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Batman Arkham: Clayface #[nn] cover
Cover: Guillem March

Batman Arkham: Clayface #[nn]

Oct 2017 · DC · 19.99 USD; 25.99 CAD
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About this Collection

This 2026 edition collects key stories featuring the shapeshifting Batman rogue Clayface, drawn from the character's Golden Age debut through modern DC Comics appearances. The volume gathers issues from series such as Detective Comics, Batman, and others, showcasing the tragic and monstrous evolution of Basil Karlo and other incarnations of the clay-based villain. Part of DC's Batman Arkham series of character-focused collections, this trade paperback offers a comprehensive look at one of Gotham's most physically and psychologically malleable foes.

In "The Murders of Clayface," a 2017 DC story written by Len Wein and illustrated by Marshall Rogers with inks by Dick Giordano and colors by Glynis Wein, a desperate man’s attempt to cure his disfiguring condition spirals into horror when he uses blood from the late Matt Hagen, the second Clayface. The experiment turns him into a living threat, melting his victims into fluid form, and when Batman steps in to stop a crucial theft, he finds himself in the crosshairs of a new, terrifying Clayface. The cover, by Guillem March, captures the grotesque transformation in chilling detail.

Contains 16 stories
The Murders of Clayface
12 pp · Superhero
Batman [Bruce Wayne]Robin [Dick Grayson]Julie MadisonKenneth Todd [as "The Terror"] (movie star)Mr. Bentley (movie director)Ned Norton (former movie actor)Lorna Dane (movie star, death)Fred Walker (Lorna's old sweetheart, death)Clayface [Basil Karlo] (villain, introduction)Roxy Brenner (villain)

When Bruce and Dick visit Julie at the studio, their reunion takes a dark turn as eerie coincidences and rising tension suggest a threat is closing in. With Julie’s life suddenly in danger, Batman must step in to unmask a killer who’s as fluid and unpredictable as his own name—Clayface.

The Challenge of Clay-Face
12.66 pp · Superhero
Batman [Bruce Wayne]Robin [Dick Grayson]Clayface [Clay-FaceMatt Hagen] (intro, villain, origin)
The Coming of... Clayface III!
17 pp · Superhero
Clayface [Preston Payne] (origin)Batman [Bruce Wayne]Alfred PennyworthJames GordonSilver St. Cloud (flashback)Henry MatlockMatt Hagen (does not appear as second Clayface)

In "The Coming of... Clayface III!", Preston Payne’s desperate bid to cure his disfiguring hyperpituitarism backfires when he uses Matt Hagen’s blood, unleashing a horrifying transformation that turns his body into a shifting, liquefying mass. Now a living weapon, Payne begins dissolving those around him—until Batman steps in to stop his latest theft, putting himself in the crosshairs of a new, unstable Clayface.

If a Man Be Made of Clay... !
17 pp · Superhero
Clayface [Preston Payne] (Clayface III)Batman [Bruce Wayne]Silver St. Cloud (a hallucination)James GordonUnidentifed Woman [Selina KyleCatwoman?]Sal Menkin

In "If a Man Be Made of Clay... !", Batman faces off against Preston Payne, a man whose very body is made of shifting clay, as the desperate villain races to complete a device that could finally restore his humanity—before the Dark Knight intervenes and turns his last hope to ash.

Strike Force Kobra
20 pp · Superhero
Outsiders [Batman [Bruce Wayne]Geo-Force [Brion Markov]Black Lightning [Jefferson Pierce]Katana [Tatsu Yamashiro]Metamorpho [Rex Mason]Halo [Gabrielle Doe]Looker [Lia Briggs]Windfall [Wendy Jones] joins the Outsiders]KobraStrike Force [Clayface [Sondra FullerLady Clay] (intro)Planet Masterthe Zebra-Manthe Elemental Woman]
The Coming of Clayface
14 pp · Superhero
BatmanClayface [Basil Karlo]Clayface [Sondra Fuller]RobinJulie MadisonMorris BentleyNed NortonKenneth ToddLorna DaneFred WalkerRoxy BrennerKobra (cameo)Looker (cameo)
The Tragic Though Amusing Story of Clayface II
13 pp · Superhero
Clayface [Matt Hagen]Batman
His Name Is Clayface III
11 pp · Superhero
Clayface [Preston Payne]Had Hatter (cameo)Two-Face (cameo)Joker (cameo)Jack RyderBatmanHenry MatlockHelenaClayface [Matt Hagen] (cameo)
Chasing Clay
38 pp · Superhero
BatmanClayface [Cassius]Clayface [Basil Karlo] (flashback)Clayface [Matt Hagen] (flashback)Clayface [Preston Payne] (flashback)Clayface [Sondra Fuller] (flashback)Cameron Chase (introduction)Claything [Dr. Peter Malley]Harvey BullockCommissioner James GordonOracle [Barbara Gordon]
Anodyne Conclusion
23 pp · Superhero
Catwoman [Selina Kyle]BatmanHollyDr. Leslie Thompkins

In "Anodyne Conclusion," Selina faces off against a new Clayface—a shape-shifting man with no memory of his past, convinced he was a soldier subjected to experiments. Haunted by unintended killings and terrified of his own form, he’s desperate to understand who he is, but his fear turns to panic when Selina offers help. As tensions rise, she must decide how far she’ll go to stop him—before he’s lost completely.

If a Man Be Clay!
12 pp · Superhero
Batman [Bruce Wayne]Robin [Dick Grayson]H. Bennington ScreemoreVILLAIN: Clayface [Matt Hagen]
The Shape of Things to Come Part One
22 pp · Superhero
Batman [Bruce Wayne]Alfred PennyworthSullyJohnny WilliamsTracy Williams (Johnny's wife)Ms. Kitty (death)TiaRiley Wilkes (corpse)Hush [Thomas Elliot] (villain)Karl (villain)

In the wake of a fire that left him forever changed, firefighter Johnny Williams struggles with his shifting body and mind—changes that don’t go unnoticed by the cunning Hush. As Johnny’s transformation deepens, Alfred uncovers a startling truth about Tommy, setting off a chain of events that could unravel more than just one man’s identity.

The Shape of Things to Come Part Two
22 pp · Superhero
Hush [Thomas Elliot]Alfred PennyworthBatman [Bruce Wayne]Jackson DaviesNelson CroweClayface [Johnny Williams]

In "The Shape of Things to Come Part Two," Johnny Williams grapples with the unsettling changes reshaping his body, haunted by revelations from Hush that tie his fate to a long-brewing vendetta against Bruce Wayne. As the present-day investigation into a murder leads to an unexpected suspect, the line between victim and perpetrator begins to blur.

The Shape of Things to Come Part Three
22 pp · Superhero
Batman [Bruce Wayne]Alfred PennyworthJackson DaviesNelson CroweSondra Fuller [Clayface]Clayface [Johnny Williams]Hush [Thomas Elliot]Michael Akins

In "The Shape of Things to Come Part Three," Batman faces a chilling twist when he realizes Alfred has been infected by the Clayface virus and manipulated by Hush, who's working with Johnny Williams to weaponize the Clayface gene. With Alfred now the prime suspect in a murder, Batman must unravel the truth before loyalty and identity are lost forever.

The Shape of Things to Come Part Four
23 pp · Superhero
Hush [Thomas Elliot]Clayface [Johnny Williams] (death)Batman [Bruce Wayne]Alfred PennyworthClayface [Cassius]Jackson DaviesNelson CroweMichael AkinsTracy Williams (Johnny's wife)Johnny's daughterJohnny's son

In "The Shape of Things to Come Part Four," Batman races against time to save Alfred, who's dying from the Clayface virus, forcing him to infiltrate Arkham Asylum to reach Cassius—only for Hush to intercept, his own plan to claim Clayface's power unfolding in the shadows.

Not Just Another Pretty Face
20 pp · Superhero
Clayface [Basil Karlo] (villain)Great White Shark [Warren White] (villain)Secret Society (villains)Vortex (villain)White Rabbit [Jaina Hudson] (villain)

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BATMAN ARKHAM: CLAYFACE By Various & Various *Excellent Condition* $75.95
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Batman Arkham: Clayface (2026 Edition)

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Full credits

writer Len Wein
colorist Glynis Wein
letterer Ben Oda
cover pencils, inks Guillem March

Reprints

↩ Reprints Detective Comics #40 (1940), Detective Comics #298 (1961), Detective Comics #478 (1978), Detective Comics #479 (1978), The Outsiders #21 (1987), Secret Origins #44 (1989), Batman #550 (1998), Batman #550 (1998), Catwoman #4 (2002), Batman Villains Secret Files and Origins 2005 #[nn] (2005), Batman: Gotham Knights #68 (2005), Batman: Gotham Knights #69 (2005), Batman: Gotham Knights #70 (2005), Batman: Gotham Knights #71 (2006), Batman: The Dark Knight #23.3 (2013), Batman: The Dark Knight #23.3 (2013)

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