The Dark Knight’s not the only one who can support a global brand. Are you ready for Joker Incorporated? Your Major Spoilers review of Batman Incorporated #8 from DC Comics awaits!

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BATMAN INCORPORATED #8

Writer: Ed Brisson
Artist: John Timms
Colorist: Rex Lokus
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Editor: Ben Abernathy
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: May 9, 2023

Previously in Batman Incorporated: What’s Batman without the Joker? Why does Batman get to have Batmen all over the world when Joker only has Gotham? Well, the end of Batman’s global monopoly is approaching. The Joker is here to disrupt his enterprise with the launch of Joker Incorporated! Australia gets a Joker! China gets a Joker! England gets a Joker! Australia gets a Joker! Argentina gets a Joker! France gets a Joker!

Everyone gets a Joker!

A TEAM IN CRISIS

As we open, Ghost-Maker is once again dressing down one of his Bats, in this case, Wang Baixi, the Bat-Man of China. Bat-Man is despondent about the reappearance of his old villain, Alpaca… who also happens to be his sister! After he finishes berating Bat-Man like a petulant child, Ghost-Maker and Gaucho set out to answer an emergency call. The Knight and Gray Wolf enjoy a nice meal together where he discusses his plans to quit the team before they, too, are called into action, while Mr. Unknown, Clownhunter, and Raven Red visit Red’s father, Chief Man-Of-Bats, in the hospital. It all comes together as the heroes discover Jokerized victims in the Tower of London, which leads the G-team to find the real Joker’s new plan.

And he’s even brought Gaucho his very own Joker in the form of the Tap Dance Man!

AN INSUFFERABLE LEADER

The first words of this comic are “This is a mess,” and while I don’t like to be cruel, it’s an apt description of the issue. After the chaotic events of the first five issues, which introduced something like six more evil Bat-folk, we now get seven (possibly eight) new villains. The first half of the issue is literally packed with characters, and while I appreciate seeing the pairings of Ranger/Wingman and Knight/Gray Wolf, it feels less like organic character interaction than it does a lack of space. I’m also not a proponent of Timms’ elongated figure work and cartoonish facial features, making Raven Red look bizarre and Beryl/Knight absolutely grotesque. As with any art style, it’s a matter of personal preference, but I think that even fans of the style could find fault with the fact that The Joker is the most normal, human-looking character in the book.

BOTTOM LINE: DOESN’T HOLD TOGETHER FOR ME

If there were a character at the center to hold this all together, even if that character were as big a jerk as Ghost-Maker, it could work, but Batman Incorporated #8 opens with the fourth or fifth instance thus far in the series where the ostensible leader denigrates his teammates, followed by hurried exposition in groups of two and three, with art that just doesn’t get the job done for me, earning 2 out of 5 stars overall. There are moments within the issue that could be great, but they’re too sporadic and too overwhelmed by the parts that don’t work to call it successful.

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