I don't think this is a case where the story is RUINED by already knowing the twists, but I imagine the impact is lessened. If you get around to it, please let me know your thoughts!
Fair review of the work. I can confirm that in 1988 the events of this story were a BIG deal, especially to a 22 year old comics fan who worshiped the ground Barbara Gordon walked on. Someone recently ran a poll on Twitter asking "Who is the best Bat-Girl? Barbara, Cassandra, Stephanie, or Bette?" My answer was "Babs, forever and always. The one I grew up on, my only female red-headed crush as a kid; I'd still go straight for her." So yeah -- these events may seem somewhat tame now, but they were huge at the time. I was devastated.
Of course, she's come a long way since being victimized by The Joker. DC used her to show that paralysis does not mean your life is over.
I've heard a LOT about what Barbara does after she's paralyzed, and I'm quite intrigued. Are there any collections I can get my hands on to read further? Before The Killing Joke, the only Barbara Gordon I was familiar with was the one in the animated series!
I would say start with Birds of Prey Volume 1: Of Like Minds. There had been some Barbara Gordon / Black Canary and Barbara/Lois Lane team-ups in issues of Showcase a year or two earlier, but it was when Gail Simone took on Birds of Prey as a series that Babs really took off as a fully-realized, amazingly complex woman who doesn't let her physical limitation stand in the way of doing the right thing.
My husband and I had a long discussion, and logically speaking, he's right in that rape just isn't part of the Joker's M.O., and like you say, the suggestion of it without confirmation is far more maddening for Gordon.
Of course, maybe I'm forgetting something, but wasn't Gordon right there when it all happened, or did they drag him out after Barbara was shot?
Most of my history comes from the cartoons and the movies, and what comics I've read in the past two years. But the "classics" are still all new to me.
Barbara Gordon is quite possibly my favorite DC character. And I've only ever really known her as Oracle.
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Of course, she's come a long way since being victimized by The Joker. DC used her to show that paralysis does not mean your life is over.
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Of course, maybe I'm forgetting something, but wasn't Gordon right there when it all happened, or did they drag him out after Barbara was shot?
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That's quite all right, you're welcome to take my format and tweak it in whatever way works for you. And thanks for asking!
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Most of my history comes from the cartoons and the movies, and what comics I've read in the past two years. But the "classics" are still all new to me.
Barbara Gordon is quite possibly my favorite DC character. And I've only ever really known her as Oracle.
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Then yes, you NEED to read this!
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