In our review of Clayface: Celebrity Dirt #1, Clayface breaks out of containment! But is he truly the only Clayface as he claims? Or is that doctor onto something?
CLAYFACE: CELEBRITY DIRT #1
Written by JUDE ELLISON S. DOYLE
Art and Main Cover: FRAN GALAN
Variant Covers: MIKE DEL MUNDO and DAVE JOHNSON
Page Count: 32 pages
Release Date: 7/8/26
This review contains spoilers
We start in LA, where an actress named “Lorna” has a bit of a meltdown. Literally, she’s melted into a clay-like substance.
Switching to Gotham, in Arkham Towers, Clayface is insistent that he doesn’t belong there. That he’s really Basil Karlo, and he’s reformed. But the doctor tells him that he was admitted under the name “Todd Russell”, that the real Basil Karlo is out there having a career, that there are 8 known Clayfaces (including one that likes to impersonate actors).
When he’s left alone, our main Clayface manages to escape. He attacks a couple of security guards, takes on the guise of one of them (aptly named “Clay”), and ultimately escapes into the sewers.
Upon resurfacing, he’s seeing all kinds of promotional material for Basil Karlo’s newest film. There’s a news story about Karlo’s comeback after his OD on Renu.
But what looks like a feel-good story of redemption doesn’t sit right with “Clay”. Just how in the hell is this guy allowed to get away with stealing his identity as Basil Karlo?!
Speaking of Basil, he and his newest fling Maria head to his penthouse. She admires the view, and he eventually starts accusing her of being a gold-digger. Before he offers/threatens to show her something…
I can tell right off the bat that this is going to be an interesting narrative. I mean, there are 8 known Clayfaces, for one thing. Are there more unknown out there? And the doctor does say that, technically, all of the Clayfaces share the same DNA. So, that could make it way harder to pick one up for their crimes. That’s not even factoring the part where they can take on a new appearance at will.
By choosing to focus on a Clayface that seems to be having a bit of an identity crisis, I’m thinking the creative team’s making some excellent decisions, here. Our main Clay claims to be Basil Karlo, but his paperwork says Todd Russell. The Basil Karlo we see at the end is also either a Clayface (or just unstable in general). Hell, there’s no telling if the woman he brought home with him isn’t also a Clayface.
We’ve got a story where it’s not necessarily clear who’s a real person and who’s likely to melt into a puddle of sludge. Which does wonders for ramping up one’s paranoia. And when it comes to horror in general, there’s no such thing as too much Paranoia Fuel. So, points for that.
The artwork for this story is beautifully rendered. I think a favorite scene for me, visually, is when Basil (or possibly another Clayface) turns against the woman he’s brought home. His expressions change perfectly from charming to menacingly. It’s jarring in the way it’s supposed to be, rather than the sort of thing that knocks someone right out of the story.
The style itself isn’t hyper-realistic, but has a great amount of stylization that really helps to sell the facial expressions. And with a story like this one, you’re going to want some strong expressions without it getting cartoonish. And they’ve nailed that balance here.
Now, is there just the one Clayface, after all? Or is the Basil we’re seeing near the end one, as well? The implications of him being one are strong, but we’re only on the opening installment of this series. Who knows what kinds of twists are coming in future issues?
Final Thoughts
Clayface: Celebrity Dirt #1 gives the classic character an excellent showcase. What’s coming in the future? Only the creative team knows for sure, but I’m eager to see more.
