Real Power Part 4: Oracle

August 7, 2008
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Continuing a series of blogs that was inspired by the Adam Hughes poster The Real Power of the DC Universe.

Today we move to Oracle. I grew up with watching Barbara Gordon as Batgirl on reruns of the 1960’s Batman TV show; little did I know that in 1988 Alan Moore would destroy everything that I (and probably you) would love about Babs in 1988′s  The Killing Joke. In hindsight, it was a brilliant move – no matter how sick and twisted the depiction was.

Barbara came out relatively fine, but bound to a wheelchair the rest of her days. She has since turned her crime fighting expertise to that of the DCU’s greatest computer hacker/programmer and information architect in Birds of Prey. Batman and the JLA are lucky that she’s on the good side. Now, let’s take a look at some of her collected editions as both Oracle and Batgirl:

  • Showcase Presents: Batgirl The debut of Barbara Gordon! Collecting several 1960’s stories from Detective Comics, Batman, Adventure Comics and World’s Finest Comics
  • Batgirl: Year One TPB by Scott Beatty and Chuck Dixon, this volume collects the 9-issue miniseries that uncovered Gordon’s transformation from average citizen into costumed super-heroine.
  • Birds of Prey 1 and Birds of Prey 2 Old Friends, New Enemies The very first BoP one-shots, min-series and first six issues of the ongoing series are collected over two trade paperbacks.
  • Birds of Prey: Catwoman/Batgirl & Catwoman/Oracle One woman fought crime valiantly as Batgirl before finding a new role as the all-seeing Oracle. The other stalked the dark streets of Gotham as Catwoman, earning a living by stealing from the rich. Now they must forge an uneasy alliance.
  • Thrillkiller TPB (Elseworlds) Collects the 3-issue mini and Thrillkiller ’62 by Howard Chaykin. Batgirl and Robin/Babs and Dick – together again.

Currently Oracle can be found in Bird of Prey and occasionally in the various Batman books especially Nightwing and even the Justice League of America. For a live action Oracle, the Birds of Prey TV show was recently released on DVD.

Related posts:

  1. Real Power Part 2: Catwoman
  2. Real Power Part 3: Power Girl
  3. Real Power Part 1: Wonder Woman
  4. CCL Podcast #75 – Superman Part 2

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