Clayface first appeared in Detective Comics #40, published by DC in 1940. That places it in the Gold Age.
Why this issue matters
Basil Karlo, the original Clayface, debuted as a horror-movie actor turned murderer rather than the shapeshifting monster the name later came to mean. Several unrelated characters have carried the Clayface name since.
Key facts
Detective Comics #40
- Character: Clayface (Karlo)
- Publisher: DC
- Cover year: 1940
- Era: Gold Age
Before you buy or sell one
- Check it is a first print, not a facsimile or reprint. Newsstand and direct editions are priced differently too.
- Condition decides most of the value. Whether grading is worth it depends on the copy.
Go deeper
Other first appearances from 1940
- Hawkman (Carter Hall) Flash Comics #1, 1940
- Lex Luthor Action Comics #23, 1940
- Green Lantern (Alan Scott) All-American Comics #16, 1940
- Flash (Jay Garrick) Flash Comics #1, 1940
- Catwoman Batman #1, 1940
- Joker Batman #1, 1940
More DC firsts from the Gold Age
- Black Canary Flash Comics #86, 1947
- Scarecrow World's Finest Comics #3, 1941
- Solomon Grundy All-American Comics #61, 1944
- Superman Action Comics #1, 1938
- Batman Detective Comics #27, 1939
- Wonder Woman All Star Comics #8, 1941
- Aquaman More Fun Comics #73, 1941
- Green Arrow More Fun Comics #73, 1941
Got a copy?
I buy key issues and whole collections across the UK, and I will tell you honestly whether what you have is the real first or a later printing. Send me photos of the cover and the indicia and I will come back with a straight answer, and a proper valuation if you want one.