It's the biggest audition of Clayface's life as he attempts to impress the Secret Society and join their ranks. Desperate to prove himself more than a monster, Clayface sets a scheme into motion that quickly unravels! Will he make his mark-or dig his own grave?
By this point, it has been what, a year since John Layman came on to the Batman scene? Or at least close to it? By now it is no secret how much I enjoy his work in general, but this is just another great example of why. I had no intention of really caring about Clayface, nor feeling any empathy for him, coming into this issue... but then I left with just that. Layman just has that ability to make me invested in characters like Clayface, and I'm left with not a single bad thing to say about these types of stories. Read Full Review
Ultimately, the bottom-line is that John Layman has given me yet another reason to love his work, to keep reading it. He has been fantastic on Detective Comics and he is fantastic here. This is definitely an issue I can see myself reading again and again for the amusing portrayal of events. Definitely a thumbs-up from me. Read Full Review
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. Read Full Review
If you're a fan of Clayface, you're going to really enjoy this issue, and if you've always wanted to delve into the mind of Clayface, you're in luck because that's exactly what this issue does. John Layman provides a good issue that lets fans get inside the mind of Clayface, to see what makes him tick. It's great for both new fans and long time readers alike. On the down side, the art was just ok and the cover seemed very rushed. Overall, I recommend this issue. Read Full Review
Cliff Richards' art is mostly good, as well. In fact, the one thing that doesn't look good is Clayface. Richards' rendering of the character is supremely uninteresting. Everything else looks awesome. He never skimps on a panel, drawing full, detailed backgrounds and expressive characters. The action looks the best when Clayface gets pissed and starts messing everyone up. It's just the stuff in between that drags. This is a pretty good looking comic, Richards just isn't a good fit for Clayface. Read Full Review
John Layman's Clayface is played for laughs. If you want a big, bad-ass moment that solidifies this villain as a major threat then you'll be disappointed. However, if you're just looking for something simple that doesn't take itself too seriously then I think you're going to have a pretty good time. Read Full Review
Clayface comes off very likable and conniving in this issue, which make for a pretty interesting read. He's generally a character that is forgotten, but this issue makes him relevant and dangerous. Layman and Richards do a decent job of making this one shot issue worth the cover price. Read Full Review
Clayface is a C-list Batman villain. He will never rise above that classification. Layman embraces that and brings him down to the dumb level, which seems more fitting than the variety that can fool Batman with his shape shifting. If you like an entertaining, throwaway read with a really cool cover then pick this up. Read Full Review
That said, this issue is good fun, but not very necessary. We get a bunch of laughs at Clayface's expense, but in the end this is a average read at best. Unless you can't get enough Clayface, you can pass on this issue. Read Full Review
If I am reading a title about a Villain, even if they suck, I want them to be put in some sort of positive or badass crazy light. Clayface gets shit on the whole issue. Read Full Review
Layman's humor on "Chew" is reliably wacky and creative, and he's shown before that he can poke fun at his characters while building up the reader's fondness for them. The saving grace of Clayface's story ought to be the humor, but it doesn't quite come off. The big joke hinges mostly on the capacity of the audience to smugly laugh at stupidity. Watching Clayface overreach and fail again is slender satisfaction, since he's never been a villain in the big leagues of Batman's rogues. "Batman: The Dark Knight" #23.3 disappoints by driving home how unworthy of time the main character is, rather than delivering meaning or amusement. Read Full Review
Save the buck and buy the regular cover. Or just buy another book entirely and accept that this one is nothing more than a poorly-paced characterization-fail of a filler issue by a writer who should not be in charge of such important and iconic characters. Sorry, Layman. You need to go. Read Full Review
Layman brings another great freakin' issue that actually gets you I tot he head of Clayface and makes you realize just why he's a villain and its not some horrible event in his past, its just that he's very proud and not terribly smart, a bad combo. Good art too though I didn't love Clayface's current design as well as his last one.
This issue was also a pleasant surprise because I didn't know Layman had a Villains month issue and I was a little bummed to go a month without him on Tec.
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