The Oracle Code

Barbara Gordon moves to Arkham Center for Independence to undergo physical and mental rehabilitation after a gunshot has left her paralysed from the waist down. As she is trying to adapt to her new lifestyle, she cannot help but notice that the institute is not what it seems. Patients go missing and strange, disturbing sounds can be
heard during the night. Is Barbara looking for an excuse to avoid integrating with fellow patients or is her intuition onto something?

The life she knows has been altered and our young heroine is struggling to understand who she is now and how much of the old her has remained. Barbara puts her problem-solving skills and love for puzzles to use when her newly found friend and her brother go missing, seemingly without a trace. On her quest to find out what has happened to them, she learns the value of friendship and teamwork.

The Oracle Code is a thoughtful graphic novel with beautiful artwork, dominated by blue and orange colours. It shows how the determination of just one person can affect and help many others. Barbara is an extremely likeable, brave teenager, portrayed realistically. Her emotional outbursts and the way she reacts to situations all felt authentic. In comparison, the side characters could use more development. Their purpose within the story was clear, however not much was explored with regards to their personalities. Regardless, I have still found this read to be thoroughly enjoyable.

Joanna Kleibauer