A Look Inside Absolute Clayface From Absolute Batman #22

Posted in: Batman, Comics, DC Comics | Tagged: absolute, Absolute Batman, Absolute Clayface, nick dragotta

A Look Inside Absolute Clayface From Absolute Batman #22

A look inside the new Absolute Clayface, appearing in Absolute Batman #22, with designs by Nick Dragotta, out in July

Published Tue, 26 May 2026 08:57:11 -0500
by Rich Johnston
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Last updated Tue, 26 May 2026 09:13:31 -0500
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Article Summary

• Absolute Clayface debuts in Absolute Batman #22 as a flesh-and-soul sculptor, redefining the villain as body horror.
• This Absolute Clayface begins as a base form, shifting between liquid mud and hardened clay as his powers evolve.
• Those who step in Absolute Clayface’s mud leave behind their template, letting Clay reshape himself into others.
• Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta frame Absolute Clayface as a tragic artist who sculpts humanity into living horror.

We know Absolute Clayface is coming in Absolute Batman #22, and now we have these Nick Dragotta designs for the character. This also tells us a lot about what's going on with this take on the character. From which we learn that Absolute Clayface isn't just a shapeshifter who turns into people, he's a sculptor of flesh and souls.

We are told that Absolute Clayface, or Clay, starts with this base form but should be a sculptor, finding the soul in his art, a work in progress. He can move in a liquid or solid form. can be liquid mud, with added plasticity when wet, hard when dry or fired. Puddles of mud act like shadows that follow him. His trapped souls sculpt him, and he will turn himself into Absolute Batman, saying, "We are all works in progress." And we can see that confrontation… after all those who step in his mud, pass the template of themselves to Clay…

It turns Clayface into a tragic, almost philosophical horror figure, a tormented artist who sees humanity as raw material to be sculpted.

• ABSOLUTE BATMAN #22
  (W) Scott Snyder (A) Werther Dell Edera (CA) Nick Dragotta
  THE ORIGIN OF HARLEY QUINN! As the Robins nest in Gotham's backyard, and Batman faces ultimate defeat, Harley Quinn's origin is revealed. How does Harley connect with Ark M, and how did the Robins fledge from hatchlings to birds of prey? The call of more than one predator will be answered in this issue. $4.99 7/8/2026
• ABSOLUTE BATMAN #23
  (W) Scott Snyder (A/CA) Nick Dragotta
  BATMAN VS. BATMAN! In a climactic showdown, Batman is forced to battle an unyielding enemy in not just the Robins but in himself. More than one dead character signals a call for help…and a symbol of hopelessness as more friends become enemies.
  $4.99 8/12/2026

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