Aging in the DC Universe

[Primal Slayer]

I know that time tends to move very slowly in comics but what do you think about DC allowing some of their characters to age while leaving others in a perpetual state of stasis?

We have characters like Jon whose been around a very short time and he went from a baby to a kid to now what? a young adult? while we have Billy, Raven and Gar who have been forced to stay teenagers for majority of their existence.

Should DC embrace allowing their characters to age, with their love for reboots it seems like it'd be simple enough to reach a point where you reset and start fresh again with everyone.

[PCN24454]

I would love for DC to have a consistent timeline and proper aging, but my debates on this forum tell me that I'm in a minority.

[Tugger]

I would love for DC to have a consistent timeline and proper aging, but my debates on this forum tell me that I'm in a minority.

100% agree with you.

Was only thinking about this the other day.

I think the fact that characters don't age is one of the reasons I've lost interest in the teams and characters I used to love as I myself have gotten older.

[Rac7d*]

Well this goes into DC problem with legacy characters again

Their problem with Bruce being 40

I am happy that Diana has ascended to godhood but I cannot get the logic behind her predecessor leaving an island she is not allowed to leave to become WonderWoman rather then one of her many protege's

[garazza]

Well this goes into DC problem with legacy characters again

Their problem with Bruce being 40s

I really like how wrestling is becoming popular again because there are wrestlers in their 40s that are basically doing what Batman does and they're still great. Some are doing their best work at that age. Dustin Rhodes is in his 50s and he's one of the best wrestlers in AEW. The men at DC really have to get over their mid-life crises.

[The Darknight Detective]

I really like how wrestling is becoming popular again because there are wrestlers in their 40s that are basically doing what Batman does and they're still great. Some are doing their best work at that age. Dustin Rhodes is in his 50s and he's one of the best wrestlers in AEW. The men at DC really have to get over their mid-life crises.

As someone in his fifties, while I'm in pretty good shape and stay physically active, I'm not exactly the way I was when I was in my twenties and thirties. That's without having a fight since I was in elementary school, wither. There is no way a Batman in his forties can be at his peak effectiveness, which is why DC is very hesitant to move him into middle age.

[king81992]

I really like how wrestling is becoming popular again because there are wrestlers in their 40s that are basically doing what Batman does and they're still great. Some are doing their best work at that age. Dustin Rhodes is in his 50s and he's one of the best wrestlers in AEW. The men at DC really have to get over their mid-life crises.

Honestly, Batman as he's characterized now and with all the Robins + proteges only makes sense as a man in his late 40s to mid 50s.

[Powerboy]

Well this goes into DC problem with legacy characters again

Their problem with Bruce being 40

I am happy that Diana has ascended to godhood but I cannot get the logic behind her predecessor leaving an island she is not allowed to leave to become WonderWoman rather then one of her many protege's

One thing I like about Diana's being ageless and thousands of years old is that they could give her back a lot of her history. She could have come to "Man's World" during World War II with no reason to substitute someone else. I'm not saying they couldn't fudge some on what really happened in the Silver/ Bronze or even Golden Age. But they could maintain the core idea of her history.

[Robotman]

100% agree with you.

Was only thinking about this the other day.

I think the fact that characters don't age is one of the reasons I've lost interest in the teams and characters I used to love as I myself have gotten older.

DC is a business with IPs worth potentially billions of dollars. Having a character like Bruce Wayne age in real time and eventually retire would be incredibly short sighted.

We can’t expect our favorite heroes to age along with us as the current crop of comic book fans are just a tiny drop in the overall bucket. DC/WB is probably planning ways to generate interest from mainstream audiences and the next generation of fans.

[Captain Nostalgia]

So long as they don't bring back Hal Jordan's grey sideburns it's all good.

DC goes through the process of rebooting it's timeline every 10 years or so anyways, so anyone who grows too old becomes young again.

[John Venus]

I would love for DC to have a consistent timeline and proper aging, but my debates on this forum tell me that I'm in a minority.

You're not alone.

DC is a business with IPs worth potentially billions of dollars. Having a character like Bruce Wayne age in real time and eventually retire would be incredibly short sighted.

We can’t expect our favorite heroes to age along with us as the current crop of comic book fans are just a tiny drop in the overall bucket. DC/WB is probably planning ways to generate interest from mainstream audiences and the next generation of fans.

Uhhh, DC had Earth-Two and I don't mean the Nu52 version, I mean the Pre-Crisis versions where all the heroes got old and had kids who grew up to become heroes themselves while the 'main' heroes stayed young in their own universe.

A shame they got rid of it because they need it now more than ever.

[SiegePerilous02]

Uhhh, DC had Earth-Two and I don't mean the Nu52 version, I mean the Pre-Crisis versions where all the heroes got old and had kids who grew up to become heroes themselves while the 'main' heroes stayed young in their own universe.

A shame they got rid of it because they need it now more than ever.

Yes, a properly done Multiverse would allow for multiple takes that have a higher chance of getting different audiences.

Some want story progression with aging and mantle passing. Meanwhile, there are always going to be fans and creators who want to read/work on new twists of the iconic characters. Stubbornly wanting it to be one or the other leaves money on the table either way.

I'm not remotely feeling this Jon Kent nonsense though, if only because WB/DC don't instill confidence that they don't just want to get rid of Clark because they are sick of him (even before he arrives at the low point that Barry and Hal previously reached when Wally and Kyle replaced them) but still want to make money off of his logo.

[Rac7d*]

DC is a business with IPs worth potentially billions of dollars. Having a character like Bruce Wayne age in real time and eventually retire would be incredibly short sighted.

We can’t expect our favorite heroes to age along with us as the current crop of comic book fans are just a tiny drop in the overall bucket. DC/WB is probably planning ways to generate interest from mainstream audiences and the next generation of fans.

People wdont care about Bruce Wayne they care about Batman. I guess DC is gonna wait for the public to force them to remove Bruce which honestly explain Jace presence. in 8 year we may see a live action Jace the way we are seeing a live action Sam as captain america

[The Darknight Detective]

People wdont care about Bruce Wayne they care about Batman.

For most superheroes, yes, but Bruce Wayne is one of the exceptions. One of the few secret identities that everybody knows about.

[Vakanai]

People wdont care about Bruce Wayne they care about Batman. I guess DC is gonna wait for the public to force them to remove Bruce which honestly explain Jace presence. in 8 year we may see a live action Jace the way we are seeing a live action Sam as captain america

...you're kidding right? You really see the public deciding to "force" DC to remove Bruce Wayne?