cure for him and only wants to copy his shape-changing powers. He redeems himself by helping Batman fight Hush and even providing a sample of himself that can be used to save Alfred and clear him of the murder charge. Cassius Payne ends up escaping in all the fuss, but I'm not sure if he ever appears again. I hope he didn't end up as event fodder and get killed off in Infinite Crisis or something.
Batman: The Dark Knight #23.3 is written by John Layman and illustrated by Cliff Richards. Clayface has the audition of his life as he tries to prove to the Secret Society that he is more than a monster.
This issue was a tie-in to the Forever Evil crossover event. With the Justice League seemingly dead, the Crime Syndicate of Earth-3 is able to come into the world and recruit villains to their cause. Several of DC's titles were replaced by special Villain Month issues focusing on a particular villain. For this issue, the Batman: The Dark Knight was replaced by an issue focusing on Clayface. I'm not going to complain because I really enjoy stories focusing on the bad guys. At least this issue wasn't as bad as the Harley Quinn issue.
This was a pretty enjoyable collection. I always thought Clayface was a cool villain, so I liked reading more about him. Batman will go on to recruit Clayface into his Gotham Knights team in Detective Comics. Clayface even becomes friends with Best Batgirl Cassandra Cain, so you know the DC Rebirth issues of Detective Comics are on my read list.
My rating: 3.5 stars.
Next time: World War Hulk- Incredible Hercules
The story from Detective Comics #40 is written by Bill Finger and illustrated by Bob Kane. Basil Karlo is driven mad when he learns that one of his films is being remade with another actor in the lead. Karlo adopts the alias of the film's villain Clayface and goes on a rampage.
The first Clayface didn't have any super powers of his own, he was just a common murderer that dressed up as one of his old horror characters. Karlo wouldn't get super powers until the Mud Pack story arc in Detective Comics (#604-607). The version of Clayface from Batman: The Animated series had Matt Hagan's shape-shifting powers, but Basil Karlo's origin as an actor. Batman gets involved with this story because Bruce Wayne's girlfriend is appearing in the film that Clayface targets for revenge. There are plenty of possible culprits for the murders. There is the film's previous director who had been fired, a disgruntled actor who was dumped by the leading lady, a gangster leaning on the head of the studio for protection money. Of course, the true killer turns out to be failed actor-turned-disgruntled make-up man Basil Karlo, angry that the studio dared to remake one of his films.
The story from Detective Comics #298 is written by Bill Finger and illustrated by Sheldon Moldoff. Batman and Robin are part of a charity exchange when they encounter another criminal calling himself Clayface, this time with shape-shifting powers.
I have the same problem with the previous issue that I have with other early Batman issues. The inking of the remastered artwork ends up looking too heavy and making it difficult to see what is happening. Thankfully, the artwork is more clearer starting with this issue. Maybe the older art doesn't mesh well with the modern remastering process, I don't know. Any way, the Matt Hagan version of Clayface is much more interesting than the Basl Karlo version. This Clayface has super powers for a start. Unfortunately, this version of Clayface would end up getting killed off during Crisis on Infinite Earths.
Detective Comics #478 is written by Len Wein and illustrated by Marshall Rogers. Preston Payne uses the blood of Matt Hagan to try and cure his hyperpituitarism, but it makes his flesh melt and gives him a corrosive touch. Batman gets involved when Payne tries to steal the components that will reverse his condition.
This version of Clayface is pretty rad. He has a corrosive touch and ends up turning people into goo. He is also more of a sympathetic character because he only became Clayface in an attempt to cure his terrible deformity. The latest Clayface isn't the only problem has to face in this issue. He is in a particularly bad mood because Silver St. Cloud has left him, so the last thing he needs is a villain that can turn people to goo running amok. You can't have a Batman story without some angst, I suppose.
Detective Comics #479 is written by Len Wein and illustrated by Marshall Rogers. Preston Payne will go to any lengths to regain his humanity and Batman is the only one that stands in his way.
Preston Payne ends up turning to people to goo because he keep on being stricken by a terrible fever that only fades when he passes it onto another person. It is surprisingly gory for a comic book from this time. You would expect something like that from the gritty and extreme 90's, not 1978. Payne also made himself a pretty neat-looking ex-skeleton to keep his body together. It gives him super-strength too, so he is more than a match for Batman.
Outsiders #21 is written by Mike W. Barr and illustrated by Jim Aparo. Kobra sends a shape-shifting operative to keep the Outsiders busy while he prepares for his latest scheme.
This issue is the first appearance of Lady Clay, or Clayface Four. She has shape-shifting powers and can also replicate another's powers. She will later fall in love with Preston Payne and have a child with him. More on the fifth Clayface later. I haven't read any of these Outsiders issues before so I don't really know who most of these characters are. I have a trade collecting the first few issues of this series on my read list, so I hope I will get to know the characters better. I am always happy to see more of Jim Aparo's and, even better, Alan Davis is the artist on later issues!
The first story from Secret Origins #44 is written by Mike W. Barr and illustrated by Keith Giffen. A mysterious shape-shifter sneaks into a Gotham Hospital seeking out Basil Karlo. Karlo recounts how he first became Clayface.
The second story is written by Dan Raspler and illustrated by Bernie Mireault. Matt Hagan had been nothing but a loser all his life until he found a shipwreck that he thought contained treasure. Hagan found an urn that released a strange substance and changed his body into clay.
The final story is written by Len Wein and illustrated by Tom Grummett. Locked up in Arkham Asylum, Preston Payne is disappointed to see a television show about Batman's villains where he hardly gets a mention. He goes off on a rant and recounts his origin.
This issue is a prelude story line in Detective Comics #604-607, where all the different Clayfaces team-up against Batman. Those issues aren't collected here though. I covered them in my review of the first volume of the Norm Breyfogle Legends of the Dark Knight trade. As you would expect for a series called Secret Origins, these stories re-tell the origins of the first three Clayfaces. Lady Clay doesn't get a re-telling for some reason. Clayface II's origin has more of a comedic tone this time around and makes out that he was a massive loser, which I thought was unfair.
Batman #550 is written by Doug Moench and illustrated by Kelley Jones with J.H. Williams III. Cassius Payne, the son of Preston Payne and Sondra Fuller (Clayface III and Lady Clay) escapes from a D.E.O. lab and Batman has to team-up with private detective Cameron Chase to find him.
Clayface III and Lady Clay previously appeared in Batman: Shadow of the Bat #26-27. They had a run-in with the Jean-Paul Valley version of Batman when the villain Abattoir kidnapped their son, Cassius. Those issues were collected in the Batman: Knightquest trade, which I covered in my review a while ago. This is the issue in which Cassius Payne takes on the name Clayface. If a piece of his body is separated from him, it can grow a mind of its own. If it bonds with another human, it will become a Claything and give the person Clayface's powers. One such piece merges with D.E.O. scientist Dr. Peter Malley and gives him the ability to melt things just by looking at them. This issue is illustrated by Kelley Jones, so you I know I wasn't looking forward to reading it.
Catwoman #4 is written by Ed Brubaker and illustrated by Darwyn Cooke. Catwoman finds herself face-to face with the serial killer that has been targeting the prostitutes of Gotham's East End.
This issue marks the appearance of yet another new Clayface. Somebody has been killing the prostitutes of Gotham's East End that Catwoman has taken to protecting. Catwoman investigates and discovers it is the new Clayface. We don't find out much about this new Clayface and I don't think he will appear again outside of this series. This issue is right in the middle of a story line. It's clear why the other parts of the story weren't included, because this new Clayface doesn't even appear in the first two issues, but it is still confusing to be dropped into the middle of a story. I have all the volumes of this Catwoman series, so hopefully this story will make more sense when I read the whole thing.
The story from Batman Villains Secret Files #1 is written by Steve Purcell and illustrated by Mike Mignola.
This is yet another re-telling of Clayface II's origin. It was pretty much a direct re-telling of Detective Comics #298. I get why the story was retold in, maybe the original issue is hard to come by and this is DC's way of letting people know about the character. That doesn't explain why the issue is included in this collection though. Do we really need to see Clayface II's origin again? That being said, it was cool to see Mike Mignola on art though.
Batman: Gotham Knights #68 is written by A.J. Lieberman and illustrated by Al Barrionuevo. Alfred has been captured by Hush and thinks back to the past as he tries to piece together Hush's plan to hurt Bruce Wayne.
Another issue, another new version of Clayface. This Clayface was a pawn in Thomas Elliot's plan to hurt Bruce Wayne. He was made to impersonate an adult Jason Todd, who Bruce still believed to be dead. That is all part of the Hush story line, so I will get around to covering that in a future review. Hush has also after Alfred for some reason. This issue is mostly about the new Clayface and setting out his origin.
Batman: Gotham Knights #69 is written by A.J. Lieberman and illustrated by Al Barrionuevo. Hush has found a new Clayface and is determined to learn his secrets so he can use him against Bruce Wayne.
This issue jumps back-and-forth in time as Hush begins to work out his big scheme with the new Clayface. There is also a seemingly unrelated case about a porn director being found dead. I'm sure that will end up having some connection with Hush's plan. There isn't much more to go on in this issue, it's mostly setting up the big mystery about what Hush is planning.
Batman: Gotham Knights #70 is written by A.J. Lieberman and illustrated by Al Barrionuevo. Batman and Hush race to find the former Clayfaces an unravel all their mysteries. If Hush thinks that he has the new Clayface under his control, then he is going to be proven wrong.
In this issue, Hush is having the new Clayface collect samples from all the previous versions to see if he can duplicate Clayface's shape-shifting abilities without losing his original form. Hush has also injected Alfred with a sample of Clayface's DNA and is controlling him, even making it seem that he had committed murder. It turns out that Clayface was the one who killed the porn director though, he just impersonated Alfred.
Batman: Gotham Knights #71 is written by A.J. Lieberman and illustrated by Al Barrionuevo. Batman is forced to release Cassius Payne from Arkham to save Alfred's life.
Clayface inevitably finds out that Hush has no intention of finding a cure for him and only wants to copy his shape-changing powers. He redeems himself by helping Batman fight Hush and even providing a sample of himself that can be used to save Alfred and clear him of the murder charge. Cassius Payne ends up escaping in all the fuss, but I'm not sure if he ever appears again. I hope he didn't end up as event fodder and get killed off in Infinite Crisis or something.
Batman: The Dark Knight #23.3 is written by John Layman and illustrated by Cliff Richards. Clayface has the audition of his life as he tries to prove to the Secret Society that he is more than a monster.
This issue was a tie-in to the Forever Evil crossover event. With the Justice League seemingly dead, the Crime Syndicate of Earth-3 is able to come into the world and recruit villains to their cause. Several of DC's titles were replaced by special Villain Month issues focusing on a particular villain. For this issue, the Batman: The Dark Knight was replaced by an issue focusing on Clayface. I'm not going to complain because I really enjoy stories focusing on the bad guys. At least this issue wasn't as bad as the Harley Quinn issue.
This was a pretty enjoyable collection. I always thought Clayface was a cool villain, so I liked reading more about him. Batman will go on to recruit Clayface into his Gotham Knights team in Detective Comics. Clayface even becomes friends with Best Batgirl Cassandra Cain, so you know the DC Rebirth issues of Detective Comics are on my read list.
My rating: 3.5 stars.
Next time: World War Hulk- Incredible Hercules
Category Story / All
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