OracleX

I'm fairly certain this isn't the week the newest Batgirl comic comes, out but I don't I've her seen on this list. Is there a chance she'll ever make the list in the future?

Not quite @InnerVenom123! I am going to go into debt for a another 20 G to go to Graduate School! For library science! So in other words I am training to be Oracle if I'm lucky as everything will be computerized soon!

In other words, I'm stalling like thousands of the graduates.

So lets expand the topic for anyone who cares: Does anyone remember their graduation? Did anything happen at the ceremony to make the local news for the wrong reasons?

It seems like this Saturday was the big day for commencement ceremonies. I know I was one of the thousands of young people wearing caps and gowns and bored out of their minds most the time.

The only interesting thing about my ceremony was Young Alumnus Achievement Award recipient is the guy whose description is used in the Call Of duty: Black Ops to represent "every Vietnamese soldier you kill in the game." He's also comedian was smart enough to keep his speech short.

Who else spent the day feeling proud to be a graduate but also desperate to find some friends to see a late-night showing of the Avengers after a very tiring day?

This not "Why the Amazing Spider-Man will suck thread." I am looking at it from a time line perspective. My apologies if a similar thread has alread been made.

The last one came out in 2007, which was the same year I graduated from high school. Yes I know it wasn't that good, but it was a very memorable experience. I remember so many scenes from that extremely cheesy movie that I feel like I'm still in the theater. This was the first full comic trilogy I actually watched in the theaters. I had grown to love these characters: The girl-next-door Mary Jane Watson. The tough as nails editor Jonah Jamison. And of course, the affable web-slinging Peter Parker. It filled me with a kind of hope that I needed at a time when I was freaking out about my future. Spider-Man was the first comic-based movie that made me think these floppy picture books might have compelling story lines.

I'm not sure if I'm ready to watch Spider-Man portrayed in a different light. There is no denying that more comic movies have developed darker tones to match the economically uncertain times. The Avengers was good fun for everyone but none of the heroes could be defined as relatable. This version of Peter Parker seems focused and in control. The movie looks spectacular visually but I'm not sure if it will resonate emotionally with the audience. The actors are top-notch, but do we really need another brooding super-hero right now? If anything I would have preferred seeing an ultimate Spider-Man featuring Miles Morales (I know how complicated that would be, but I really love the kid and the concept.)

I will watch The Amazing Spider-Man in theaters, but I get the feeling I won't be able to stop comparing it to the first movie that made me believe in the terrific story-telling based off comics.

Forgive me for causing a storm of questions and racking of brains.

I could have sworn I heard Stark a call someone batman on the helicarrier before the big battle of New York scene. I am fairly certain it was probably "cap" instead of "bat." I couldn't help the fact that I started cracking up every time Stark/Robert Downey Jr. opened his mouth. I have been looking all over online and found know reference to such a quote. But I thought I'd put the question up here anyway.

The better term would be nomination I think-but anyway. You know its going to get a bunch of awards and nominations from less main stream groups. I am curious to learn which ones because I am not as knowledgeable on the subject.

The film will most likely get some technical nominations in the Golden Globes and Oscars. I actually think it stands a chance at beating the Dark Knight Rises for some of these even if a ton of it CGI. The monsters just look awesome and the stunt work is incredible.

Honestly I think it deserves a nomination for best screen play at the Golden Globes and even a win. Whedon weaves a ton of diverse character personalities together that is extremely difficult. Every character made a contribution the success of the plot. Not all of them work, but count them off: Hulk, Iron Man, Hawkeye, Black Widow, Thor, Nick Fury, Phil Coulsin, and even Maria Hill. That is just unbelievable! This also why it should earn a nomination/win for best comedy/cast ensemble at the Globes.

But lets not kid ourselves, The Dark Knight Rises is going to get more attention from the "professional critics." You know Nolan has a nomination for screen-play in the bag. It stands as a contender for best picture because people are convinced the Dark Knight got robbed and drama tend to do better in the major awards shows.

These are my thoughts. They may be semi-incoherent as I haven't slept properly after the midnight showing and I need to get to work now.

Hulk was the biggest surprise. You knew Robert Downey Jr./Iron man was going to be awesome but Hulk was kind of a wild card. None of his movies were that good compared to the others. I loved how Stark really cares and respects Banner and they had some sweet (borderline sappy) moments together. Hawkeye was much more interesting than I thought he would be and why he uses a bow almost makes sense (I tip my hat to you Mr. Whedon).

I know she's not technically an Avenger in the movie, but Maria Hill deserves an honorable mention. She's not as bad-ass as she is in the comics but she had her share of awesome action moments. It was not something I was expecting from a character described in the mainstream media as Nick Fury's assistant/sidekick.

And while we're at it, Coulsin is one of the best non-comic based characters in a series of hero films. To think I mistook him for Happy Hogan when I saw him the first Iron Man movie (I was a comic novice back then).

On every comic news website there is always at least one new "A Vs X" story every day. I am tired of all the new promotional material coming out. Some issues will basically be graphic novelization of video games. All that is needed are hit points in the corners of the pages and bonus rounds. I understand it makes for good business and there is quality writing involved, but I am not a big fan of event comics.

So in all seriousness: When do the "A Vs. X" titles end and when do the "A Vs. X" fallout titles begin?

I will probably flip through a few of the issues at a shop but I won't buy one. Wake me up when Jean Grey returns and I can read some good "Emma Vs Jean" dialogue (fond memories of Grant Morrison's run).

I'd kill to get paid to write an article like this.

It is a simple underlying theme in almost every story of heroism ever told: A sacrifice must be made.

For the hero to accomplish his or her goal they must give up something in order to win. Tony Stark: It was part of his mind to defeat Osborne. Batman Dark Mirror: The belief that James Gordon Jr. was ever going to be like his Dad as his character had been stashed in archive for at least ten years no one knew had happened to him.

This is why "Death of "story arcs sell so well. I still enjoy flipping through The Death of Superman trade to see how he gives everything to defeat Doomesday.

More often then not in comics the sacrifice is emotional. For every bad guy these heroes take down, they know there will another one waiting. Emotional wear and tear is shown in the panels, other times it is not. It all depends on the writer and whether it translates into a good action scene. Dick Grayson is not making as many light-hearted jokes these days. It was something run to the ground in the Wonder Woman comic where she questioned whether she was truly representing the Amazon way. Emotional also applies to death. The death of a loved one always damage's hero psyche.

So in conclusion I'd like to suggest the idea of not reading the comic to find out if character will die, but to find out what the hero must lose succeed.

(I know I sound extremely philosophical for a comic article, but I hope some one finds this interesting.)

Hi guys! I know I have been gone for while but I have not forgotten about you! I have a few other non-comic fan-fiction writing projects in progress on Fanfiction.net. I plan on finishing it by the end of next week and coming back here to work on some of my stories. If anyone one is curious, look for "The Journey Home" by KESwriter in the "Criminal Minds" section of the site.

The following is a cute little story I originally published there that I think will get a little more love here. Its a cross-over, but I think it is fairly easy to follow.

"Oracles Goodbye Message"

Sometimes members of the FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit wonder how technical analyst Penelope Garcia is able to track down information so quickly. How she is able to hack into networks without being noticed and finding the key piece of data that leads the team to finding the UnSub just in time to save someone.

The same can be said of Barbara Gordon. Confined to a wheelchair, she is one of Batman’s most trusted allies. She is a master strategist and is able to get her best associates to the right locations. Even with all her informational prowess, her friends and fellow heroes still wonder what other resources she might have that she refuses to talk about.

The answer crosses the barriers of reality. These are two women who live and breathe computer code. Sometimes they go digging into the deepest depths of the cyber information universe. And somewhere along the way they found each other.

…

At first they were just two cyber hackers working late at night in their own timelines. They were both looking for random pieces of information that might help with their own “side jobs” that had little to with their regular responsibilities. They became aware they both had pieces of the same puzzle and decided to share and were able to find the answer. As a result they decided to keep in touch by communicating in this pocket of cyber space to discuss data puzzles that no one else seemed to understand.

Over time they became comfortable enough to share more information about their identities to one another. “Baby Girl Hacker” and “Oracle” began to trust each other enough to share information relating to problems that involved less “net speak” and more physical world terms. It didn’t take long for two genius hackers to come to the same conclusion: They were both from alternate realities.

Garcia was the one who figured it out first. In her version, “Oracle” was the code name for Barbara Gordon, the former Batgirl and now information coordinator for a team of mostly female vigilantes known as the Birds of Prey. In her reality this was a comic book series. Garcia was over the moon once Barbara confirmed that her suspicions were correct. But Garcia was also smart enough to keep this to herself. Who would honestly believe she could communicate to a comic book character?

It took Barbara a little longer to figure out where Garcia was from. Barbara didn’t watch as much TV and it was until Dinah, The Black Canary “borrowed” one of her screens to watch a show featuring a woman wearing cutesy colorful jewelry surrounded by computer screens. It was an FBI drama about a team of profilers who tracked criminals with the help of a tech analyst based in Quantico. Barbara cursed herself for not figuring it out sooner. She decided to keep this information to herself also. She hated the idea of people learning that she sometimes sought help from a government of any universe.

Neither tried to think much about the fact that lived and worked in universes where they were considered fictional characters. They both reasoned that the world of computer codes and cyber navigation wasn’t confined to one single dimension. The fact was that they were smartest tech analysts in their worlds and when they worked together, they helped people.

…

It was late one night when Penelope Garcia decided to return to her office. She had just returned from working a case in the field and needed to be surrounded by her own screens full nothing but letters and numbers and no pictures of mutilated bodies. She was surprised to see a chat window open up when she logged on. It was from Barbara, Oracle. She never used chat windows where actual language could be written out.

Oracle: Hey Penelope. I really need to talk to someone.

Penelope was even more alarmed. They never used their real names.

BabyGirlHacker: Barbara, what’s going on?

Oracle: What would you do if you were able to regain something you really wanted? But it came with a heavy price?

BabyGirlHacker: What do you mean?

Oracle: What is something you have always wanted? Be it something physical or human?

Penelope thought for a moment. She wanted Derek Morgan to look at her as something more than just a sweet friend. For him to see her as more than just a plump, perky, angel. She wanted her parents back. She wanted to look like the woman people noticed because she was radiant, both inside and out.

BabyGirlHacker: Barbara why are you asking me all of this? I would give anything to look the beautiful woman I know I am on the inside. To have my parents back.

Oracle: But what about that team of agents who seem to care about you? Would you be willing to give them up?

Penelope hadn’t thought of that. The idea of there being a give and take in these kinds of situations was a natural conclusion. She didn’t want to think about the idea of losing contact with the people she thought of has her family. She shook her head.

BabyGirlHacker: Barbara why are you talking about this? Please tell me what is going on.

Oracle: Penelope I think I am going to get my wish.

Penelope could almost hear the conflicting emotions Barbara was feeling.

BabyGirlHacker: Barbara???

Oracle: Penelope my universe is changing. I think this is the last time you’ll ever hear from me.

Suddenly a tear leaked down her face. Her fingers raced across the keyboard.

BabyGirlHacker: Barbara??? NO!

Oracle: It was a pleasure getting to know you Penelope. You were a great ally and great cyber friend.

BabyGirlHacker: BARBARA!!!!!!

Oracle: Goodbye BabyGirlHac

Barbara suddenly signed off. Penelope swore. She kept typing and tried to reconnect the feed. She lost track of time.

…

Penelope felt someone touching her shoulder.

“Baby girl did you sleep here again?”

She looked up. It was Derek Morgan. She looked at a monitor and noticed it was 8:00 a.m.

“What exactly are you doing here?” he asked.

“Working on a side project,” she replied groggily. Then she remembered why she was here. Oracle-Barbara!

Ignoring Morgan’s questions, she quickly logged onto the DC Comics website. What she saw made her cry and Derek Morgan had no idea why. One of the first pictures on the site was that of a red-headed young Batgirl. Next to the picture it read:

“Yes, it's really happening! Barbara Gordon is back as Batgirl – and she's going to have to face the city's most horrifying new villains as well as the dark secrets from her past.”