WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for the "Batman" chapter of Infinite Frontier #0, by James Tynion IV, Jorge Jimenez, Tomeu Morey and ALW's Troy Peteri, on sale now.
After the events of Dark Nights: Death Metal and Future State, the DC Universe is starting fresh with the Infinite Frontier era. This new beginning kicks off with Infinite Frontier #0, which serves as a springboard for all of DC's heroes, from Batman and Superman to the Teen Titans and the Green Lanterns. The issue is packed with appearances and teases of stories to come, hinting at the plots that will unfold unfold in the next year of DC's stories.
In Gotham City, the event kicks off with a new tragedy after Arkham Asylum is once again attacked with a lethal form of the Joker's Laughing Gas. However, the Clown Prince of Crime is far from the only threat teased in Infinite Frontier #0. The special also teases Scarecrow, the birth of the Magistrate program, Punchline and other villains. Notably, Infinite Frontier #0 also teases the return of another former Gotham City menace: Clayface, but it's not clear whose side he'll be on.
Clayface, Basil Karlo, has long been a member of Batman's rogues' gallery. For years, the villain terrorized Gotham City as a dangerous, super-powered threat who took on Batman and the Bat-Family dozens of times. However, all of that changed at the start of 2016's DC Rebirth relaunch. As part of this new beginning, Batman sought to put a new kind of team together that included Tim Drake's Robin, Batwoman, Spoiler, Orphan and, most surprisingly, Clayface.
Despite their history, Batman believed that Basil Karlo had the potential to redeem himself and to become a force for good in Gotham City. Karlo accepted the offer, becoming an official member of the Gotham Knights in Detective Comics #934 by James Tynion IV and Eddy Barrows. Through his time on the team, Clayface developed a bond with Cassandra Cain, and he proved himself dedicated to the Knights and to becoming a better person. Basil continuously wrestled with his monstrous half, but he worked to better himself as much as he could.
Unfortunately, his time on the team reached a shocking end when Basil was infected by a serum that transformed him back into a mindless monster. As Clayface threatened to destroy Gotham City, Batwoman had no choice but to shoot the villain with a special bullet that would neutralize his powers and kill him. But while Clayface was believed to be dead, he was actually secretly alive. The character was last seen in 2018's Detective Comics #981, where he left Gotham behind.
Now, three years later, Clayface appears to return to Gotham City. Indeed, in Infinite Frontier #0, in a sequence that shows the status of several Gotham City players, Basil returns in his Clayface form and slips out of a pipe into the water.
While this is all we see of the character, it's a notable appearance given that we haven't seen Clayface for several years, outside of the reality-shaking crossover event Dark Nights: Death Metal. This tease is certainly no accident, and it indicates that the character will properly return in a Batman storyline in the coming year. While it's not clear if he's back to continue his heroic redemption or has he turned into a villain once more, the worrisome smile that appears in the puddle of clay could indicate the latter.
However, it's also important to note that Clayface appears in a page that features multiple Gotham City anti-heroes. Indeed, Basil shares the page with Red Hood, Harley Quinn and Clownhunter, among others. All of these characters have tendencies that border on the villainous, but they still act as protectors. These three operate in more of a morally grey area, which indicates that the case could be the same for Clayface.
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