The Oracle Code by Marieke Nijkamp
Published by DC Comics
Illustrator: Manuel Preitano
Age Group: Young Adult
Format: Comic Book
Genres and Categories: Academia, Coming of Age, Found Family, DC Comics, Detective Characters, Detective Fantasy, Disabled and Neurodivergent Authors, LGBTQIA+ Authors, Mobility Aids, Physical Disabilities, Mystery, OwnVoices Representation, Superheroes
My Rating:
Published on: 10th March 2020
Pages: 208
Disability Representation: Mobility aid, Paralysed in an accident, Wheelchair Sports, Wheelchair User
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#1 New York Times bestselling author Marieke Nijkamp and artist Manuel Preitano unveil a graphic novel that explores the dark corridors of Barbara Gordon's first mystery: herself.

After a gunshot leaves her paralyzed below the waist, Barbara Gordon undergoes physical and mental rehabilitation at the Arkham Center for Independence. She must adapt to a new normal, but she cannot shake the feeling that something is dangerously amiss. Strange sounds escape at night while patients start to go missing.

Is this suspicion simply a result of her trauma? Or does Barbara actually hear voices coming from the center's labyrinthine hallways? It's up to her to put the pieces together to solve the mysteries behind the walls.

In The Oracle Code, universal truths cannot be escaped, and Barbara Gordon must battle the phantoms of her past before they consume her future.

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The Oracle Code by Marieke Nijkamp is the fourth title in DC’s new middle school and young adult range. I’m making a point by starting with this because these titles are noticeably different from other DC titles in a number of ways. The most obvious one is that the characters, familiar DC heroes, anti-heroes and villains, are all teenagers.

For those of you who are familiar with DC Comics, you’re probably scratching your forehead right now and thinking, Umm, how does that work exactly? And you’d be right to do so. For those who are confused, let me explain a little. Not many DC characters were even close to being who we know them as now in their teens, so how can you have a teenage version of them in a novel/graphic novel?

It’s pretty simple; DC have changed the origin stories for this range. Considering the DC universe has multiple universes, it is possible to just look at them as alternate universes. Personally, it annoys me because there really is no need to create a new range just to cater to young people. Many of us grew up on comic books in one form or another, whether it was actual comic books, TV shows, or animation. I also feel that instead of changing the origin stories of currently existing characters, they could just create brand her characters that the new generation of fans could identify with and grow up with.

So I knew going into The Oracle Code that Barbara’s origin story was going to change; however, considering she became Batgirl as a teen, I didn’t think much would be different. I was wrong. For a start, she is not Batgirl at all. Barb’s Oracle identity appeared after she was paralysed when the Joker brutally shot her, and personally, I feel that rewriting that part of her story removes some of her identity as a disabled person.

While I completely understand the necessity of rewriting what happened to her (because that is one of the darkest moments in DC history, and even adults struggle with it), at first, I did not understand Nijkamp’s decision to have Barb already have the hacker identity of Oracle before her accident. Then, as I wrote the conclusion to this review, I realised one of the reasons for her decision; anyone can be Barbara, but not everyone can feel they can be Batgirl.

That is definitely true for teenage girls who are at a point in their lives where their whole world is changing. Throw in a disability, and I can tell you from experience that the last thing you feel like is a superhero. However, geeky Barbara the hacker? She’s just an ordinary girl, and that can be anyone.

I chose to read The Oracle Code for GeekDis because it’s one of the few graphic novels with disability representation for young readers, and in that respect, it is very good. Graphic novels are a fantastic medium for representation because people tend to remember things in different ways, and while this is aimed at a younger audience, I feel that it is beneficial for people of all ages.

Throughout The Oracle Code, disabled young people are not seen as overcoming their disabilities; they are seen as adapting to life with them. Barb’s friends teach her that life has irrevocably changed, but that doesn’t mean life has ended. In fact, it has opened up some new doors! 

While The Oracle Code is a good old-fashioned mystery in typical Batgirl style, it doesn’t skip over all the dark parts of suddenly finding yourself disabled and your entire life turned upside down. That is the input of Nijkamp, a disabled writer, and it shows. The plot itself was good, it just wasn’t what I was looking for, and as I said, I have some major issues with this DC range of titles. But this would make the perfect gift for young people, especially young disabled people who are struggling with a new diagnosis or feel like they don’t have a place in the world. 

About Marieke Nijkamp

Marieke Nijkamp is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of novels, graphic novels, and comics, including This Is Where It Ends, At The End Of Everything, Critical Role: Vox Machina – Kith & Kin, Hawkeye: Kate Bishop and The Oracle Code. She edited the critically acclaimed anthology Unbroken: 13 Stories Starring Disabled Teens.
Marieke is a storyteller, dreamer, globe-trotter, and geek. Before pursuing her lifelong passion for writing, she majored in philosophy and medieval history. She loves to go on adventures, garden, roll dice, and daydream. She lives and writes in Small Town, The Netherlands.
Marieke is the founder of DiversifYA and was a founding sr. VP of We Need Diverse Books.

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