For about twenty one years, Barbara Gordon(currently Batgirl) was known as Oracle. After a vicious attack by the Joker(see Alan Moore's "The Killing Joke"), Barbara was left paralyzed. That however didn't keep Barbara from being a crime fighter. It just changed how she did it.

Cut to now. After DC's reboot known as the "New 52", Barbara is once again able to walk. She's abandoned the wheelchair, computer hacking, as well as a majority of her prior character development. Now I'm not one of those "PUT BABS BACK IN THE WHEELCHAIR! NOW!" people. Sure I prefer her as Oracle, but there is actually a character I'd rather see take up the mantle of Oracle.

You may know him as Robin, briefly Batman, and currently he's known as Red Robin. Yep, I'm talking about Tim Drake, one of my favorite characters. It's become more and more clear that the Tim Drake we once knew no longer exists. He's been replaced by a whiny, two faced, and angst-y Mary Sue character who is only Tim Drake in name(and even that is arguable as from what I hear his last name has been erased as well in Teen Titans #0). I also feel the character has become redundant as Jason has returned to the Bat-Family it now has four different Robins working as members of the Bat-Family.

I've seen a good amount of people say Oracle wasn't needed, and Barbara was useless as Oracle. I have to disagree, Barbara was such a strong and inspirational character as Oracle. She grew to be one of the most important and interesting members of the Bat-Family. I feel that if Tim became Oracle the same could happen to him. It could make Tim relevant again, something he hasn't been since last September.

Yes, I'm aware that this would likely cause a lot of backlash among other Tim fans and what I have to say about that is: What's worse a whiny, angst filled replica with out any of the things that made Tim cool, or a totally awesome hacker Tim? I have to say I'd pick the later of which. Remember this is just my opinion, you(the reader) may like New 52 Tim Drake, and that's cool and all. Still I believe that if Tim became Oracle it'd make him more interesting. Of course it's all about execution.

Plus it'd add something DC claims to want: Diversity! I think this could make the "cool" Robin "cool" again. What do you think? Like the idea? Dislike it? Tell me in the comments. Keep checking my blog as I will soon review Buffy the Vampire Slayer, "The Lesson".

-Ironhawk22

I am a huge Tim Drake fan, and I would like to see the DCNU Drake put in a wheelchair...not to become Oracle; I just want him to be in pain.

Seriously though, I am holding my breath for a retcon of Tim's horrible new origin, but if they stick with it, I do think he could benefit as a character from getting paralyzed. His main fault in the DCNU is his hubris, and being put in the chair might knock him down a few pegs.

One issue though with your article, who ever said Oracle was useless? I've only heard the opposite. Anybody who thinks that a character who can coordinate superhero affairs across the globe is useless should be smacked.

that would be stupid and unnecessary, only barbara should be crippled again

I just can't imagine Tim drake being an Oracle. fighting alongside other bat-family more suits him.

Interesting idea. I wouldn't mind if Tim assumed an Oracle-like position for a while but I just don't like the idea of him taking the name Oracle (partcularly if Oracle never existed in the DCnU). If they gave him his own, new title I'd be open to the notion.

@BatWatch: I don't want to name any names, but I've seen a couple people claim that Barbara was "useless" as Oracle. I don't know why some people just think that because she can't walk that she's useless. *sigh*

@SupBatz: Yeah I agree I don't like him using Oracle either I just want to see him in an Oracle like position.

I'd also like to see Proxy come back.

i prefer Tim in action. id like to see Wendy Harris become Oracle.

Tim maybe a Mary Sue now, but I'm not sure making him oracle screams of originality here. Frankly most of the Batfamily aside from Batman and Batwing (who is new) are shells of their former selves.

Also I don't know if he would be the best choice for superhero information broker given the characers we have in the new 52 I think there are better candidates

@SUNMAN said:

Tim maybe a Mary Sue now, but I'm not sure making him oracle screams of originality here. Frankly most of the Batfamily aside from Batman and Batwing (who is new) are shells of their former selves.

Also I don't know if he would be the best choice for superhero information broker given the characers we have in the new 52 I think there are better candidates

being fair, Tim is no more of a Mary Sue than he was sine A lonely place to die

@arnoldoaad said:

@SUNMAN said:

Tim maybe a Mary Sue now, but I'm not sure making him oracle screams of originality here. Frankly most of the Batfamily aside from Batman and Batwing (who is new) are shells of their former selves.

Also I don't know if he would be the best choice for superhero information broker given the characers we have in the new 52 I think there are better candidates

being fair, Tim is no more of a Mary Sue than he was sine A lonely place to die

Thank you! Someone agrees with me.

No. Oracle is Barbara's thing, just as Tim shouldn't be Nightwing and shouldn't be Batman (at least not until time passes realistically in comics and Bruce is truly finished with it.....so in other words never) he shouldn't be Oracle. There are certain roles that aren't mantles, they aren't costumes or public views, they're the character underneath all of the capes and code-names and team memberships and headlines, Barbara Gordon as Oracle was one of these characters. DC took her out of the chair as a short term cash grab, they figured they'ed sale more issues with her running around in the heels and cowl, they didn't think they were going to get an interesting story out of it, they weren't thinking of the character development, they weren't thinking of Cass or Steph or any new character that could move in to replace Oracle, they were thinking of the interest that fans would have at seeing her in costume, they were thinking about how for everyone who had only seen a cartoon Batgirl was a red head. Of course they weren't apposed to any accidental good stories or development that may have come from it, they put a good writer on the book but it was more likely that she asked to do it then it is that they asked her but despite this a cash grab is a cash grab and there is no point in ruining 2 characters and possibly a legacy over it and certainly no point in fans advocating that debauchery. I am very much a member of the "put Babs in the wheelchair now!!" club because it was a primary point in the character's evolution and the place where she was the strongest, most effective ,most interesting and most inspirational. She can evolve from the chair and I look forward to seeing whatever that may be but she needs to go back to her best to reach new heights and we shouldn't put Tim or anyone else in the way of that as an impatient and cheap fix. As for Tim, his origin is gone, his best feats are gone, allot of what made him special and interesting is gone, some of it was given to Dick, and that truly, truly, truly sucks because so much of that was what made Tim who he was. But while all of that may be gone, maybe forever, Tim isn't gone. We've seen a ton of characters who have lost even more history than Tim has but they still manage to be who they were pre reboot because while they may not have the things that shaped them they have still been shaped by those things in the minds of their writers. Barry Allen still acts as if everything that happened to him pre reboot (excluding death) happened to him. Tim doesn't need those things to have happened to him to be Tim Drake, he's still Tim Drake, what he needs is a new writer. Lobdell gets one or two aspects of the character but he is far from understanding Tim Drake as a whole, if Chris Yost or Fabian Nicieza was to take the reigns of the character he would be indistinguishable from who he was pre new 52 the only difference is that he wouldn't reference what happened to him in the old dcu. Tim doesn't need a wheelchair he needs a tried and true writer who gets him....and also a solo series

I would also like to add that Red Robin was the evolution of Tim Drake just like Oracle was the evolution of Barbara Gordon, so it makes no sense to mix them up

@Ironhawk22 said:

@BatWatch: I don't want to name any names, but I've seen a couple people claim that Barbara was "useless" as Oracle. I don't know why some people just think that because she can't walk that she's useless. *sigh*

@SupBatz: Yeah I agree I don't like him using Oracle either I just want to see him in an Oracle like position.

I'd also like to see Proxy come back.

I can't imagine anybody being that stupid. I know I am repeating myself, but she was basically the CIA of the entire world's superhero community. Now, she has taken out four criminals in the past year. Woopty doo.

For more news, reviews, and commentary, check out BatWatch.net.

@Shutdown said:

@arnoldoaad said:

@SUNMAN said:

Tim maybe a Mary Sue now, but I'm not sure making him oracle screams of originality here. Frankly most of the Batfamily aside from Batman and Batwing (who is new) are shells of their former selves.

Also I don't know if he would be the best choice for superhero information broker given the characers we have in the new 52 I think there are better candidates

being fair, Tim is no more of a Mary Sue than he was sine A lonely place to die

Thank you! Someone agrees with me.

I love Tim pre-Flashpoint. I do not think having someone with good character hurts the story. On the other hand, Tim is a bit of a Dick now.

#1: Where was it officially said that there was no "Oracle in some capacity whatsoever"-there have been a few hints (in the batgirl series and a few in the birds of prey) alluding to the possibility that she may still have her computer skills in the new DCU (or at least more than capable of doing so). Combine that with the numerous history "gaps" in this new 52, I'm still betting on the possibility that Oracle, or atleast a "pseudo-Oracle" existed in some capacity.

#2: Why cant she do both? Batgirl on the streets and have "Oracle" to deal with to deal with all of the technologically saavy criminals (Knightfall did threaten to control the servers..to which she replied " then I'll learn to beat them too.") ("oracle@batman-inc.com"....lol)

#3: how many technovillains are in the DCU... Batman has numerous blog aliases for digital criminals, he has Matches Malone for street level information... in this day and age do you think that Barbara Gordon would have spent all of her time doing nothing except moping about how she was beaten by the Joker and not do anything else...even look at the internet?...Batgirl (personal touch), Oracle/ pseudo Oracle (computer handle)...need I say more?