Again: why not reframe it in a way where the “support” activities become a basis for (a different kind of) action in their own right? Instead of presenting Oracle's activities as Barbara sitting in front of a keyboard and talking, present them as Barbara logging into a digital world where her Oracle persona ends up doing the investigations and communications and so on in the same sort of manner that Batgirl would do in the physical world? That would let Oracle be the lead in the title, rather than a support character for some other lead.
Especially if, after an online session, she then suits up as Batgirl to follow up on whatever she did while she was online. That is, she serves as “support” for herself.
In short, make Oracle's activities interesting enough to be the focus of adventures in their own right.
Last edited by Dataweaver; 01-17-2021 at 05:23 PM.
Rogue wears rouge.
Angel knows all the angles.
Batgirl is very much a supporting character for Batman, not that far different from Oracle. I mean if Batgirl had really been written as a standalone heroine who has operated independently from Batman for decades since her inception, who are her noticable villains? This arguement about Batgirl not being a sidekick mantle is silly. The character is popular largely due to association with the main guy. Without that association, less people would read her solo comics. Babs being Batgirl is nowhere near comparable to Bruce - the main guy - being Batman.
Last edited by prepmaster; 01-18-2021 at 10:39 PM.
Batgirl can have solo stories if/when she can hold books. Otherwise she is just another supporting character for Batman and the difference between Batgirl without her own solo and Oracle is not that much. And what makes her books stand out from Batman, NW or RH books? In the end her solos are just spin off. Her character isnt as interesting as other popular Batfam members. If Batman mainline comics dont sell, Batgirl would have no where to go. Batgirl was originally designed to draw in a certain demographics to read Batman comics, not to hold her own comics.
Last edited by prepmaster; 01-19-2021 at 12:08 AM.
I'm a fan of her as Oracle, but for me, it just became superfluous when the Rebirth ongoing started quite honestly. None of the writers really had a good new status quo agenda like Gail and the Burnside run. It just felt Babs was running around in circles reusing plots from the prior volume. More, none of the other Batgirls (Cass/Steph) never really showed up until the final issue and even then their appearance felt shoe-horned in.
That's not to say Vol. 1 had its own problems. The first issues were shakey and the "You were always meant to be Batgirl" line always rubbed me the wrong way. Then Gail got fired and the series was tripped up before she came back. In all honesty, the best issues of Gail's on Batgirl weren't even the canon ones. Her Nightwing/Oracle #1-2 and Future's End: Batgirl #1 just felt leagues better than the actual run. I do give Gail credit for establishing rogues more for Babs to deal with and a supporting cast.
The Burnside run had its own problems, but nowadays it feels tainted with the allegations of Cameron Stewart and the lack of impact the end had. It just seems the whole move of Babs back as Batgirl seems cursed.
And behold I shall be a blight upon the land and everything I touch shall wither and die.
There's also the side effect of devolving the other Batgirls too in Stephanie and Cass. Both had to be downgraded to supporting roles and their relationship with Babs cut. Steph at the very least had some interaction, but curiously that was lost in the Rebirth Volume. The real curious oddity is Cassandra. You have Detective Comics introducing a concept of Babs mentoring Cass in it. But none of that is ever carried over in the actual comic or addressed. Likewise, both made to look inferior compared to Babs. Like their times were nothing more than "temporary" which is just a grand insult to both characters.
So yeah, I find that not only Babs needs to outgrow being Batgirl (again), but that Cass/Steph deserve the title back after the needless move back in 2011. For the Batgirl title used to be up there as a legacy role. In 2011 until last year it so felt like an iron vice was placed on it that only Babs can be the only Batgirl.
And behold I shall be a blight upon the land and everything I touch shall wither and die.
She was able to hold a book for roughly 100 issues since Flashpoint (despite the often weak writing). And I'm pretty sure they will announce some form of Batgirl or Birds of Prey type book soon.
That's basically the same with the rest of the Batfamily, and wouldn't really change if she was Oracle.
Last edited by Aahz; 01-19-2021 at 02:37 AM.
Are the other Batgirls more interesting?
Steph as Batigirl is not that differnt to Barbara as Batgirl, the only unique thing she has is being the Daughter of Clue Master, but Clue Master is also not exactly a great villain.
Cass was unigue but due to the reboot they are kind of stuck with redoing her development from her pre flashpoint series, and even back than they didn't really seem to have a good idea what to do with her after that.
It seems Barbara won't outgrow Batgirl. She is Batgirl and Oracle in Future State.
In Next Batman (Batgirls story), she is usually called Oracle. In Future State Nightwing, she appears as Batgirl with a new suit.
This is true. If Batgirl can't mantain a solo, she just become a supporting character.
As a supporting character, Batgirl is less interesting than Oracle, since she would only be another street fighter in the Batfamily.
Last edited by Konja7; 01-19-2021 at 04:38 AM.