The best Batman comics and episodes to watch before Clayface

It’s official: the DCU’s first crack at full-blown body horror is heading to theaters. A teaser for Mike Flanagan’s Clayface has dropped, with a release date of Oct. 23, 2026 attached. Debuting in James Gunn’s DCU ahead of the arrival of his nemesis Batman, this is easily Clayface’s breakout role. This is one villain who’s ready for his close-up, Mister DeMille.

It’s common knowledge that Batman’s rogues gallery is chock-full of fascinating weirdos. Clayface has been a recurring fan favorite since his first appearance in Detective Comics #40 back in 1940. There have been several different characters to go by the name, but the most consistent backstory is that of Basil Karlo, the narcissistic actor whose life falls apart after he is disfigured. With cool twists on his character showing up everywhere from Harley Quinn to Pennyworth, this is a criminal whose personality is as changeable as his face. We could be here all day listing great Clayface appearances, but here’s a starter pack to get you up to speed for Clayface.

5

Batman: The Animated Series, “Feat of Clay”

To this day, “Feat of Clay” remains one of the most beloved takes on Clayface. Past-his-prime actor Matt Hagen’s face was disfigured in a horrible accident, leaving him broken and depressed. The villainous Roland Daggett happily appears to make things worse, offering Hagen an experimental face cream that heals his scarring. Naturally, there’s a pretty steep downside to this deal, and Hagen quickly finds himself sucked into the criminal underworld. Narcissistic, vain, and yet somehow deeply sympathetic, “Feat of Clay” is a must-watch.

4

The Batman, “Clayfaces”

Clayface is always at his most interesting when he’s smack dab in the middle of an identity crisis brought on by his own insecurities. The Batman significantly reimagined many Batman villains, but its take on Clayface remains one of the best. Bruce Wayne’s childhood friend Ethan Bennett grew up to become one of Batman’s greatest allies at the Gotham Police Department. After Ethan becomes Clayface, he and Bruce are hopelessly at odds. In this story, Basil Karlo steals the Clayface mutagen and applies it on himself, causing his horrible transformation. As Bennett struggles with his own moral breaking point, Karlo gleefully terrorizes Gotham. It isn’t long before the two meet face-to-face, leaving Batman scrambling to clean up the mess.

3

Legends of The Dark Knight #89-90, “Clay”

For anyone looking to learn more about Clayface’s status as a bona fide horror movie monster, “Clay” is a great place to start. Kicking off with Batman losing a fight to a particularly unstable version of Clayface named Matt Hagen, the story starts on intentionally uneven ground and never recovers. Hagen stumbles upon his powers in a dire moment. When he is given the chance to return to normal life, he refuses it. Hagen quickly uses his newfound powers to terrorize his ex-girlfriend, Lisa, while a horrified Batman tries to catch up and hold him accountable before it’s too late. Written by Alan Grant and featuring stunning art by Quique Alcatena, this is a wildly underrated horror classic.

2

Detective Comics #604-607

There have been quite a few Clayfaces over the years, and this story uses that to its advantage. Kicking off with a dubious partnership between Clayfaces Basil Karlo, Sondra Fuller, Matt Hagen and Preston Payne. This story is a celebration of each version of the villain as Batman struggles to overcome their combined might. “The Mud Pack” is another great Clayface tale written by Alan Grant, this time supported by the legendary Norm Breyfogle on art. If you’re wondering what the difference between the Clayfaces really are, this is where you’re going to want to begin.

1

One Bad Day: Clayface

Actor Basil Karlo is trying to leave his checkered past in Gotham behind. Having relocated to Los Angeles, he’s living the L.A. dream — working as a server while tirelessly going to auditions. It’s not going great, but he’s barely able to keep his head above water. Yet, when he loses out on a part to his roommate, something insidious bubbles to the surface, and never goes away again. This is a take on Basil that is far from heroic, but his case of Main Character Syndrome is portrayed as tragic. Any great Clayface story is like watching a train wreck in slow motion, and we’re betting we’ll see a lot more of that in Clayface.

As for how to get your hands on these stories, you’ve got a few options. First off, all have received physical media releases, for those who prefer that to streaming. That might get pricey fast, though, so you could watch both The Batman and Batman: TAS with a subscription to HBO Max. The comics are also easily available through streaming, with the DC Universe Infinite app providing easy access to these comics and many more. You can also purchase these issues via Kindle and other eBook apps.