Admittedly, of all the Batman books coming out this month, this one was probably the one I most anticipated. It was written by John Layman, who has been knocking it out of the book with Chew and Detective Comics, and also features Clayface, who has been lots of exposure in comics recently. How could I not be interested? Is it good?
Batman: The Dark Knight #23.3 (DC Comics)
Clayface wants make it big in the world, but he just can’t seem to help himself. He’s got a temper, attitude, and does not take kindly to people who insult. However, the Justice League dead and the Secret Society recruiting people, Clayface figures it is time to shine. He needs to make an impression and get the bad guys to see him as a valuable asset, but can he?
He certainly isn’t winning any points with Great White, that’s for sure.
This is a rather enjoyable little issue through and through. Clayface is a menacing yet amusing villain with his inner narration and the way he often screws himself over unintentionally. I’m not sure how well the character matches up with his recent appearances, but I like this version of the character and I hope Layman writes more of him in the future.
The rest of the comic is good for a quick little one-shot. The narration was enjoyable and made me chuckle a little bit, the pacing was strong, it had amusing cameos of other villains, and it had a great ending that made me smile a bit. This issue also answered the question about why the Secret Society doesn’t recruit every single villain. The only downside is that the issue isn’t as great as Layman’s Detective Comics run so far. While it has that sense of humor, it does not have the moments that are really exciting or awesome and leave an impression on you.
Whoa whoa whoa! Who’s the lady with the fox tail? I’m not familiar with that villain at all!
The artwork is generally good. Clayface looks pretty good and his transformations are nicely drawn, but I swear this is the fourth redesign of this character. In all of his appearances, his usual form always looks different. Backgrounds are good, the action is nice, everyone looks different, and the facial expressions are decent. Really nice overall.
8.0
- Clayface is a very fun villain to watch.
- The story and surprise at the end were a blast.
- The artwork is decent overall.
- Clayface’s portrayal and appearance keeps changing with every story.
- Not as exciting as it could be.
Is It Good?
Indeed. Clayface’s little journey was enjoyable, the character himself was great to watch, and the artwork helped with it. There are probably better Batman Villain issues this month, but none of them will probably be as fun as this was. Recommended if you need something lighter this month.
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