Source: tumblr.com
6. Mortal Clay
(Batman Annual #11, DC Comics)
Mortal Clay is easily my favorite Alan Moore story featuring Batman, and, I’d argue, the best. I know a lot of people would give this spot to The Killing Joke but, while I’ll concede that Killing Joke has much better artwork, I don’t think the story holds up very well, and it’s clear it was never originally meant to be in continuity.
But I’m not here to bash Killing Joke (there are plenty of more eloquent, smarter people doing that); I’m here to talk about the greatness of Mortal Clay. The story follows Preston Payne, the third man to take the name Clayface. Preston isn’t really a shapeshifter, though. Instead his power is the ability to melt anyone he comes into contact with. In the story, Preston discovers and falls madly in love with a mannequin he believes to be real, while hiding in a department store. As Preston bends further into madness and what he believes to be love, we both pity and fear him. The story is told from his perspective and we get a look inside the head of a truly sick man.
Batman barely appears in the issue, until the end, and when he does, it’s a more compassionate depiction of the Dark Knight than we’re used to. Mortal Clay digs deep into the psychosis of a villain in a way that very few Batman stories do. It’s absolutely fantastic, and that last panel gives me serious chills to this very day.
