I can not speak to the authenticity of the depiction of a disabled person as that is not my experience, but it certainly seems the authors tried to be authentic. I love Barbara Gordon and hadn't actually seen her as Oracle in the main DC Comics, as I personally picked Batgirl up in the Burnside arc, but loved the idea of Babs using her tech skills. I can't bring myself to read the original story where she is paralyzed because of how horrible it sounds, but Oracle Code did a good job of changing the original and making the Oracle story accessible to a new generation of readers. I had already purchased this for my library and it was checked out before we had to close due to the COVID-19 Crisis, so there is definitely interest from my teens!

I really loved this book. I found it be be really intriguing. Marieke Nijkamp is such a wonderful writer!

I have been recommending this graphic novel far and wide to any Batgirl, Barbara Gordon, YA, or comics fans. I was thrown off at first that Barbara is injured early in the novel but not in the way I would have expected based on my (pretty significant) past Batgirl reading. I really liked the sort of Bizarro-Gotham here, with Arkham being not an asylum for the "criminally insane" but instead a rehabilitation facility where Barbara goes to recover from her injury. I loved the art, the characters, and the story here, and I would love to see more offerings like this for teen comics readers!

There is so much good about this volume that I don't even know where to start. The story is solid, Characters with disabilities are treated with dignity and afforded their own strengths and abilities. The art is fantastic. I know a faculty member at my university who would be interested in this since she is interested in how disability is represented in comics. I will also be adding this to my personal library, as well as recommending it for my academic library to purchase.

The Oracle Code is the latest graphic novel in DC Comic's Young Adult line. And honestly? It's pretty brilliant, if I may say so. Barbara Gordon's tale has been specifically altered, not only to fit the age group, but to fit the story being told.

Barbara has always been curious, a fact that has only become more obvious as she's gotten older. She's learned to be more independent as well, though perhaps that is the reason why she was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

But this is Barbara Gordon we're talking about. Not even a horrible accident will keep her curious nature shut down for long. Sooner or later, a case will come along that will demand to be solved. And that is where the Oracle steps in.

The Oracle Code is a fun and delightful read, providing a different take on Barbara Gordon's time as Oracle. While it is intended for a younger audience, there really is no reason why an adult couldn't or shouldn't appreciate this story as well.

Any fan that has read Batgirl or Batman comics in the past likely knows exactly what events led to Barbara becoming the Oracle. Those events did not happen here. Instead, the entire plot was changed to be more palatable to a younger audience. The fact that Barbara herself is younger as well as required the change. But honestly? They did a great job making the adjustments they did.

Here they've taken the core elements that make up Barbara and Oracle, and they've transitioned it to something new and different. It worked so much better than I would have guessed if I'm being completely honest.

Barbara felt so real in this story. Marieke Nijkamp did an excellent job of portraying a preteen going through such an experience. It really read like Babs. It also read like a girl going through trauma, including all of the bumps and trials that come with it.

Meanwhile, Manuel Preitano's artwork really carried the story even further. I loved the creative use of colors, as well as the general way in which Barbara and her friends were portrayed. Though I'll admit that I'm especially fond of some of the final scenes.

I know that this is likely to only be a one-shot, but man would I love it if this became a longer running series. Seeing a younger Barbara wheeling all over the place as Oracle sounds pretty cool, and thus I would love to see more of it. Can you blame me?

I absolutely loved Marieke’s This is Where It Ends and Before I Let Go, two complex and heart wrenching stories, so I couldn’t wait to see what she did with Barbara Gordon!

Babs Gordon has long been one of my fav heroes, no matter what iteration she’s in. In The Oracle Code, Barbara has entered The Arkham Center of Independence after an incident that leads her to become a wheelchair user. For those of you who may be unfamiliar with Barbara’s story (depending on the version you know), Barbara transforms from Batgirl to Oracle following her

Babs Gordon has long been one of my fav heroes, no matter what iteration she’s in. In The Oracle Code, Barbara has entered The Arkham Center of Independence after an incident that leads her to become a wheelchair user. For those of you who may be unfamiliar with Barbara’s story (depending on the version you know), Barbara transforms from Batgirl to Oracle following an attack that leaves her unable to walk. I love that she becomes this badass hero in other ways without question.

What The Oracle Code does is take a story that is often viewed as tragedy and give life to it through new characters. This is a story about agency as much as it’s a story about trauma. Babs is working through her stuff as she’s working through the mystery presented in the story.

As is the norm with DC Graphic Novels for Young Adults, the art is stunning. The color is cool toned and the shading adds depth. Foreground characters are strong, drawing your eye to them. The use of two-page spreads and overall placement of panels tells a bit part of the story, as well.

Another stunning and unique take on a classic story, told outside canon and set wholly on it’s own. The Oracle Code is not to be missed!

This was such an amazing graphic novel. This book is about Barbara (Babs) Gordon, hacker and daughter of James Gordon. She is injured during one of her hacks by a gunshot and is now confined to a wheelchair. She goes to a center for rehabilitation called the Arkham Center for Independence where she learns to use her new wheelchair and goes to therapy (physical and mental). While she's there she befriends a few girls, one of them named Jena, who goes missing after a few weeks. With the help of her other friends, can they figure out the mystery of what happened to Jena?

I really, really enjoyed this graphic novel. The story was great and very well written. I'm not very familiar with Babs or her backstory so this was a really nice introduction to that world. I loved the art style as well. It was very colorful in a great way. Overall, I would highly recommend this graphic novel. It is a perfect place to start if you are unfamiliar with Barbara Gordon and her story.

Barbara Gordon was left paralyzed after a gunshot wound, and is recuperating in the Arkham Center for Independence. She is sure that odd noises and disappearing patients are pieces to a larger puzzle, and is determined to follow them rather than make friends with remaining patients. In spite of herself, they come to matter to her, and she won't sit back when they can no longer be found.

Babs was interested in hacking and computers and secrets. Following her injury, she was angry and dismissive; it's a common and natural reaction to traumatic events, and it doesn't help that everyone treats her as if she's fragile. Everyone assumes that she's simply overwrought because of difficulty adjusting to being paralyzed, and it certainly would be a reasonable assumption if this wasn't a comic book.The art is easy to fall into, and it's great to see characters of various ethnic groups throughout the background in the panels. There are various ways to get injured or develop weaknesses and need physical rehabilitation. There is also therapy at this center, and comic fans are certainly going to make double takes at the Arkham in the name of the center.

Babs is still paralyzed throughout the comic, as are a lot of the other children at the center, and the frustration she feels comes across clearly in the art as well as the text. There are ableist comments and behaviors on her part at first, as well as later on in the book. It is derided as the horrible comment that it is, devaluing the lives of the children that are seeking help to live the best lives they possibly can. Babs has to come to terms with her new future and how that would affect her prior interests, and she realizes the core of who she is: someone who cares about her friends, solves puzzles, and rights the wrongs of the worlds whenever she can. All life is precious, and must be respected. Of all the possible lessons to take away from a comic book, that's a beautiful one.

This hits everything for me. Great realistic teen friends comic-check! Interesting mystery thriller- check! Super kick ass smart girls- check! Representation for characters with disabilities in way that shows them as multifaceted individuals who aren't defined by their disability- big check! This isn't a Batgirl story or a Batman story, but it's hard to imagine anyone feeling let down by this book, even if they made that mistake.

A thoughtful and engaging origin story for Barbara Gordon/Oracle.

** Trigger warning for medical abuse. Caution: this review contains vague spoilers. **

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9s0ZicTDQ0U&feature=youtu.be

Teenager Barbara Gordon – daughter of police commissioner James Gordon and hacker extraordinaire – is running toward the scene of a crime when she’s shot and paralyzed from the waist down. Six weeks into her recovery, Commissioner Gordon sends his daughter to the Arkham Center for Independence, where she’ll undergo physical and mental rehabilitation. Ghosted by her longtime friend Benjamin, Barbara is reluctant to get too close to anyone – everyone leaves you in the end, after all. Luckily, fellow classmates Yeong, Issy, and Jena refuse to let Barbara be, and an unexpected mystery further helps draw Barbara out of her shell.

The ACI is as creepy as it is opulent; at night, the halls echo with cryptic sounds and the shadows of residents who have long since disappeared. Jena, teller of ghost stories whispered in the wee hours of the night, begs Barbara for help finding her missing twin brother. Dr. Maxwell insists that Michael died in the fire that severely injured his sister, and that Jena’s mind is too fragile to accept the truth. Though she’s reluctant to get sucked into another mystery, Jenna’s sudden disappearance tips her hand. Friends are precious, and she’s not about to let another one slip through her fingers. Before you can say “Birds of Prey,” Barbara is brain-deep in a corporate conspiracy that involves child trafficking and human experimentation.

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I’m really digging this new DC YA series; if anything, it provides a handy entry point into the DC ‘verse for newbies like myself. (I love comics, but the decades-long history of so many DC and Marvel characters can prove overwhelming. Mostly I just stick to newer series, like SEX CRIMINALS, PRETTY DEADLY, B**** PLANET, and the like.) I was lucky enough to review SHADOW OF THE BATGIRL (in which an older Barbara Gordon plays a role as Cassandra Cain’s boss/mentor), and THE ORACLE CODE lives up the expectations set by its predecessor.

The storyline is engaging enough, but it’s really the characters who stand out here. YA author Marieke Nijkamp – who identifies as queer, non-binary, and disabled – writes Barbara, Yeong, Issy, and Jena with compassion and care. There’s a great exchange between the eeeevil scientists and the margnalized teens in which the teens challenge their doctors’ assessment of them as “broken” people in need of “fixing.” (Is there a white savior analog that can be applied to the ableds? If so, this is a prime example of IT.) Hopefully you’ll also catch how the doctors try to gaslight Barbara when she starts sniffing around, insisting that she believe them instead of her own two eyes and ginormous brain.

Barbara’s squad – as well as the residents and staff at ACI – is diverse as heck and thus reflective of reality, which I appreciate. And the brief few panels of wheelchair basketball are great.

And now I shall go back to counting the days until SUPERMAN SMASHES THE KLAN (Gene Luen Yang) and WONDER WOMAN: TEMPEST TOSSED (Laurie Halse Anderson) hit the shelves!

This story has a different feel than some of the other DC graphic novels from the last year. In most of those, the darkness is external. Circumstances happen and the characters respond. While that's also true here, we see a lot of Barbara's grief and anger over her injury which gives this a different tone than some of the rest. It's honest and to be expected, and it's well conveyed in the art and story.

I enjoyed the mystery aspect of this, too. There was only one moment I wasn't expecting; the rest was unsurprising. But I still enjoyed Barbara's journey to the truth because along the way she starts to connect with others and process her grief.

Not much happens with regard to the "oracle" part of the Barbara Gordon story in this book. I was expecting a little more about that. I am curious to see how DC deals with the fact that they have a wheelchair-bound Barbara Gordon in both this book and in the Shadow of a Batgirl book, but the stories don't seem to line up with one another.

I am not super familiar with Oracle and her DC comic history but I really enjoyed reading this story. Barbra “Babs” Gordon is a really compelling character and I found this little mystery interesting. The writing and the art were both fantastic.

I received an advanced copy of Oracle Code from NetGalley so that I could share my review with you!

Barbara “Babs” Gordon is a brilliant hacker and a problem solver, but when her need to solve every mystery gets her injured, her life as she knew it falls apart. Now requiring a wheelchair for mobility, Barbara isn’t sure what her life will look like. Her best friend is ignoring all her messages, and she’s had to move to a rehabilitation facility to help her adjust to using a wheelchair. With everything in her life changing so rapidly, the one thing Barbara can rely on is her instincts when it comes to solving mysteries and puzzles. Everything is not as it seems at the facility, however, and Barbara begins to sense a darker conspiracy lurking under the doctors “good intentions.” When patients begin to disappear from the facility, Barbara realizes that she may be the only one who could crack the code and save them all!

You can get your copy of Oracle Code now from DC Comics!

Marieke Nijkamp captured Barbara Gordon’s transition into Oracle in the most realistic origin story I’ve seen for the character so far! Barbara’s struggle to adapt to her new mobility conditions is front and center in this book, which is something I greatly appreciated as it is normally left out. To me, Barbara felt like a very real person, struggling with some very real issues. I also was a fan of the superhero plot-line that brought this book into the world of traditional comics, and which melded perfectly with Barbara’s personal struggles. Manuel Preitano’s use of color in the story was amazing, and highlighted certain moments in an extremely artistic way! If you can’t tell, I absolutely adore Barbara Gordon, and this book!

My Recommendation-
I think that Oracle Code is an absolute must read for everyone from superhero fanatics to those who have never touched a comic in their lives. The story is inspiring, and provides a needed contemporary look at one of only a handful of differently-abled superheroes. This book is perfect for anyone ranging from Middle-Grade to Adult reading preferences!

I’m loving getting to know new and more authors and artists of graphic novels. I think this art in THE ORACLE CODE was probably my favorite part. I love a good puzzle like nobodies business. So when I read the synopsis for this one I was immediately intrigued. Barbara aka Babs is in Arkham Center for Independence to recover from a gunshot wound that left her paralyzed. I enjoyed the story but overall things felt underdeveloped and rushed. I would have liked to see more on her hacking skills as well.

The Oracle Code is the story of Barbara Gordon as a teen, who undergoes rehabilitation at Arkham after an accident leaves her paralyzed. On the night in question, Barbara had been trying to save someone and gets shot, and in the aftermath she feels her life has been broken to pieces; she isn't sure how to put it back together or what to do going forward. At Arkham, she is angry at her state, but also more angry about how her friend has been distant from her since the accident. She makes new friends at the center, but still feels the loss of her friend. When one of her new friends, a quiet girl who tells her scary stories says that her brother has disappeared from Arkham, she is assured that it the girl's way to cope with the loss of her brother in the fire that destroyed her family. Barbara tries to help her, especially because things don't seem to add up when it comes to Arkham, but it isn't until the girl herself goes away, that she starts to get suspicious, and starts to investigate whether the kids who had to leave actually left or are missing. The plot is also interspersed with the horror stories that the girl says, and they are distinct in artwork from the main plot, which features a monochromatic background scheme with characters in focus using vivid colors; I am not entirely enthused with it, but it is nice. The tackling of eugenic and ableist ideologies in this story about disabled teens felt powerful; it also sort of complements Barbara's own arc about accepting her life, and not just being resigned to it, and figuring out that she can still do what she does best - put the pieces of the puzzle together.

I had a tough time putting this graphic novel down. We see Barbara trying to get used to her new way of life, and it is definitely an uphill battle at first. Yet when someone she meets there goes missing, she feels like something is off about the whole thing. Just because her way of life has changed, this doesn’t mean she is ready to give up on solving mysteries and fighting crime. If you are a fan of Barbara Gordon then this is a graphic novel you will want to read.

This YA graphic novel explores a young girl’s determination, self-revelation, and healing after a tragic shooting has left her paralyzed. While on her journey through recovery at the Arkham Rehabilitation Center, Barbara Gordon finds new friendship and the meaning of self awareness. While she adapts to her new normal she feels like something is just not right with this facility and it’s up to Babs to put the pieces together and code the truth within the walls of her temporary home.
What started out like a simple hacking adventure with her best friend, ended tragically after Babs is shot and left without the use of her legs. Forced into a rehabilitation center to focus on recovering mentally and physically from this event has left her with even more questions than when she first arrived.

“Because with a bit of perspective,
everything is a puzzle.”


DC ink has been creating beautiful YA adaptions of some of our favorite heroes. I’ve had the pleasure of reading a fair amount of them, but let me say this, The Oracle Code has got to be the one with the biggest and deepest meaning plot.
This GA brings diversity, awareness, and mental health to a story for young readers to adapt to. Babs questions multiple times throughout this novel that she is having a hard time determining what is real and what is a result of her trauma. Everything is done beautifully through the use of puzzle pieces which was something that Babs connected with in the first page of the book and carries until the end.
If you are a die hard adult comic reader and wanting to read this please know that this is an adaptation off the original Oracle character. It has been transitioned for the younger audience, so I hope you keep that in mind. As stated before this is a young adult graphic novel. If you are a die hard Barbara Gordon, Batgirl, or even Oracle fan then you will love this as well. The Oracle Code is a unique and fresh take on the character.

You won’t want to miss out on this one. It is beautifully illustrated and wonderfully written. Has hints on humor to lighten the mood while also keeping you on your toes. It gives off a smudge of Nancy Drew vibes but don’t let that deter you from this because it is so much more than that.

I hope to continue to get to do this for you all! DC INK is changing the way teens and younger readers view books and reading in general. Make sure you check them out and read all the wonderful and empowering books they are adding for readers.

Thank you so much to Netgalley, WarnerBros, DC Ink, and Sara Hannah for allowing me the pleasure to review this book and add all these wonderful images for you.

Best,
Brittany <3

Thank you to Netgalley and DC Entertainment for an eARC copy of this book.

The Oracle Code isn’t just for old fans of Barbara Gordon, but for people who are completely unfamiliar with the character as well. What is so great about The Oracle Code is that while there are some shout-outs and references throughout for people who are longtime fans of the character, you can also read and enjoy the graphic novel without knowing anything about Barbara Gordon.

After a tragedy that resulted in Barbara being in a wheelchair, her father takes her to Arkham Center for Independence to help her process what had happened and get used to her new wheelchair. She faces a variety of challenges while she adjusts. During her stay at the facility, she stumbles across a mystery that she is able to apply her computer hacking skills to. She becomes more determined every day and learns a lot along the way.

The book was interesting, engaging, and just plain fun to read. It also didn’t shy away from the trials people may face when adjusting to living life with a disability. The way Barbara handled the changes in her life came across as very authentic. You could feel and understand her struggles as well as her building confidence as time went on.

Since this story is self-contained, it is easy to follow for someone who is completely new to comics. I highly recommend The Oracle Code to anyone who is a fan of Barbara Gordon or who is interested in her character but doesn’t know where to start.

My full review is available here: https://thegeekiary.com/the-oracle-code-graphic-novel-review/79873

Preface: Having read Shadow of the Batgirl, which really introduces Barbara Gordon to the DC Ink/Zoom line and lays the foundation for Oracle, I was hoping to see a continuation of that incarnation; an incarnation that looks at several aspects of Barbara’s character. Unfortunately, DC Ink continues to defy my expectations and places The Oracle Code in its own universe. This is something that is rather puzzling to me, as it seems at least the Raven and Beast Boy graphic novels will be set within the same universe. Could this not have been the same for Shadow of the Batgirl and The Oracle Code? I have a few answers that could explain that, however much I may disagree with it.

As a Barbara Gordon acolyte, I read and analyzed this work closely and perhaps unfairly so. That is why my review will be divided into two parts: one as a new reader and one as a Barbara Gordon fan and historian. Read one or both, depending on your preference. I will also include some thoughts that bridge between the two and will ask some rhetorical questions that either I am “still chewing on” or desire you, the reader, to consider. Now let's get into it.

Synopsis (provided by the publisher): The #1 New York Times bestselling author Marieke Nijkamp (This Is Where It Ends) and artist Manuel Preitano unveil a graphic novel that explores the dark corridors of Barbara Gordon's first mystery: herself.

After a gunshot leaves her paralyzed, Barbara Gordon enters the Arkham Center for Independence, where Gotham's teens undergo physical and mental rehabilitation. Now using a wheelchair, Barbara must adapt to a new normal, but she cannot shake the feeling that something is dangerously amiss. Within these walls, strange sounds escape at night, patients go missing, and Barbara begins to put together pieces of what she believes to be a larger puzzle.

But is this suspicion simply a result of her trauma? Fellow patients try to connect with Barbara, but she pushes them away, and she'd rather spend time with ghost stories than participate in her daily exercises. Even Barbara's own judgment is in question. In The Oracle Code, universal truths cannot be escaped, and Barbara Gordon must battle the phantoms of her past before they swarm her future.

Analysis (spoilers ahead): Themes-Something that DC has done exceptionally well is tackling social and mental health issues that are not always discussed. We have seen anxiety/depression (Raven), domestic abuse (Catwoman), the trials and tribulations of middle school (Black Canary), difficulties with language processing (Cassandra Cain/Batgirl), and now we look at someone who has a physical disability, which from here on I will term “differently-abled.” The Oracle Code has its greatest success here because we finally see the representation of the differently-abled portrayed by the one character who brought that representation into mainstream comics (thanks to John Ostrander and Kim Yale). Nijkamp does a fantastic job with this, in showing not only Babs’ physical struggles but also filling nearly every ensemble page with several other forms of differently-abled representation. Pages are filled with characters, and Manuel Preitano does a wonderful job incorporating them seamlessly, using colors to focus on our main characters but never ignoring the others in the scene. As John Ostrander and Chuck Dixon did so long ago, Nijkamp also shows specific details or a “day in the life” of someone training to be differently-abled in a world that is not always conducive to it. Should this story continue to another graphic novel, the challenge will be to see how Babs (and perhaps others of her fellow residents) transition to the outside world and deal with the new struggles therein.

The other theme that runs throughout is this “code.” What is the Oracle code? Yes, Barbara is a hacker (hacker-in-training?), but that is too literal here. We get a clue from a conversation she has with her father where he tells her to not give up, saying, “I know you. There’s not a code you can’t crack, not a puzzle you can’t solve. There’s nothing you can’t do if you put your mind to it.” Babs responds “I couldn’t stop that bullet. I can’t solve this puzzle because I’m the puzzle now. I can’t crack the code because I’m the code.” Preitano’s art reflects this, with disorganized puzzle pieces creating disordered images. Then the puzzle starts to come together as Babs begins to break the “code,” coming to terms with herself, that she does not need to be “fixed,” that this is who she is now. Perhaps more apt of a title would have been The Babs Code.

The art by Manuel Preitano is different than most comics I have read, but I think that it fits the tone, style, and youth of the story. I especially like that the art style changes with the different stories that Jena tells, and how clever that the final story looks as if it were drawn on lined paper. The puzzle theme and heavy use of yellow all fit with and are emblematic of, this Barbara Gordon’s story. And, as I said before, filling the background with a diverse group of people without having them detract from the main players by using a lack of color was a clever idea.

Choose Your Own Review
For the new reader: As previously asked, one wonders why The Oracle Code does not continue the same continuity of the recently released Shadow of the Batgirl. A possible explanation of this is that the latter is Cassandra’s story, not Babs, though Babs does play an important role. The Oracle Code seeks to establish Barbara as the main character in her own story, and in so doing, we must see her at the beginning of her heroic career and thus equal to the age of the intended audience.

Similar to Black Canary: Ignite, we see a young woman struggling to come to terms with herself, and in this case, the person she is has changed dramatically. An adolescent’s ability to cope with trauma varies depending on the person and situation, and it is inappropriate to say that one reaction to trauma is “better or worse” than another. As we see at the beginning of the story, Barbara Gordon is a fun and intelligent young woman who loves investigating and cares deeply for her father. She is capable and seems to want to be a master of herself and her circumstances. When the ability to be master of herself is taken away from her in an instant, it is conceivable that she acts negatively, becoming morose, apathetic, and full of attitude. Thus Barbara’s greatest challenge is breaking away from that self-destructive behavior, fully accepting herself as, changed, yes, but also still whole. Babs begins to regain her wholeness once she sets out on a mission, finally distancing herself from her inward contemplations and looking outward towards helping others. In helping Jena and the others from the basement, she reconnects with her lost friend Ben, makes new friends, finds and understands her new capabilities, and perhaps becomes a stronger person than she originally was.

New readers will be able to easily digest this story without fear of a complicated backstory. All you really need to know are Babs and her father Jim Gordon. A new universe has been created for both of them, and hopefully, that universe is expanded upon for the future.

My main question/concern, even as a new reader is this: how is this character distinctly Barbara Gordon? What prevents me from taking this story and having the character be named “Kimberley Rockmore?” I want new readers to come away from this story with an understanding of who Barbara Gordon is and why she is so important (and she is objectively one of the most important characters) to the DC Universe. This Babs may have some of “my” Babs’ characteristics, but I’m not sure she has her spirit. If someone asks a new reader, “who is Barbara Gordon?” what sort of answer can we expect using The Oracle Code as source material?

For the seasoned Barbara reader: The issue with crafting a story with a tweenage Barbara Gordon at the center is that you do not have the years necessary to include all aspects of her past. With this story, we lose Babs’ history as Batgirl and only show her as a youthful hacker on the rise. As many argue that Barbara loses something in not being Oracle, I argue that the same is true of her not being Batgirl. Without that aspect of her journey, we do not see the Babs who is a champion of the people, selfless, heroic, and one who so loves and respects her father that she wishes to emulate him. Here we see a selfish Babs and one who, while she does love her father, does something reckless without considering the repercussions for herself and someone else. This is where we get to the core of my problems (as a historian): this is not Barbara Gordon. While Babs certainly was ornery after the events of The Killing Joke and through much of the “Birds of Prey” run, she still gave herself a purpose and helped people. Here we see Babs actually roll away from someone in need of help and is a touch more than ornery - I would even call her a brat. It was difficult for me to read this character, and it took until the second act, when she finally has a mission, for her character to stabilize and be close to recognizable as Barbara Gordon.

Devil’s advocate here: these graphic novels are intended for a younger audience than myself, thus making it necessary for the main character to reflect the age of the reader. Therefore, Nijkamp had really no choice but to discard the Batgirl history, as it would be difficult to argue that Babs was Batgirl at age 9 or so.

Does tragedy/trauma irrevocably change a person? Is that something we explore here? Should we allow the poor characterization at the beginning in order to make way for her metamorphosis? Then again, does she really change, or does she just go back to how she was (all but physically) pre-trauma? What is her purpose, her drive? We see her use the computer handle and symbol of Oracle, but what does it mean besides childish games and hacks? How will she take what she did in the institute and transfer it to the outside world? Finally, and a slight detail, but if Babs has changed by the end, should not her wheelchair change as well and go handle-less, which is a detail that carries a great deal of symbolic weight?

The trauma is another major part of this story which is not explored. It is only vaguely alluded to in image and conversation. Due to following her father’s activities, she got in the way of a bullet. As much as I do not care for The Killing Joke, it is difficult to say what Oracle would be like without that story given her run-ins afterward with the Joker. Showing the trauma could be nothing, but it could also be everything. More explanation is necessary, especially since it has such an effect on Babs that she is clearly suffering from PTSD as well.

A key component to the Barbara Gordon mythos is her relationship with her father. While I was pleased to see him in this story, there is not much development between the two to show them as distinct among many familial relationships in comics. I was disappointed to see some tension enter into the comics when her father mistakenly says her injury was her fault. “This is not one of your puzzles,” he says on the phone when she talks about Jena, “and now is not the time to go chasing ghosts. That’s what got you into this situation in the first place.” To have Jim portrayed as anyone but a compassionate father who fully supports (and yes, has concern for) his daughter does an injustice to both characters and is symptomatic of the current comics looking to shake up the status quo with unnecessary strife.

Finally, longtime Babs' fans may think they will find some fun Easter Eggs in this story, as several previous DC graphic novels have employed, but I’m afraid you will be disappointed. Her cast of characters is all new and has no previous connection to Barbara’s history. One would at least hope that the friend she goes hacking with would be someone we could recognize. A possible explanation of this is that this is early in her life and she has yet to meet those people who will be an influence on her life and career as a hero.

Final Thoughts: Try as I may, it is difficult to have anything but a split mind about this book. It is an important and necessary story that brings representation to a group that has been without representation for so long. My main concern is that this is Barbara Gordon in name only, and the literal and symbolic importance of “Oracle” is not explained.

Editor’s Note: DC Comics provided TBU with a review copy of this title. You can purchase your own copy by heading over to Amazon.

-Reviewed by Stella Bowman for The Batman Universe

I greatly enjoyed the examination of trauma, the path to recovery, and coming to terms with being a wheelchair user from the POV of Barbara Gordan, sans explicit Batman ties (apart from the Commissioner and a Robin plush doll).