No offense, but it seems like you only really like this new take on babs because you relate to it more. I get it -- I have a similar disability to yours in that I can walk, but also use a wheelchair a lot.
But you also seem to speak of a place of ignorance when it comes to pre new 52 comics, because you have to put them down to prop Batgirls up.
Both Oracle: Year One and this new Batgirl run both approach Barbara’s disability from the same angle: grief and guilt.
This is the comic that's only about grief and guilt?
This is the comic about Barbara's disabled body being treated as a problem to her? An obstacle to be overcome?
You seem to ignore a lot of the Barbara as Oracle pre new 52 stories, because that is the only way you can cast Batgirls in a positive light. Many of the things you say happen in Batgirls -- like Babs going to PT and it being treated as a normal thing -- are also present in pre new 52 Oracle. We see her going to PT in Birds of Prey, we see her using wheelchair lifts on busses. We see her going to therapy in Suicide Squad, dealing with her survivor's guilt (and victim blaming of herself)
In Barbara’s stories, I see a common theme: to be disabled is to be less-than. To be helpless.
What pre new 52 stories were you seeing that said that? Because sometimes, ableist tropes do pop up. But we see plenty that does not imply Barbara is helpless or less-than. So I'd like specific stories you have examples from.
Barbara is bitter about her disability; I get that.
Pictured: Barbara being bitter about her disability
She acknowledges that her body, even with the chip installed (from New 52), is still disabled. And that’s not a bad thing. She works with herself, not against herself
We see Barbara accept that a surgery on her spine to save her may make her more disabled, and she's fine with it, in pre new 52. We see her encouraging Wendy to accept her disability.
Like I understand being so starved for rep that if someone has a disability that's similar to yours, it's tempting to ignore all the issues around the writing. But this did not happen in isolation, and you have to ignore a lot of Barbara's past writing as Oracle to position Batgirls as the best.
I suggest you read these links here (link). some of them include my perspective as someone who has a disability similar to yours (ambulatory wheelcahir user) explaining why it is still ableist. I hope you hear me out.
dailybridgerton
janainaart
tangentwithtanner
