Barbara Gordon: Batgirl, Oracle Appreciation 2020

[Godlike13]

What do you think will happen? One of the others takes over the mantle (like when Babs was Oracle)? Babs retires and joins the police (like in Batman Beyond)? The Futures End status quo?

I could see either of the first 2.

[atomicbattery]

A lot of the difficulty people had with anything they did with Babs as Batgirl could often boiled down to not my Batgirl.

Exactly.

And here, always.

[millernumber1]

Maybe, although with 5G looming it probably won't be going on for much longer anyways.

I think 5G is much more likely to be like Convergence - a temporary event - than a status quo shift for any serious amount of time (longer than about 2 months). I also think it's super clear that DC is not interested in spending any money marketing or developing any of the Batgirls, but is content with a low-selling status quo of Babs as Batgirl. Which is not what Babs deserves.

[kjn]

I also think it's super clear that DC is not interested in spending any money marketing or developing any of the Batgirls, but is content with a low-selling status quo of Babs as Batgirl. Which is not what Babs deserves.

I think that sadly is true for nearly every part of DC (outside Ink and Zoom) for nearly every character but Batman (and Joker).

[kjn]

Not really Batgirl is (at least ins Babs incarnation) more compatible to Nightwing as to Robin. Started as an adult and operated mostly independently of Batman.

All analogies break down when you look at them to closely, and I was more concerned about how they moved between narrative roles than how exactly each specific narrative role played out.

Babs went from an identity that was dependant on another character (as Batgirl) to a fully independent one (as Oracle). That was why making her Batgirl again was a regression. In-story, Batgirl is more independent than Robin, but out-of-story, she is defined by Batman, just as Robin.

If we're talking how her characterization was handled with Burnside, I would agree, but in general I don't think using the -girl moniker has to be a negative.

Supergirl going by Supergirl didn't infantile her character on her TV show.

True. But not every characterisation of Babsgirl is infantilised. But the risk is always there, just as it is for Supergirl. I also believe that the risk is more acute for Babsgirl than it is for Supergirl, because DC decided to add in Batwoman, when Babsgirl is by far the more senior character.

[gregpersons]

I think that sadly is true for nearly every part of DC (outside Ink and Zoom) for nearly every character but Batman (and Joker).

Well, Cassandra Cain is about to make her big-screen movie debut — ahead of Barbara Gordon, no less.

It's crazy that the '60s Batgirl is still the definitive live-action version. With how many superhero films there's been, Babs Batgirl should've already had a live-action movie or TV show all of her own. There's been two Harley Quinn films (one of which literally titled after Babs' comic book), and on TV there's Supergirl, Batwoman... at some point it's gotta be Babs turn, right?

Maybe the film version of Cassandra Cain could crossover and be a supporting character in the eventual Batgirl film.

I do think it's more fun if Cass and Steph are supporting characters for Barbara, considering how when she was Oracle she was a supporting character in each of their books. It makes it more fun if Batgirl is about teamwork moreso than the "solo vigilante" mindset of Bruce (even though he's never actually been solo etc).

Batgirl can still be Bat"girl" and a leader, she just needs people to lead. Why not the people who have followed in her footsteps before, characters who are already beloved with a history with the character doing the Bat thing?

[Aahz]

Well, Cassandra Cain is about to make her big-screen movie debut — ahead of Barbara Gordon, no less.

There was Barbara Wilson in "Batman and Robin" and there was also a short lived Birds of Prey Series with her as Oracle. And I read somewhere that she will be in the next season of Titans.

And the Cassandra Cain in Birds of Prey seems to be Cassandra Cain in name only. I doubt that this incarnation of the characer will become Batgirl.

[Digifiend]

She won't. It's almost certain that Batgirl will be Babs.

There was a Birds of Prey TV series with Barbara as Oracle. The actress reprised the role as a voiceover in Crisis on Infinite Earths last month.

[Frontier]

I think 5G is much more likely to be like Convergence - a temporary event - than a status quo shift for any serious amount of time (longer than about 2 months).

DC seems to be acting otherwise, though.

I also think it's super clear that DC is not interested in spending any money marketing or developing any of the Batgirls, but is content with a low-selling status quo of Babs as Batgirl. Which is not what Babs deserves.

Agreed. Or the property in general.

True. But not every characterisation of Babsgirl is infantilised. But the risk is always there, just as it is for Supergirl. I also believe that the risk is more acute for Babsgirl than it is for Supergirl, because DC decided to add in Batwoman, when Babsgirl is by far the more senior character.

True, and I think that should be more the de-facto characterization then not. Even a teen Barbara Gordon Batgirl acts above her age in my opinion.

[Caivu]

By Alexander Dalton:

IMG_20200130_175156.jpg

[signalman112]

She won't. It's almost certain that Batgirl will be Babs.

There was a Birds of Prey TV series with Barbara as Oracle. The actress reprised the role as a voiceover in Crisis on Infinite Earths last month.

Dina Meyer played Barbara Gordon/Oracle/Batgirl on the BOP TV series.

DinaOracle.jpg





















DinaBatgirl.jpg

[Digifiend]

The DC Universe Online game is doing a Birds of Prey episode! It's an amalgamation of all versions, with both Oracle and Harley Quinn used, alongside Black Canary and Huntress.
https://www.cbr.com/dc-universe-onli...of-prey-april/

[RachelGrey]

Honestly, they could have Barbara call herself Oracle and still be a combat superhero. Rename the book Oracle and the Batgirls, and have Cass and Steph be Barbara's proteges that she is training in the field. This allows Barbara to group a bit more (like Dick used to be) and be an effective field leader again training the two younger girls.

That was the one thing I hated most about New 52, I don't mind them giving Barbara her ability to walk back, I don't mind them making Barbara a field hero again, but she is the same age as Dick and just as capable as he is. She was the leader of the Birds of Prey for years. Barbara should have had a sidekick of her own like Stephanie, and they fight together.

Plus they could give Barbara a cool new look that allows he to grow beyond being "Batgirl" and into something more than that. Oracle, shining a light on the darkness of the city! They could do a cool costume around that and she keeps the name she had for years, the name she earned and made her own, that had little to do with Batman and was about Barbara's growth!

[Godlike13]

I don't know. I don't think Oracle should be package with Batgirls. At least not initially. They do this Nightwing and pair up all the ex-Robins together, and they have turned those roles basically into just adult Robins. If Oracle is above the role of Batgirl, then Oracle should be above the role. I wouldn’t want to see the role of Oracle be reduced to the teacher of new Batgirls or the adult Batgirl.

[Digifiend]

After four second places, Babs is finally the Character of the Month on Reddit r/DCcomics
https://www.reddit.com/r/DCcomics/co...arbara_gordon/