Origin
When Barton Mathis was a child, he was forced by his father, Wesley Mathis, to going on “hunting trips” with him and his best friend Ray Quimby. On these trip Wesley and Ray would track and kill random human victims in front of Barton. The trio would then cannibalize every part of the victim. When Wesley was caught and gunned down by a rookie James Gordon, Barton was put into foster care. A year later Barton ran away from the foster care system and sometime later returned to Gotham with his deranged family as the murdering villain for hire, Dollmaker. When he reappeared in Gotham he now had several sons and daughters and wore a mask made out of human skin, which contained parts of his father’s face.
Creation
Dollmaker was created by Detective Comics writer/artist Tony Daniel.
Major Story Arcs
Detective Comics: Faces of Death- Dollmaker
The Dollmaker makes his presence known by having one of his “family” members attack the Joker. This attack takes place before Jeremiah Arkham becomes the new Black Mask. The Joker is attacked by one of the Dollmaker’s ‘family members’ but the Joker overwhelms his attacker by ripping out their throat with his teeth. Batman apprehends the Joker as blood drips from his smile. After being caught by Batman, Joker is sent to Arkham Asylum where is paid a visit by a mysterious visitor whom turns out to be The Dollmaker himself. The Joker seems to be expecting this mysterious visitor and compliments him on his choice of location for the “procedure”. The two speak for a short while until the procedure takes place where the mysterious visitor cuts off the Joker’s face.
When Batman tracks Ray Quimby to Taylor Street Imports, he finds Ray dead and then Batman is jumped by the Dollmakers’ family. Batman is beaten, and that is when Dollmaker, throws him Gordon’s lifeless body. It turns out that it isn’t Gordon’s lifeless body but three other victims that Dollmaker has sewn together. Batman escapes, but Dollmaker has the real James Gordon caged up at Mercy Hospital.
When Batman shows up, Dollmaker has Bentley restrain him and knock him unconscious. When Batman awakes, Dollmaker informs him that Batman is going to perform for some bidders who are bidding on Batman’s corpse. The Penguin’s henchmen win and Dollmaker is planning to send Batman with them with two stipulations. They return Batman’s corpse to him within 24 hours and no longer than one hour after death.
Meanwhile it is revealed that Dollmaker need Gordon alive because someone hired him to take Gordon’s kidney. Dollmaker performed the operation and left Gordon strapped to a bed.
Batman escapes, helped by Olivia Carr and attacks Dollmaker again. This time Dollmaker and his daughter, Matilda, escape on a Gotham Police Helicopter, leaving the rest of his ‘family’ to be captured by the police and sent to Arkham. They haven’t been seen since.