In Birds of Prey #12 by Kelly Thomphon, Javier Pina, Sophie Campbell, and Gavin Guidry, the team continues to jump through various re-skins of the pocket dimension they're trapped in and land in a chibi-style, cartoon world courtesy of their teammate Sin. They go searching for Batgirl again and find her trapped in a skyscraper and sporting a whole new look courtesy of the new dimension.

As Oracle, Barbara Gordon spends much of her time wearing street clothes and sitting behind a monitor as her allies' unseen and near-omnipresent guide. Sin's cartoon universe finally elevates Barbara to the full-time superhero she is by putting her in a blue and green style leotard, complete with a cape and signature emblem.

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Barbara Gordon as Oracle has long been Gotham's most essential protector, and now she gets to shine as the literal heart of Batman's operation.

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Barbara Gordon Finally Gets the Oracle Costume She Deserves

Too Bad It's in a Temporary Alternate Dimension

Barbara Gordon is no stranger to the superhero game, and she designed her own Batgirl suit during Batman's earliest years. While she still wears her classic Batgirl look (and uses the moniker) from time to time, Babs shines differently as the tech-savvy Oracle. After a brutal attack from the Joker left her physically incapable of fighting crime in the "standard" way, she carved out a new niche for herself and found a new purpose. Creating Oracle was truly a superhero's journey, and she deserves a look to match, even when most of her time is spent behind a screen.

Sin's chibi-world is an unexpected way to deliver a cape-wearing Oracle, but the design is genius. The color green is an Oracle standby and features heavily in the leotard and cape, while the blue in the gloves and boots is reminiscent of an electronic glow. When paired with the emblem on the front of the suit, the whole look perfectly captures the right vibe, especially when it's topped off with Barbara's signature glasses and long red hair. In short, the design takes everything that makes Oracle unique and rolls it into a suit that totally deserves an appearance in the "real" world of the DC Universe.

Oracle's Superhero Design Captures Her Important Role in the DC Universe

Oracle's Portable Tech Jumpsuit Debuted in "Ghost in the Machine" by Cecil Castellucci, Marguerite Sauvage, and Becca Carey from Batman: Urban Legends #2

Although Oracle has been a staple of the Bat-Family and the Birds of Prey for so long, she's frequently just a voice on the other end of a communicator. Giving her a traditional superhero look, rather than something more casual like her Batman: Urban Legends upgrade, drives home the idea that she's an invaluable member of whatever team is lucky enough to have her. She's the eyes and ears of her allies, acting as their ultra-observant guide and detective. Barbara Gordon is one of the most fiercely intelligent and resilient heroes in the DCU, and her new costume gives the Oracle role the respect it deserves.

Birds of Prey #12 is available now from DC Comics.

BIRDS OF PREY #12 (2024)
	Writer: Kelly Thompson Artist: Javier Pina, Sophie Campbell, Gavin Guidry Colorist: Jordie Bellaire Letterer: Clayton Cowles Cover Artist: Leonardo Romero

Birds of Prey (2023)

Writer

Kelly Thompson

Penciler

Leonardo Romero

Inker

Leonardo Romero

Colorist

Jordie Bellaire

Letterer

Clayton Cowles

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