It's official: I've come to love Barbara Gordon as both Oracle and Batgirl. Maybe not as much as Batgirl since I still know less about Oracle, but I'll accept what I can get. Whoever she is - whether or not she shows her face or walks - Barbara is amazing. Calm, intelligent, resourceful, and more than capable, she is a high pedestal for other female superheroes to look up to and achieve in greatness. Even when she falls victim to the terror trope which all fictional females dread - the Woman in the Refrigerator - she rises above it and comes back on top thanks to good writing.
And in this volume, 'The Death of Oracle', she plans to fake the death of her alter ego - the online, green-masked Oracle: computer genius and go-to info girl for all DC superheroes. This is because Oracle has become too well known among supervillains as well, and she wants to protect as many people as possible with the power she still possesses. She faces up against her match in the form of a man called Calculator, whom she had manipulated in the past. Despite my being relatively new to comics in general, I can confidently call Barbara Gordon one of - no, THE smartest woman in the DC universe.
I love the artwork. It is an improvement on the previous 'Birds of Prey' volume in that there is little to no fanservice whatsoever, and Oracle's facial expressions are a delight as they truly show her inquisitive and compassionate sides. She cares about all heroes and citizens, but it is her Birds who she holds near and dear to her, and who she shares a greater connection to. Except for Batman, of course.
Speaking of, Batman is very compassionate himself in Oracle's last appearance. In the beginning he even offers her a hug, right there in one of the alleyways of Gotham. Their long history together is given away beautifully in those little touches.
Other characters have a marked improvement on their portrayal as well, such as Dove and Lady Blackhawke, in that they are given more to do. More of their history is revealed, and I now understand why they are considered worthy members of the Birds of Prey; they are admirably strong-willed and brave. Black Canary and Huntress don't have as strong a presence as in the last volume, but they are still written as three-dimensional ladies exceeding normal physical, emotional and mental abilities while managing to be empathetic.
Huntress is given her own little story in the middle of 'The Death of Oracle' volume. I've yet to find a bad representation of her in all the comics I’ve read with her in them. Here I have found out about one of her canon love interests, and I am still gobsmacked that there actually exists a superhero named Catman. I haven't read any 'Secret Six' comics, I admit. But personally, if I were Huntress, I wouldn't associate myself with someone who calls himself Catman with a straight face. Even his costume looks dumb.
But anyway, 'The Death of Oracle' isn't just about the last the Oracle appears publicly. Her "death" gets resolved rather quickly and easily in the first few issues. Apparently this was forced on writer Gail Simone in order for DC to launch their New 52 titles. But with what time she had, she did a decent job of ending Oracle's run, even if it is rushed. The subsequent issues are about the Birds of Prey still doing crime fighting work, with the help of Barbara at the computers in secret. The ending issues are filler stories with a different writer and artwork, but they're really entertaining nevertheless. It's always a positive to learn more about the Birds than I did beforehand.
This volume is also where Stephanie Brown gets a cameo as Batgirl, and so do a lot of DC superheroes in showing how they fare with Oracle being "dead". I'd never even heard of Misfit until now. Catwoman only appears for two pages but she is feisty, fun and full of abandon and mystery, like in 'Huntress: Year One'. Junior does seem as terrifying a supervillainess as her reputation among DC heroes says. Additionally, ‘The Death of Oracle’ is the first I’ve seen of the female Question, aka Renee Montoya, and my word she is badass. Her banter with Huntress is a joy to behold. Manhunter is... okay. Not really memorable, but... she’s okay.
Like its predecessor, 'The Death of Oracle', with all its high points, still has its share of unmistakable flaws. As mentioned already, it is a little rushed and uneven. After the first few issues, the end of Oracle doesn't seem as big a deal as the volume's title foretells. Barbara Gordon still does what she does best as a human search engine, computer hacker and network infiltrator, and as the leader of the Birds of Prey. Mortis, a Gothic woman with the ability to make people relive their dark past and face inner demons with a touch, appears menacing and in control on the cover, but she is wasted by the end of the actual 'Death of Oracle' story arc. She can make anyone commit suicide just by touching their skin, yet she is weakened and quite literally pushed aside in favour of the downfall of the male supervillains. All done by the awesome Birds of Prey, yes, but it is an anticlimax all the same. Character arcs, such as for Black Canary, are also left unresolved.
But the dramatic and emotional moments in 'Birds of Prey, Vol. 2: The Death of Oracle' make up for this. It is darker and scarier than 'End Run', though it gets just as cheesy and silly. Barbara is the best-written character in Gail Simone's stories. The rest of the cast in their multitude range from playing their roles decently to very well.
Yeah, upon further reflection, despite it suddenly ending like it did, 'The Death of Oracle' rocks.
Final Score: 3.5/5
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