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Batman: One Bad Day
Batman: One Bad Day - Clayface
All Basil Karlo ever wanted to be was an actor…no…one of the greatest actors there’s ever been. However, his life went off course when he became the shape-shifting monster known as Clayface. After years of doing battle with Batman in Gotham City and distancing himself from his dream, Clayface goes out west to Los Angeles. Creating a new identity, he pursues his dream of acting only to find that Gotham City isn’t the only place with an overwhelming sense of dread to it, and that he might not have what it takes to make it in the City of Angels. So he’ll reshape the city to fit his needs in a deadly pursuit of stardom. From the rising-star creative team of Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing (Batman Beyond: Neo-Year, Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty) and Xermánico (Flashpoint Beyond), this is an epic tragedy not to be missed!
63 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2023
11 people are currently reading
387 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 168 reviews
April 1, 2023
All of these One Bad Day comics are in one way or another giving a nod to Alan Moore's The Killing Joke. It's a grab bag of different writers and whatever their idea of that nod might be, of course.
In this one, the story opens with Clayface living in Los Angeles and auditioning for the part of Joker in a movie version of The Killing Joke. <--I thought that was a cool and unusual take on this thing.
Naturally, Clay is gonna be Clayface. And eventually, he cracks under the pressure of his vision of the character not being what Hollywood wants.
So he starts to eat people. As he does.
Starts out small, you know, just nibbling on friends that get in his way. But by the end, he's absorbed his way to the top of the food chain.
Only then does he discover the true meaning of Christmas.
Luckily, Batman is there to spray him with a water hose (not at all what happens, btw) and take him back to Arkham.
This is my first time reading anything by Collin Kelly (as far as I know) and I gotta say that I'm impressed.
In this one, the story opens with Clayface living in Los Angeles and auditioning for the part of Joker in a movie version of The Killing Joke. <--I thought that was a cool and unusual take on this thing.
Naturally, Clay is gonna be Clayface. And eventually, he cracks under the pressure of his vision of the character not being what Hollywood wants.
So he starts to eat people. As he does.
Starts out small, you know, just nibbling on friends that get in his way. But by the end, he's absorbed his way to the top of the food chain.
Only then does he discover the true meaning of Christmas.
Luckily, Batman is there to spray him with a water hose (not at all what happens, btw) and take him back to Arkham.
This is my first time reading anything by Collin Kelly (as far as I know) and I gotta say that I'm impressed.
May 4, 2023
7.3/10
Basil Karlo a.k.a Clayface, moves to L.A to put his life back on track and chase his dream to become an actor. All it takes for things to derail is ONE BAD DAY.
A very well paced book, although it's not long it doesn't feel rushed. Art is good, Basil's transformations from his form to Clayface are well done.
Another solid entry to the series.
Basil Karlo a.k.a Clayface, moves to L.A to put his life back on track and chase his dream to become an actor. All it takes for things to derail is ONE BAD DAY.
A very well paced book, although it's not long it doesn't feel rushed. Art is good, Basil's transformations from his form to Clayface are well done.
Another solid entry to the series.
December 5, 2024
One Bad Day follows a Batman villain around for an out of time and canon alternate multiverse episode and most of these have been exceptional.
This one finds Clayface and a great reference to Alan Moore’s Killing Joke, which the whole series is based upon. Clay moves to Hollywood and tries to be an actor but must instead rely on his Clayface supervillain powers to get what he wants.
What results is seriously messed up.
I mean really. I think writer Collin Kelly and team either had a lot of fun or are severely demented, or maybe both.
Collin. Dude.
Anyway, this is great fun and makes for a greater appreciation of the character.
And did I mention it is psychologically unsettling?
This one finds Clayface and a great reference to Alan Moore’s Killing Joke, which the whole series is based upon. Clay moves to Hollywood and tries to be an actor but must instead rely on his Clayface supervillain powers to get what he wants.
What results is seriously messed up.
I mean really. I think writer Collin Kelly and team either had a lot of fun or are severely demented, or maybe both.
Collin. Dude.
Anyway, this is great fun and makes for a greater appreciation of the character.
And did I mention it is psychologically unsettling?
February 25, 2025
PT Parece que as pessoas gostam deste, mas eu não podia ter ficado mais aborrecido.
Sei que o Cara-de-Barro não é exatamente um vilão de primeira linha, mas mesmo assim… as cenas dele na sua forma humana pareceram-me realmente monótonas.
Os melhores momentos são as poucas cenas com o Batman, mas não chegam para salvar este para mim.
--
EN People seem to like this one, but I couldn’t have been more bored by it.
I know Clayface isn’t exactly a Tier 1 villain, but still… the scenes of him in his human form felt really dull.
The best moments are the few scenes with Batman, but they’re not enough to save this one for me.
Sei que o Cara-de-Barro não é exatamente um vilão de primeira linha, mas mesmo assim… as cenas dele na sua forma humana pareceram-me realmente monótonas.
Os melhores momentos são as poucas cenas com o Batman, mas não chegam para salvar este para mim.
--
EN People seem to like this one, but I couldn’t have been more bored by it.
I know Clayface isn’t exactly a Tier 1 villain, but still… the scenes of him in his human form felt really dull.
The best moments are the few scenes with Batman, but they’re not enough to save this one for me.
November 16, 2024
This one was great, though understandably a little "meta" for most Bat-fans.
Of course I read all of Basil's dialogue in Alan Tudyk's over-the-top voice from the show.
Of course I read all of Basil's dialogue in Alan Tudyk's over-the-top voice from the show.
December 12, 2023
First off, this is the first Clayface story I've ever read, so I can't speak to how this holds up to the character's history. That said, I really enjoyed this. Some neat things about identity and longing to be seen. I like my Batman villains tragic, and this fulfills the brief nicely.
Really liked the art too.
Really liked the art too.
March 6, 2024
Clayface is in Hollywood posing as a waiter and auditioning for the new Joker biopic, The Killing Joke. His "one bad day" comes when no one will agree with his artistic vision of the character, and he has to take it upon himself to make sure his version makes it to the screen.
This take seems influenced by the Harley Quinn animated TV show on HBO Max, and I can get behind that.
This take seems influenced by the Harley Quinn animated TV show on HBO Max, and I can get behind that.
October 14, 2024
A surprisingly touching story that blends the harshness of Hollywood with the strain that desperation can have on an already fractured figure. The humanisation of Basil is well done, yet it isn’t afraid of showing why he’s part of Batman’s rogue gallery. Topped off with fantastic visuals, this is a very accessible experience that flies by and leaves you wanting to seek out more Clayface centred pieces.
January 19, 2024
Clayface heads out to L.A. to escape Gotham and to pursue his career as an actor. However, losing an audition to a co-worker pushes him over the edge, and he falls back into his old habits. There is a lot of commentary on the negative aspects of Hollywood that could be interesting to the fans of movies and movie production.
January 10, 2024
One of the best One Bad Day entries finds Clayface trying to make it big in Hollywood. Despite his best efforts, it seems the only way to break in to the industry is to kill and impersonate a few folks. Classic Clayface!
The story is simple, perfect for this series. Xermanico's art is absolutely stunning.
The story is simple, perfect for this series. Xermanico's art is absolutely stunning.
February 25, 2023
This one felt the most like the riddler book to me, and I also think it’s the best tie in to the killing joke. It does a good job of making you interested in specifically clayface here, rather than how Batman is going to take him down. I also like the format of comic and script being mixed together.
March 21, 2023
It’s kind of crazy how all over the board the ratings are for these comics! I guess you can never really trust reviews for something like this. You have to decide for yourself. I thought this was a great take on Clayface, another of the more tragic villains who is often overlooked in media adaptations. (Though I kind of get it, because the clay effects would be very tough to do on film without looking like terrible CGI.) I thought it was fun to see Basil in Los Angeles. A nice change of scenery from Gotham for a minute. Good art, good story!
June 5, 2025
This instalment of Batman: One Bad Day focuses on Clayface. Funnily enough, I had never read a Batman with Clayface as the main villain, so this was a new experience and I learned quite a few things.
Created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, the original Clayface, Basil Karlo, first appeared in June 1940 as a B-list actor who began a life of crime using the identity of a villain that he had portrayed in a horror film. In Batman: One Bad Day - Clayface, Collin Kelly gave us a new spin of this origin story by incorporating the OG Clayface lore into the Batman: Killing Joke storyline.
In Kelly's story, Basil Karlo wants nothing more than be an actor. However, his life went haywire when he became the shape-shifting monster known as Clayface. After years of fighting Batman in Gotham and distancing himself from his dream, Clayface goes out west to Los Angeles to audition for the Killing Joke movie. Yup, we're in Hollywood, baby! Creating a new identity, Karlo pursues his dream of acting only to find that Gotham City isn't the only place with an overwhelming sense of dread to it, and that he might not have what it takes to make it in the City of Angels. After all, he's capable of impersonating people to rise to the top.
Personally, I thought this comic was hella fun. The premise is silly as hell but it is a fun way to pay homage to Alan Moore's iconic Batman: The Killing Joke. Also, Xermanico's art was wonderful and among the best in this limited series. I was especially taken by his Los Angeles skylines and landscapes as well as the issue's harrowing final panel: "I'm very open to feedback."
Created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, the original Clayface, Basil Karlo, first appeared in June 1940 as a B-list actor who began a life of crime using the identity of a villain that he had portrayed in a horror film. In Batman: One Bad Day - Clayface, Collin Kelly gave us a new spin of this origin story by incorporating the OG Clayface lore into the Batman: Killing Joke storyline.
In Kelly's story, Basil Karlo wants nothing more than be an actor. However, his life went haywire when he became the shape-shifting monster known as Clayface. After years of fighting Batman in Gotham and distancing himself from his dream, Clayface goes out west to Los Angeles to audition for the Killing Joke movie. Yup, we're in Hollywood, baby! Creating a new identity, Karlo pursues his dream of acting only to find that Gotham City isn't the only place with an overwhelming sense of dread to it, and that he might not have what it takes to make it in the City of Angels. After all, he's capable of impersonating people to rise to the top.
Personally, I thought this comic was hella fun. The premise is silly as hell but it is a fun way to pay homage to Alan Moore's iconic Batman: The Killing Joke. Also, Xermanico's art was wonderful and among the best in this limited series. I was especially taken by his Los Angeles skylines and landscapes as well as the issue's harrowing final panel: "I'm very open to feedback."
April 1, 2024
3.5 stars
Great art with fun story.
Great art with fun story.
June 25, 2025
Clayface has always been one of my favorite Batman villains so I had to read this one. Here, Clayface is trying to make it as an actor in Hollywood and just keeps killing his way up the ladder of success. The dimension they give him is appreciated and you can empathize with him in the end. Good stuff.
December 12, 2025
This was incredible. As we expected, Basil Karlo is well on his way to becoming one of my favorite DC villains. This is definitely the best of the One Bad Day bunch I’ve read so far.
I loved everything about this comic. The writing was poetic, the art was sharp, and the characterization was spot on.
Clayface was an actor by every definition of the word. Despite coming across as respectable, the darker side of him threatened, waiting for its opportunity to blow. He was very Jekyll and Hyde-esque in this comic, which I really liked.
Bruce Wayne/Batman was also handled really well—acting as a side character and not showing up until towards the end, but doing so in an emphatic way.
The Easter eggs and attention to detail were also spot on. The entire story was told as if from an actor’s script, adding to the characterization of Karlo that makes him so enticing to me. There were also clear nods to The Killing Joke and the structure of the One Bad Day series.
The story does a great job of pulling you in. It starts confusing, slowly drip-feeding context before coming full circle in the ending, which is masterful.
This is a must-read villain study and easy recommendation.
I loved everything about this comic. The writing was poetic, the art was sharp, and the characterization was spot on.
Clayface was an actor by every definition of the word. Despite coming across as respectable, the darker side of him threatened, waiting for its opportunity to blow. He was very Jekyll and Hyde-esque in this comic, which I really liked.
Bruce Wayne/Batman was also handled really well—acting as a side character and not showing up until towards the end, but doing so in an emphatic way.
The Easter eggs and attention to detail were also spot on. The entire story was told as if from an actor’s script, adding to the characterization of Karlo that makes him so enticing to me. There were also clear nods to The Killing Joke and the structure of the One Bad Day series.
The story does a great job of pulling you in. It starts confusing, slowly drip-feeding context before coming full circle in the ending, which is masterful.
This is a must-read villain study and easy recommendation.
April 1, 2023
Phenomenal! My second favorite after Riddler and one notch above Ra's Al Ghul. Follows the One Bad Day rule in a creative way. Excellent body-horror story and tragic empathy for Basil Karlo. I also adored how they treated him like a monster in Alien or Jaws that you never see many full images of him until you absolutely need to. At which point, I had a moment of empathy and shock.
August 18, 2024
Batman - One Bad Day: Clayface
Basil Karlo is simply looking for his break in Hollywood, but everyone keeps getting in the way of his potential success. When Batman appears, he realises he may have gone too far.
The artwork is unnerving in places, serving this story of frustration and desperation well.
Basil Karlo is simply looking for his break in Hollywood, but everyone keeps getting in the way of his potential success. When Batman appears, he realises he may have gone too far.
The artwork is unnerving in places, serving this story of frustration and desperation well.
April 8, 2023
Clayface is one of the most tragic villians,losing his old life,he continuesly fails to obtain a new life,a real identity,despite being able to shift as he wishes..all the lives in the world cant make up for his lost one..he doesnt Belong..
Clayface: i am everyone,i am anyone..
Batman:Which means you are Noone..
A case of lost identity...
Clayface: i am everyone,i am anyone..
Batman:Which means you are Noone..
A case of lost identity...
January 27, 2024
I WANT TO BE A STAR!
February 26, 2023
Worst of the One Bad Day collection in my opinion. Didn't find the take on the Clayface backstory really interesting or entertaining. Not my style!
November 26, 2023
Essa leitura me surpreendeu, realmente é bem boa, por isso conseguiu se destacar dentro da série "One Bad Day", com certeza uma das melhores. Comprei a HQ por estar sendo bem falada dentro da gibisfera, e realmente não decepcionou.
A HQ traz a história do Cara de Barro, Basil Karlo, tendo uma nova vida em Los Angeles,que é uma cidade totalmente diferente de Gotham, e nesse sentido, serve até para mostrar que o Cara de Barro estava buscando uma nova vida, seguir em frente.
Nosso protagonista está buscando um papel na indústria cinematográfica, fazendo testes para um filme que, ironicamente, chama A Piada Mortal, com referência direta ao clássico quadrinho do Coringa escrito pelo Alan Moore. Nesse sentido, Brasil está fazendo teste para o papel do Capuz Vermelho (futuro Coringa). No entanto, nosso protagonista não consegue o papel, gerando frustração e fazendo com que o personagem surte e comece a cometer uma série de assassinatos.
Esse caminho de início de história sendo uma oportunidade de retenção, com o Basil indo bem, e no final surtar e retornar ao seu status quo de vilão, realmente é um paralelo ao quadrinho Um Dia Ruim, do Coringa.
Além disso, o quadrinho também consegue trabalhar alguns temas pertinentes como a falsidade praticada pelas pessoas, a visão de lucro acima de tudo e como a indústria cinematográfica pode ser cruel.
A HQ traz a história do Cara de Barro, Basil Karlo, tendo uma nova vida em Los Angeles,que é uma cidade totalmente diferente de Gotham, e nesse sentido, serve até para mostrar que o Cara de Barro estava buscando uma nova vida, seguir em frente.
Nosso protagonista está buscando um papel na indústria cinematográfica, fazendo testes para um filme que, ironicamente, chama A Piada Mortal, com referência direta ao clássico quadrinho do Coringa escrito pelo Alan Moore. Nesse sentido, Brasil está fazendo teste para o papel do Capuz Vermelho (futuro Coringa). No entanto, nosso protagonista não consegue o papel, gerando frustração e fazendo com que o personagem surte e comece a cometer uma série de assassinatos.
Esse caminho de início de história sendo uma oportunidade de retenção, com o Basil indo bem, e no final surtar e retornar ao seu status quo de vilão, realmente é um paralelo ao quadrinho Um Dia Ruim, do Coringa.
Além disso, o quadrinho também consegue trabalhar alguns temas pertinentes como a falsidade praticada pelas pessoas, a visão de lucro acima de tudo e como a indústria cinematográfica pode ser cruel.
October 25, 2023
This story doesn't even feature Batman until almost the end, but Clayface is such a deep character that he is able to carry it. Basil moves out to LA to become a movie star, and as people get roles over him, he takes them out and replaces them in life (EX: Other actor takes the role, he becomes them, then the agent, then the director, then the owner of the studio, etc). Eventually Batman comes west and catches him, and you almost feel sad for the criminal, despite him murdering to get what he wants.
This is another of the good stories from One Bad Day.
Recommend.
This is another of the good stories from One Bad Day.
Recommend.
January 1, 2024
This is another good one in the “Batman: One Bad Day” series that focuses on different villains in Batman’s world. This volume is on Clayface. Clayface is a character that can change appearances though his natural state of appearance is that of a clay monster.
I like this story as something that stands out with the other books in this series in that it feature a villain that is outside of Gotham City, and in a city I know about: Hollywood, California. Clayface decided to go out west and pursue an acting career and in a story that is all too familiar, many eager aspiring actors are in Hollywood trying to audition for a part in a film and hoping one day to make it big. But it’s not an easy world in Hollywood as an aspiring actor and Clayface finds that despite being truly a skilled actor (in different ways) he can’t just make it and in one bad day goes back to his old ways. As I read this story I thought about my younger days working security in Hollywood and how there were so many people that were young, naïve and vulnerable coming out to a big city and hoping to have the luck to be a famous actor one day. This story brought back some memories. As I read this I thought about how Hollywood itself can leave behind a wake of a lot of victims; just like Clayface did in this story.
I like this story as something that stands out with the other books in this series in that it feature a villain that is outside of Gotham City, and in a city I know about: Hollywood, California. Clayface decided to go out west and pursue an acting career and in a story that is all too familiar, many eager aspiring actors are in Hollywood trying to audition for a part in a film and hoping one day to make it big. But it’s not an easy world in Hollywood as an aspiring actor and Clayface finds that despite being truly a skilled actor (in different ways) he can’t just make it and in one bad day goes back to his old ways. As I read this story I thought about my younger days working security in Hollywood and how there were so many people that were young, naïve and vulnerable coming out to a big city and hoping to have the luck to be a famous actor one day. This story brought back some memories. As I read this I thought about how Hollywood itself can leave behind a wake of a lot of victims; just like Clayface did in this story.
November 21, 2023
Mais um quadrinho de Jackson Lanzing e Collin Kelly que invadiram de assalto as grandes editoras de super-heróis dos Estados Unidos. Isso não significa que todos os trabalhos deles sejam de qualidade. Mas este aqui é bem legal. Principalmente porque usam a linguagem dos roteiros de cinema dentro de uma história em quadrinhos para contar a história do Cara de Barro. Para quem não sabe, o Cara de Barro é um ator fracassado que acaba se tornando um monstro de lama. Nesta trama, ele vai matando e substituindo todos os nomes do fluxograma da produção de um filme para tentar agradar a si mesmo como ator de um grande filme, mas também para impressionar seus amigos. Contudo, esse é um dia ruim, e nada vai sair como Basil Karlo, o Cara de Barro, planejou. Gostei bastante do quadrinho e é um dos melhores dessa coleção que enfoca os grandes inimigos do Batman. Os desenhos de Xermânico também estão muito lindos e caprichados, emprestando o clima de terror necessário para esta história. Nem todas as histórias da série Um Dia Ruim estão a par de sua proposta, mas esta aqui realmente ficou bem boa.
January 29, 2024
A fantastic story of identity. This installment of the One Bad Day series is mid-to-high in personal ranking. It has a good plot for the character of many faces. There's not a lot of depth in any of the other characters, but it feels intentional based on the inner workings of Basil's mind - the struggles with connection to one's self and those around. How much are we acting every day? Who is someone really? It reads quite quickly and the pace matches. From the "first blood" to the final fight, this story turns pages. Unfortunately, there's not really a "bad day" for clayface like we've seen in the other installments. Most of the other stories show an origin or a really bad day which triggers a monumental change for the character, but, here, clayface just has a rough day as clayface. Maybe the unresolved personal identity crisis is the bad day. Read for yourself and decide - who am I?
August 12, 2025
Really good! Both Terrifying and sad.
"Clay" is a struggling actor in Los Angeles and wants to truly make it! But no one is willing to give him a shot. So he decides to take the identities of others to get better jobs in Hollywood.
It's really cool, with great horror elements while still making Clayface sympathetic and make his fall into villainy that much more sad.
Really good! Fantastic art! Worth a read!
4☆
"Clay" is a struggling actor in Los Angeles and wants to truly make it! But no one is willing to give him a shot. So he decides to take the identities of others to get better jobs in Hollywood.
It's really cool, with great horror elements while still making Clayface sympathetic and make his fall into villainy that much more sad.
Really good! Fantastic art! Worth a read!
4☆
February 5, 2025
I liked the art style in this one, but the whole Clayface wanting to be an actor arc– I feel –is super played out and I really don’t take it seriously after watching the Harley Quinn tv show😭 this story itself wasn’t bad but the broader idea of Clayface in the movie industry and being an aspiring actor is just not it for me🤷♀️
March 11, 2023
Era de los números que menos esperaba porque aunque Basil Karlo me gusta es un villano que o bien palidece al lado de otros más famosos o no está tan bien aprovechado como podría, pero aquí Jackson Lanzing y Collin Kelly saben cómo sacarle el máximo partido posible.
La pérdida de la identidad por moldearla para luchar por ascender y llegar a lo más alto es la base sobre la que se sostiene este one-shot y los guionistas dotan de una oscuridad y dramatismo a Clayface que me han encantado, y además la parte metanarrativa con 'La broma asesina' está chulísima y el final me parece sublime gracias a cómo inserta la estructura de un guión cinematográfico en la propia narrativa de la historia.
Y por si eso fuera poco, el dibujo de Xermanico es precioso y sabe tanto dibujar a un puñado de personajes distintos de forma reconocible como de hacer a un Clayface monstruoso, que parece salido de una película de serie B.
En resumen: una muy agradable sorpresa y a lo tonto de mis cómics favoritos de esta iniciativa.
Mi top de los one-shots hasta ahora:
1. El Acertijo
2. Catwoman
3. Clayface
4. Mr. Freeze
5. Bane
6. El Pingüino
7. Dos Caras
La pérdida de la identidad por moldearla para luchar por ascender y llegar a lo más alto es la base sobre la que se sostiene este one-shot y los guionistas dotan de una oscuridad y dramatismo a Clayface que me han encantado, y además la parte metanarrativa con 'La broma asesina' está chulísima y el final me parece sublime gracias a cómo inserta la estructura de un guión cinematográfico en la propia narrativa de la historia.
Y por si eso fuera poco, el dibujo de Xermanico es precioso y sabe tanto dibujar a un puñado de personajes distintos de forma reconocible como de hacer a un Clayface monstruoso, que parece salido de una película de serie B.
En resumen: una muy agradable sorpresa y a lo tonto de mis cómics favoritos de esta iniciativa.
Mi top de los one-shots hasta ahora:
1. El Acertijo
2. Catwoman
3. Clayface
4. Mr. Freeze
5. Bane
6. El Pingüino
7. Dos Caras
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