Oracle: The Cure #1
March 25th, 2009 by Esther Inglis-Arkell | Tags: barbara gordon, DC comics, oracleReading about Oracle always tangles me up in logistical questions. Does second-life work like that? Can a guy really open up a wall in a game? When a woman screams in real life, does it make any sense at all that her avatar starts screaming, too? Because I think she would be too busy screaming to tell her character to scream. Then again, maybe it’s pre-programmed that they scream under certain circumstances.
And how does one explode a human head, anyway? I first thought it would happen with an explosive device, but that couldn’t happen unless said device were pre-planted in said head. The second idea was heating up the liquid inside the skull with microwaves, but it seems like that would get the excess liquid to bubble out the eyes and nasal cavities. Unless it happened fast enough to heat the liquid instantly, which brings us back to an explosive device.
While I may not be much of a second-lifer or skull-exploder, I do know my Babsology, and more importantly, my superheroes. The series is called The Cure. The first issue chronicles the villain’s desperate, yet evil, attempts to save his desperately ill daughter. It also makes much of the hero’s misery over her grievous injury. Babs is going to have to choose whether to heal the girl or heal herself. Being a hero, she’s going to heal the girl. There is a way that set-ups like these go. In fact, this is the way that this set-up has already gone in Birds of Prey.
And so, of course, I’m hoping it goes the other way. Part of this is because of my shameless bias for Batgirl Babs. Part of it – let’s say that I’ve had it up to here with stories that come complete with forgone conclusions. My heart drops a bit each time I see summaries that go along the lines of: “Will Batman kill the Joker this time?” “Is this the end for Lois and Clark?” “Is Batman dead?” The answer is always ‘no.’ Always. Without exception. We know it the moment we pick up the solicit.
This time, I’m hoping for a surprise.
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The end of Harley Quinn’s series got away from the fun-loving action that made the book fun originally. The last story actually involved Harley having to choose whether or not to cure a girl or to take the money, which would leave the girl blind.
She chose the money. I was actually kind of surprised.
AHAHAHA, mother of god. No way. I finished up reading this post and then I immediately thought, “The last big plot turn I got out of a DC comic was that Harley Quinn story that left a girl blind. I’ll mention it in the comments.”
And David Brothers beats me to it. Damn your hawk-like timing.
There was something else I was thinking as well when reading the post. In superhero hero comics, there’s always a big emphasis on what I call the “third option.” Instead of Batman or Joker dying, which would be the logical, they both live and Joker simply kills less people this time around. Or after the hero makes the BIG SACRIFICE, he gets the reward (or survives if the sacrifice was life) anyway. Like the boy that decided to give the hundred dollars he found to the old lady and she gives him a ferrari or something. In comics I find this to be incredibly common, and it’s what I’m currently banking on to happen if they want the “Barbara as Batgirl” idea to take place.
This issue actually had me totally engaged until the last page, and then I fell all over the place.
@Dane: That’s true. There is often a third option. I guess that’s what I’ll be hoping for, here.
@ACK: The exploding head logistics baffle me. However, it was the online role-playing that surprised me. And wouldn’t Oracle at least be familiar with those types of games?
A good twist would be for the girl in the coma to come out of it and have her be the next Batgirl.
[…] Inglis-Arkell believes that the series will end with Barbara as Oracle, uncured: While I may not be much of a second-lifer or skull-exploder, I do know my Babsology, and more […]