Clayface Batman Variant Cover Homages The Thing
Absolute Batman #23 is getting a variant cover featuring Clayface that pays tribute to The Thing from Fantastic Four. It's a clever crossover nod that plays on the visual similarities between the two shapeshifting/rocky-textured characters. Clayface remains one of Batman's most effective villains because he works on both a visual and conceptual level—genuinely disturbing to look at while also being thematically unsettling. The variant art celebrates the character design DNA these two iconic figures share across Marvel and DC.
ComicsBuzz Take
This kind of respectful cross-company visual homage hints at how much these iconic character designs have influenced each other over decades, even if Marvel and DC rarely acknowledge it directly.
💬 Fan Reactions
"This is sick. Love when artists get clever with variant covers like this"
— u/BatmanCollector42 on Reddit