DC COMICS
WRITER: Tony Bedard
ARTIST: Jason Orfalas
COVER: Stephane Roux

The two computer experts of the DC Comics universe, Oracle and the Calculator face off in both virtual and physical combat, at a computer conference no less. While the cover tries to make it look like a war of bits, bytes and virus programs, this issue actually has the two antagonists meet, greet and beat each other. Although the story tries to make it look like a battle of brains, it is simply too hard to dramatize a battle between computer hackers on the printed page, even if you do use cute icons to do the fighting so the action doesn't really pick up till the Calculator goes after Oracle with a gun instead of a keyboard. The actual fight between the wheelchair-bound Oracle and the armed Calculator is good in a small dose but it is too hard to believe that the identity of Oracle could remain a secret to the whole world considering how many people actually see her in this story just when --- POSSIBLE SPOILERS --- they are told to come to Oracle's rescue at a pivotal moment. The Calculator would have to be an idiot not to realize who Oracle is now. And the "We are Spartacus" ending just doesn't work. The art looks slick and captures the mood of a computer convention quite well. Too bad computer conventions aren't really very exciting places. The unbelievable plot elements just bring this issue's rating down so it gets only two and a half stars out of five.