The Gail Simone Batgirl Nonsense

[Nitz the Bloody]

My take;

http://nitzthebloody.blogspot.com/20...-why-able.html

[dupont2005]

Would they retcon it by having her get shot in the spine again? See for yourself in Batgirl issue #negative 2.5!

[SUPERECWFAN1]

Sadly Barbara as Oracle was her nitch. I don't agree with this...

"A lot of readers and a lot of editors had a story problem with Oracle, in that she made for such an easy, convenient story accelerator, that we missed the sense of having characters have to struggle to discover, to solve mysteries. Famously, it helped make Batman less of a detective and more of a monster hunter."

Did Batman really lose his detective skills by asking Oracle to run computer traces or searches for people ? I mean really... Oracle was the computer hacker/whiz who helped assist Batman. He was still Bruce Wayne who would do the detective work on things.

The whole explanation that Oracle somehow made Batman less of a detective is a stretch .

But DC is scrambling and sometimes if the others on the team are told to do whats needed , your gonna get this. Gail works for the company and has to do it.

[Chris Lang]

Personally, I think Barbara had outgrown the role of Batgirl. It'd be like Dick Grayson becoming Robin again at this point.

[SUPERECWFAN1]

Personally, I think Barbara had outgrown the role of Batgirl. It'd be like Dick Grayson becoming Robin again at this point.

Honestly this is true. She's more interesting as Oracle who dates Dick Grayson . I could handle Babs walking again , but not being Batgirl. Its like she out grew it as ya posted.

In the end I wish DC luck with it. But its a shame Cassandra Cain and Steph were benched for this.

[The Cool Thatguy]

"A lot of readers and a lot of editors had a story problem with Oracle, in that she made for such an easy, convenient story accelerator, that we missed the sense of having characters have to struggle to discover, to solve mysteries. Famously, it helped make Batman less of a detective and more of a monster hunter."

Isn't that the fault of the writers and not the character?

In addition, Babs hasn't been a member of Batman's supporting cast in freakin' years!

[Chris Lang]

This quote from a related thread has an interesting explanation, but I disagree with the last paragraph.

I think actually the problem with Barbara Gordon is not that they wanted her as Batgirl again or the wheelchair.

It's Oracle, the character worked better when computers were mystical devices only a wizard could use, but now when 20 drunken fratboys can network computers to blow each other away on Call of Duty, it makes her seem less special.

The character had also become a walking plot device like Nick Fury and Doctor Strange were over at Marvel before they were stripped down, unless you can only be a superhero in the DCU if you are computer illiterate, that's another strike against the character.

The only other roles for Barbara sans Oracle, is either as a crippled vigilante, which actually might be kind of interesting, or just go back to Batgirl, which is what I'd imagine most of DC's business partners prefer.

Personally, I do think there is a third option -- i.e. a non-crippled vigilante but not Batgirl. You know, sort of the distaff counterpart to Nightwing.

The original poster does raise a few good points about how mainstream perception of computers has changed in the years since Oracle began. But I still think Barbara going back to being Batgirl is a step backward.

[Eumenides]

Isn't that the fault of the writers and not the character?

Of course; but do you really think the people at the helm are going to blame themselves for everything that has ruined comics for years now? That involves a level of self-scrutiny, of moral honesty, that is pretty much incompatible with the egos of these people. It's easier to blame the characters: they're fictional so they can't be fired, they can only be raped by Dr. Light.

[The Cool Thatguy]

It's Oracle, the character worked better when computers were mystical devices only a wizard could use, but now when 20 drunken fratboys can network computers to blow each other away on Call of Duty, it makes her seem less special.

Gah, what crap reasoning. Like the existance of Seal Team Six somehow makes Punisher less special because we know of real world special forces.

The fact that people know more about computers only means that writers should up their game, not leave the table.

[SUPERECWFAN1]

After hackers took down Playstation Network and all...does anyone not think that Oracle being around isn't special ? I mean seriously ?

[briest57]

After hackers took down Playstation Network and all...does anyone not think that Oracle being around isn't special ? I mean seriously ?

er no they didn't. They stole information. Sony took it down.

[Ziggy Stardust]

Sadly Barbara as Oracle was her nitch. I don't agree with this...



Did Batman really lose his detective skills by asking Oracle to run computer traces or searches for people ? I mean really... Oracle was the computer hacker/whiz who helped assist Batman. He was still Bruce Wayne who would do the detective work on things.

The whole explanation that Oracle somehow made Batman less of a detective is a stretch .

But DC is scrambling and sometimes if the others on the team are told to do whats needed , your gonna get this. Gail works for the company and has to do it.

TOTAL agreement here.

[SUPERECWFAN1]

er no they didn't. They stole information. Sony took it down.

But they basically forced Sony to do it... then taunted them over it. Really ... after that ...does anyone think an average joe can do this ? I know I couldn't. Its what made Oracle special really. She was considered...the best hacker/whiz in the DCU .

[Ziggy Stardust]

Exactly.

Hacking and information stealing on the net is a modern, hot-button topic.

But, it's much better to have Babs in costume with a few shotgun scars....

Right?

[Ziggy Stardust]

BTW, given DC's [sarcasm]bright and rosy[/sarcasm] tendencies of late, I'd wager that the twist will be the Joker never shot Babs, but did many other unseemly things to her in Killing Joke, in front of James Gordon.

Babs was never crippled, but she did get "scarred".

And lo and behold, Babs will have to handle her "crippling fear" of the Joker.