Is Barbara Gordon Better as Batgirl or Oracle?

This feels relevant, given today’s Titans casting announcement!

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Screenshot_2021-01-19 Yahoo

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:eyes: Uhh… OK, I guess? Wow. :slightly_frowning_face:

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I’m just saying that Gotham has plenty of tights-wearing crimefighters who jump off rooftops and kick bad guys. Oracle is unique.

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also there are lots of crimefighters her being in a wheelchair and overcoming everything with the joker is what makes her so awesome

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I enjoy her in both roles! I have similar feelings as @c02goddess.16092. My first exposure to the character was when she was Oracle so I have some fondness for that role. However, I was very excited to see her don the cowl again. I think as a supporting character in a story I prefer Oracle but in her own title I want Batgirl.

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During her 50+ year tenure in her guise of Batgirl Barb was anything but mundane or run of the mill. An entire section of the DC comics catalog bears out that truth. Arriving on the heavily male dominated comics character scene in 1967 BG immediately set herself apart from the then norms of who and what a superhero could be and what followed is a storied experience within the pulp pages that has generated a millions-strong worldwide fanbase and an unshakeable allegiance to the character that will endure for years to come.

In order to fully understand and acknowledge Barbara Gordon, one must realize and honor her time as Batgirl just as equally as her time as Oracle, for to anything less than this only serves to deny the mulitifacted amazingness of my gurrrl and all her incredible achievements in both of her superhero aliases.

Tho written for another super some time back, this song by Train’s lyrics say “I’m anything but ordinary.” More than a fitting tribute and spot-on in its accuracy as far as the legend of BG is concerned-

My gurrrl is anything but ordinary. In whatever way she presents herself to the world. Yep. :bat:

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I think I laid out my position before in an earlier post, but I’ll add one other thing: Nightwing wouldn’t be a very good Nightwing without his history as Robin, but no one thinks he should be Robin now. That would be really strange. The same should apply to Oracle.

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Barbara’s original “tenure” as Batgirl was really only about a decade, retiring the role for the (more interesting, IMO) purpose of pursuing a role in politics. From there, she was shot and benched by Moore and editors, and brought back as Oracle by Yale and Ostrander. I’d say all of her greatest achievements took place between the years when she put her suit away and picked it back up in the New 52.

As Oracle, Barbara Gordon is one of my favorite characters in the DC Universe. But as Batgirl, she’s my least favorite character to use the name.

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So you’re doubting the accuracy of DC publishing’s title here, then?

Also- it was editor Len Wein who made the call to let BG get shot in The Killing Joke.

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It doesn’t specify what those 50 years are counting – but by context of publication date, it’s 50 years since her debut, not 50 years of Batgirl.

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Also, that particular volume collects stories from EVERY character to go by the mantle of Batgirl, including Cassandra Cain and Stephanie Brown. It’s not a celebration of Barbara Gordon, but the title of Batgirl itself.

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Yeah, hence the “and editors.” Wein is quoted a lot, and rightly so, but it was a group decision.

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Your hair-splitting regarding the title just doesn’t ring authentic @HubCityQuestion. Sorry but I’m not gonna’ acknowledge this.

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Wasn’t a group decision- Wein had final call and the trust of Denny O’Neil. If Wein wasn’t in the room my gurrl most likely doesn’t get treated so terribly.

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It’s fair to blame Wein for the final say, but most comic decisions from my experience involve many hands on the ball.

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i feel like her as oracle is more complex but I don’t dislike her as batgirl but what I really don’t like is when they make her basically a teen but dick is like 27 , i feel like she is more inspiring as oracle. i prefer as someone who has overcome struggles and she tends to be more that as oracle

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Barabra is the predominant featured character of the book, and when people, even on the street, who have no real in depth comics experience are asked “Who’s Batgirl?” most will answer Barbara Gordon.

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True, but most people on the street have no idea who The Question is, and he’s still my favorite character. Perception in the public sphere doesn’t have any bearing on personal preference, which this ultimately is.

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I have no problem with your personal preference- my problem is with your derogatory description… you know what? Nope- I’m just not gonna’ take the chance of breaching the DCU’s rules of conduct as I love this place so very much.
Best wishes @HubCityQuestion. :+1:

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