Oracle's first appearance

[JTLarsen]

I know everyone's chasing Suicide Squad 23, but can someone actually post her appearance there? If I recall correctly, she emerged VERY gradually. Suicide Squad 23 might be little more than a cameo...and I think it's not until a later issue that we even learn who Oracle really is...

 

Anyone?

[Crimebuster]

I don't have this issue yet - working on it - but it's my understanding that Oracle first appeared only as cryptic messages on a computer screen. According to the internet here, Oracle wasn't revealed to be Barbara Gordon until #38. I don't know if she appeared on panel before that issue, or if the previous Oracle appearances were all emails.

[JTLarsen]

I don't have this issue yet - working on it - but it's my understanding that Oracle first appeared only as cryptic messages on a computer screen. According to the internet here, Oracle wasn't revealed to be Barbara Gordon until #38. I don't know if she appeared on panel before that issue, or if the previous Oracle appearances were all emails.

 

That sounds about right to me. I have a note in my own database listing 38 as when we find out it's Barbara...but I can't recall whether we "saw" her beforehand...or whether she's merely a voice on the phone or whatever...

 

An existential question for collectors! (Unless you just wanna go with her gun cover, I guess. Not so existential!)

[GeeksAreMyPeeps]

I don't have this issue yet - working on it - but it's my understanding that Oracle first appeared only as cryptic messages on a computer screen. According to the internet here, Oracle wasn't revealed to be Barbara Gordon until #38. I don't know if she appeared on panel before that issue, or if the previous Oracle appearances were all emails.

emails?

[Lazyboy]

Oracle is Barbara Gordon, a character who existed for many years before the Oracle identity was created.

 

Oracle works behind the scenes.

 

Oracle first "appeared" in one panel as a voice sent through a computer. There was nothing notable on the computer screen.

[JTLarsen]

Right. So has anyone got or done a comprehensive guide to Oracle's "emergence"? I would guess it's literally just a word balloon in Suicide Squad 23. Would love for someone who's not me to lay out the exact steps of the Million-Issue Debut of Oracle...

[fastballspecial]

I was wondering when this would come up. This will be a fun thread to watch.

 

[Crimebuster]

I don't have this issue yet - working on it - but it's my understanding that Oracle first appeared only as cryptic messages on a computer screen. According to the internet here, Oracle wasn't revealed to be Barbara Gordon until #38. I don't know if she appeared on panel before that issue, or if the previous Oracle appearances were all emails.

emails?

 

Yeah, her early appearances weren't really emails per se, more like IMs. She would send messages via the computer - this was right before the internet really came about- and the Suicide Squad computer would read them aloud in a robotic voice. Or sometimes it would just be text on a screen.

 

So the "first appearance" of Oracle was a word balloon:

 

 

 

Her early appearances were all like this - just text.

 

Brian Cronin at Comics Should Be Good did a retrospective of her emergence. He didn't go issue by issue, but he shows the word balloons in #23 and #24, and then fast forwards to when we first find out it's Barbara Gordon. Even that I think is just one panel in #38:

 

[kimik]

Wow. That was horrible artwork.........

[JTLarsen]

I don't have this issue yet - working on it - but it's my understanding that Oracle first appeared only as cryptic messages on a computer screen. According to the internet here, Oracle wasn't revealed to be Barbara Gordon until #38. I don't know if she appeared on panel before that issue, or if the previous Oracle appearances were all emails.

emails?

 

Yeah, her early appearances weren't really emails per se, more like IMs. She would send messages via the computer - this was right before the internet really came about- and the Suicide Squad computer would read them aloud in a robotic voice. Or sometimes it would just be text on a screen.

 

So the "first appearance" of Oracle was a word balloon:

 

 

 

Her early appearances were all like this - just text.

 

Brian Cronin at Comics Should Be Good did a retrospective of her emergence. He didn't go issue by issue, but he shows the word balloons in #23 and #24, and then fast forwards to when we first find out it's Barbara Gordon. Even that I think is just one panel in #38:

 

 

Right. That's what I thought. So Suicide Squad 38 is actually the first appearance of Oracle. Prior to that is just word balloons. She doesn't actually appear until 38. I wonder what all those folks who've plunked down bucks for 23 are gonna say if they actually read the book? (And I have both 23 and 38, so I have both dogs in this hunt, not favoring either, just accuracy!)

 

PS: Teen Titans first appeared in B&B 60.

[snowman28]

Good to know. I'll be on the lookout now for issue #38

[manetteska]

Wow; I have been scouting for SS 23 whenever I go to shows but never find one. Now that I see it's only a word balloon in that issue...

 

People really are just paying for a label.

[Lazyboy]

Right. That's what I thought. So Suicide Squad 38 is actually the first appearance of Oracle. Prior to that is just word balloons. She doesn't actually appear until 38. I wonder what all those folks who've plunked down bucks for 23 are gonna say if they actually read the book? (And I have both 23 and 38, so I have both dogs in this hunt, not favoring either, just accuracy!)

 

No, Suicide Squad 38 is just the revelation that Barbara Gordon is Oracle. Barbara Gordon was around long before that panel appeared in SS 38.

 

An Oracle appearance isn't defined by a drawing of Barbara Gordon. Communication technology is Oracle's "costume."

[JTLarsen]

Right. That's what I thought. So Suicide Squad 38 is actually the first appearance of Oracle. Prior to that is just word balloons. She doesn't actually appear until 38. I wonder what all those folks who've plunked down bucks for 23 are gonna say if they actually read the book? (And I have both 23 and 38, so I have both dogs in this hunt, not favoring either, just accuracy!)

 

No, Suicide Squad 38 is just the revelation that Barbara Gordon is Oracle. Barbara Gordon was around long before that panel appeared in SS 38.

 

An Oracle appearance isn't defined by a drawing of Barbara Gordon. Communication technology is Oracle's "costume."

 

No, it's not just the revelation. It's the first time since the creation of Oracle that we actually see Barbara Gordon on-camera acting in the role of Oracle. If you want to argue that a word balloon equals a first appearance, go right ahead. I certainly agree it's something worthwhile and of note. But a word balloon is sound. An appearance is sight. This is our first sight of Barbara as Oracle.

[divad]

Right. That's what I thought. So Suicide Squad 38 is actually the first appearance of Oracle. Prior to that is just word balloons. She doesn't actually appear until 38. I wonder what all those folks who've plunked down bucks for 23 are gonna say if they actually read the book? (And I have both 23 and 38, so I have both dogs in this hunt, not favoring either, just accuracy!)

 

No, Suicide Squad 38 is just the revelation that Barbara Gordon is Oracle. Barbara Gordon was around long before that panel appeared in SS 38.

 

An Oracle appearance isn't defined by a drawing of Barbara Gordon. Communication technology is Oracle's "costume."

 

No, it's not just the revelation. It's the first time since the creation of Oracle that we actually see Barbara Gordon on-camera acting in the role of Oracle. If you want to argue that a word balloon equals a first appearance, go right ahead. I certainly agree it's something worthwhile and of note. But a word balloon is sound. An appearance is sight. This is our first sight of Barbara as Oracle.

 

This sounds "right" to me. Scans please.

[sd2416]

23 1st app Oracle

38 Identity revealed as B. Gordon.

[JTLarsen]

Right. That's what I thought. So Suicide Squad 38 is actually the first appearance of Oracle. Prior to that is just word balloons. She doesn't actually appear until 38. I wonder what all those folks who've plunked down bucks for 23 are gonna say if they actually read the book? (And I have both 23 and 38, so I have both dogs in this hunt, not favoring either, just accuracy!)

 

No, Suicide Squad 38 is just the revelation that Barbara Gordon is Oracle. Barbara Gordon was around long before that panel appeared in SS 38.

 

An Oracle appearance isn't defined by a drawing of Barbara Gordon. Communication technology is Oracle's "costume."

 

No, it's not just the revelation. It's the first time since the creation of Oracle that we actually see Barbara Gordon on-camera acting in the role of Oracle. If you want to argue that a word balloon equals a first appearance, go right ahead. I certainly agree it's something worthwhile and of note. But a word balloon is sound. An appearance is sight. This is our first sight of Barbara as Oracle.

 

This sounds "right" to me. Scans please.

 

You can find them upthread, but I've filched them so you can see what we're talking about.

 

Yeah, her early appearances weren't really emails per se, more like IMs. She would send messages via the computer - this was right before the internet really came about- and the Suicide Squad computer would read them aloud in a robotic voice. Or sometimes it would just be text on a screen.

 

So the "first appearance" of Oracle was a word balloon in Suicide Squad 23:

 

 

Snip.

 

The first time we actually see Barbara Gordon, acting in her capacity as Oracle, seems to be this page from Suicide Squad 38:

 

 

First mention of Oracle, first communication from Oracle, first revelation of Oracle's existence: Suicide Squad 23.

 

Apparent first time Oracle appears on-camera and apparent first revelation of Barbara Gordon as Oracle: Suicide Squad 38.

[AGGIEZ]

 

 

This "1st appearance" is worse than the 13" pink CRT television headshot "1st appearance" of Darkseid...

[JTLarsen]

 

 

This "1st appearance" is worse than the 13" pink CRT television headshot "1st appearance" of Darkseid...

 

Ha! I thought of this example exactly! This is like Darkseid's first appearance...if he had been on a radio instead of TV!

[Silver]

I bought SS up to #45 and then stopped, whew