Geek Syndicate Feb. 2012 | Page 23

Geek Syndicate
The impact of Barbara
For me personally, Barbara made a massive impact. When I was in a very dark place I discovered a woman who was paralysed and still managed to kick ass. By reading her story it gave me strength to start again and when talking to people they tell me the same. In the 1960s Barbara was a strong feminist role model without needing to preach about equal rights. She showed the world that women could hold a Ph. D., run for congress and fight crime. In my eyes, although she wasn’t always truly portrayed as Batman’s equal she clearly was, even back then. Although there have been endless arguments about whether it was right to paralyse her for so long in a universe that saw Batman have his back broken and healed and saw many characters recover from being ... well ... Dead (Superman and Green Arrow are just two examples), Barbara, through her personal life and her Oracle alter-ego has shown that disability doesn’t stop the hero inside people. What makes Barbara great is that even with the most recent reboot she is a character that has had a strong storyline and an even stronger character to go with it. She’s not afraid to outsmart Batman or tell Superman that she’s not afraid of him. By leading other women in her own superhero team she shows that even in a spandex universe where women get cut up and put in refrigerators there is a place for strong independent women working with each other instead of catfighting over a man. I know I am not alone in my love for Barbara Gordon, many creators for D C Comics talk about their love for her. This can be seen clearly with Yale and Ostrander’s introduction of Oracle and in Simone’s careful handling of the recent reboot. No matter what happens to Barbara next, no one can deny the amazing impact that the Commissioner’s daughter has had in the DC Universe.

Recommended Reading
• Showcase Presents: Batgirl, Vol. 1 – Various writers and artists • Batgirl: The Greatest Stories Ever Told – Various writers and artists • Batgirl: Year One – Scott Beatty and Chuck Dixon • The Killing Joke – Alan Moore and Brian Bolland • Suicide Squad (1987 series) issues 23-65 • The Hunt for Oracle – Chuck Dixon, Greg Land and Jackson Guice • Birds of Prey: Of Like Minds - Gail Simone and Ed Benes. • Oracle: Birds of Prey. Off the back of the popularity of this one shot came several mini-series. (Images © DC Comics)

Amy-Jayne Liff

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