Barbara Gordon: Batgirl, Oracle Appreciation 2019

[millernumber1]

Oracle as she was would be out of date. Desktops are relics, and a bunch the mundane things she did could be done by apps and things like Alexa.

I strongly disagree. Desktops and laptops may be older technology, but they still have functions that phones can't do. Now, in the comic book world of nano machines and spinal chips, you may have a point, but I think there's still a need for computer engineers, technicians, operators, coordinators, etc. Just because you could have all those problems solved by a robot/AI doesn't mean there aren't good stories to be told if Babs did them herself.

[Jackalope89]

I strongly disagree. Desktops and laptops may be older technology, but they still have functions that phones can't do. Now, in the comic book world of nano machines and spinal chips, you may have a point, but I think there's still a need for computer engineers, technicians, operators, coordinators, etc. Just because you could have all those problems solved by a robot/AI doesn't mean there aren't good stories to be told if Babs did them herself.

Plus, where we get the personal snark from? The inside jokes? The exasperated sighs as one of the boys dives in headlong into danger? Can't get that from an app or a robot.

[kjn]

I think the focus on Oracle as a hacker is a bit misguided. I see her as much more of a librarian: an organiser. First of information, and then of superheroes. Computers are one of her tools, just as her wheelchair or her books, but it's not what she does.

[Godlike13]

I strongly disagree. Desktops and laptops may be older technology, but they still have functions that phones can't do. Now, in the comic book world of nano machines and spinal chips, you may have a point, but I think there's still a need for computer engineers, technicians, operators, coordinators, etc. Just because you could have all those problems solved by a robot/AI doesn't mean there aren't good stories to be told if Babs did them herself.

In today’s world it’s only becoming more and more antiquated. For Oracle to be relevant to today she would need to integrate and reflect today’s technology. And like I said before, technology today is all about convenience and accessibility. Good stories ‘could’ be told is a cop out, good stories could be told with her as Batgirl if we want to play the could game, that doesn’t change that today’s technology has progressed since she was Oracle. With today’s technology she should be able to multitask or accomplish things on the go. Cause that’s what tech today is all about.

[millernumber1]

In today’s world it’s only becoming more and more antiquated. For Oracle to be relevant to today she would need to integrate and reflect today’s technology. And like I said before, technology today is all about convenience and accessibility. Good stories ‘could’ be told is a cop out, good stories could be told with her as Batgirl if we want to play the could game, that doesn’t change that today’s technology has progressed since she was Oracle. With today’s technology she should be able to multitask or accomplish things on the go. Cause that’s what tech today is all about.

I think kjn brings an excellent point to the discussion here:

I think the focus on Oracle as a hacker is a bit misguided. I see her as much more of a librarian: an organiser. First of information, and then of superheroes. Computers are one of her tools, just as her wheelchair or her books, but it's not what she does.

Well said.

And, Godlike - good stories COULD be told about most anything (some exclusions, of course). But my argument is as follows: the current stories about Babs as Batgirl have not been good stories. They've sometimes been fun stories. But the Oracle stories, while there were a few clunkers, were largely very good stories. You could make a solid argument that they're not necessarily correlated - but I would say that the de-aging and de-coupling Barbara from her relationships IS connected to the quality of her stories. That's not inherent in her being Batgirl, but it is inherent in DC's current editorial policy of HOW she is Batgirl.

[Pohzee]

Desktops and laptops may be antiquated for your average person, but not someone who specializes in computer science or related fields. And Oracle isn't exactly a lay person.

[Frontier]

I think Young Justice pretty firmly illustrates that a character like Oracle is still very much relevant today.

[Godlike13]

What happens when YJ Dick doesn’t have Oracle to hack something for him, he just hacks it himself in the field. It’s cool to see her but she isn’t particularly necessary, especially in YJ where they have been shown to easily handle tech work in the field themselves. Half the time in S3 Oracle would get locked out and cut off even.

[Frontier]

What happens when YJ Dick doesn’t have Oracle to hack something for him, he just hacks it himself in the field. It’s cool to see her but she isn’t particularly necessary, especially in YJ where they have been shown to easily handle tech work in the field themselves. Half the time in S3 Oracle would get locked out and cut off even.

Did he actually do that though...?

I think the show still pretty well illustrated how useful having someone like Oracle around is, and she ended up getting more screentime then Tim did.

[Pohzee]

Did he actually do that though...?

I think the show still pretty well illustrated how useful having someone like Oracle around is, and she ended up getting more screentime then Tim did.

He hacked the Javelin

[kjn]

Some outtakes from a tumblr discussion on Babs and TKJ:

Barbara was a mere side effect in The Killing Joke, which was written and edited by men that only cared about the male characters, but her fullness as a character was established when her story as a casualty was transformed into the story of a protagonist that had always had agency, even when it wasn’t shown or acknowledged by others. And this is why Barbara willingly throws herself into danger once more when she becomes Oracle despite all the difficulties that come with her paralysis. When it seemed like she had no agency, she shows everyone she is even more powerful after she was treated as a supporting character in someone else’s life.

I would add that I think it’s much less important to erase TKJ from canon than it is to do away with the unthinking, uncritical reverence towards TKJ that leads writers to reinforce the shitty ideas in that story (and choose to define Babs by them) rather than challenge them as Yale and Ostrander did.

[Frontier]

I guess one could argue there are two very different reactions to the outcome of the KJ depending on if you are a Joker fan and if you are a Barbara Gordon fan.

[kcekada]

Desktops and laptops may be antiquated for your average person, but not someone who specializes in computer science or related fields. And Oracle isn't exactly a lay person.

Very astute observation. I work in technology -- no one in my office would ever consider doing work full-time on mobile device. We're not mobile --we're working at desk! That said -- we do have to test and develop for mobile, but most of the work is still done on larger screens for convenience.

[millernumber1]

Very astute observation. I work in technology -- no one in my office would ever consider doing work full-time on mobile device. We're not mobile --we're working at desk! That said -- we do have to test and develop for mobile, but most of the work is still done on larger screens for convenience.

Well said. The idea that because everyone has a cell phone desktops are obsolete is ridiculous.

[byrd156]

I think Young Justice pretty firmly illustrates that a character like Oracle is still very much relevant today.

Easily. How is a tech expert out of date in modern day? lol