Ages of Characters

[BohemiaDrinker]

The popularity of the Timmverse (as usually is the case with a medium with more fans than the comics industry) is what changed things. I'm not sure DC would have deaged Babs otherwise, IMO.

I don't know. I'm sure that was a factor, but I doubt it was the only one. And Didio was really hardcore on keeping the heroes young, so I'm sure she would have been deaged at least when the new 52 came long. On Babs specifically Didio once said something along the lines of "writers think of Barbara as being in their thirties while in editorial think of her as late teens". (Funny thing is, I don't think Barbara ever was a teen in the comics.)

[marhawkman]

how old was the Burton-verse Batgirl? Hmm....

Oh, wait, technically not Barbara GORDON.... Barbara WILSON

Hmm she's a college student, so... over 18 probably.

[BohemiaDrinker]

how old was the Burton-verse Batgirl? Hmm....

Oh, wait, technically not Barbara GORDON.... Barbara WILSON

Hmm she's a college student, so... over 18 probably.

Well, it was mid 90's Alicia Silverstone, so I'd say about 20? It's the age she used to play back then.

[Aahz]

The age gap between Dick and Barbara has changed. I don't think he was in college when he first met. her. And she was a librarian, meaning she had already graduated from college, maybe already had a master's. I always though Barbara was quite a bit older than Dick. But that hasn't been the case in a long while.

EDIT: Sorry. I see you meant (said) was that he was in college when she was in Congress. True. But when she first appeared, he was still the Boy Wonder and she was an adult.

If we go by the comics:

When she was introduced Dick was roughly 15 or 16, and her exact age wasn't really given.

In the Bronze Age when he was in Collage and she in congress it was said that she was 25 and he was 18.

Based on the Post Crisis Origin Stories she was iirc about 2-3 year older (I think Gordon adopted her in Year 2 at the age of 13 and Dick became Robin in Year 3 at the age of 12).

I think it wasn't till Dark Mirror that they were written as being the same age.

[The Darknight Detective]

how old was the Burton-verse Batgirl? Hmm....

Oh, wait, technically not Barbara GORDON.... Barbara WILSON

Hmm she's a college student, so... over 18 probably.

Yeah, between that craptastic film and the cartoons, it placed in the minds of the mainstream audience Dick and Barbara as similarly aged.

[bat39]

I "think" back in pre crisis Babs was considerably older than Dick, then in post crisis they portrayed her at her early 30s as Oracle initially, but stealth deaged her further when the bat offices took a hold of Dick and made him and Babs an item again. Then in the new 52 they may have made her actually younger than Dick, but now they try to sell them as being the same age. Babs age fluctuates a lot depending on how they may want to portray her.

In the New 52, I think she and Dick were both meant to be 21, with her starting out as Batgirl '4 years ago' at age 17 (Dick started out as Robin '5 years ago' at age 16).

Pre-Crisis, Barbara was definitely closer to Bruce in age than Dick. She was at least 25 to be a Congresswoman at a time when Dick was probably 17-18. Bruce was somewhere around 29 during that era.

In general, the Gordons both got de-aged Post-Crisis. Jim went from being someone old enough to be Bruce's father to being around 15 years older than him. While Barbara went from being just a few years younger than Bruce to being Dick's age (i.e. 10-15 years younger than Bruce).

how old was the Burton-verse Batgirl? Hmm....

Oh, wait, technically not Barbara GORDON.... Barbara WILSON

Hmm she's a college student, so... over 18 probably.

Honestly, I just could never figure out how old Chris O'Donnell's Dick Grayson was supposed to be in those movies The actor was in his mid-20's. He's mentioned as being college-aged in Forever. Yet he needs to be taken in by Bruce?

[marhawkman]

Honestly, I just could never figure out how old Chris O'Donnell's Dick Grayson was supposed to be in those movies The actor was in his mid-20's. He's mentioned as being college-aged in Forever. Yet he needs to be taken in by Bruce?

Hmm I was just thinking about this. There's a scene where Dick is like "I don't need to live here!" then Bruce is like "where will you go?".... then Dick just gives up on leaving and forgets about the idea.

So, my best guess? He's over 18, but became functionally homeless. So he doesn't really "need" it in the sense he would if he was 8 and an orphan, and Bruce clearly has an ulterior motive, but, while we don't have details, it does paint him as someone who does need what Bruce has. Although I'm not sure if Bruce is thinking more in terms of emotional support(IE don't be like me) or financial, but it's pretty clear it's both.

[The Darknight Detective]

I don't know. I'm sure that was a factor, but I doubt it was the only one. And Didio was really hardcore on keeping the heroes young, so I'm sure she would have been deaged at least when the new 52 came long. On Babs specifically Didio once said something along the lines of "writers think of Barbara as being in their thirties while in editorial think of her as late teens". (Funny thing is, I don't think Barbara ever was a teen in the comics.)

She was never a teen until the '90s and only in the mediums I mentioned earlier, so maybe that's what he's getting that impression from.

[BohemiaDrinker]

She was never a teen until the '90s and only in the mediums I mentioned earlier, so maybe that's what he's getting that impression from.

I don't even know if she was a teen there. DCAU Babs was in college IIRC. So she was at least late teens, I think (although when the show moved networks and the characters were redesigned she looked 15 at most, even if she was supposed to have aged as much as Dick)

Hmm I was just thinking about this. There's a scene where Dick is like "I don't need to live here!" then Bruce is like "where will you go?".... then Dick just gives up on leaving and forgets about the idea.

I read somewhere a long time ago that WB was planning on spinning off a Nightwing franchise out of that, and that's why his costume looked like it in B&R. That line may refer to that.

[marhawkman]

I read somewhere a long time ago that WB was planning on spinning off a Nightwing franchise out of that, and that's why his costume looked like it in B&R. That line may refer to that.

Yeah, heard that somewhere before. If that series of movies had stayed popular enough they might have migrated to Nightwing and team movies.

[The Darknight Detective]

I don't even know if she was a teen there. DCAU Babs was in college IIRC. So she was at least late teens, I think (although when the show moved networks and the characters were redesigned she looked 15 at most, even if she was supposed to have aged as much as Dick)

I'm pretty certain she was late teens when she was introduced.

[Digifiend]

I "think" back in pre crisis Babs was considerably older than Dick, then in post crisis they portrayed her at her early 30s as Oracle initially, but stealth deaged her further when the bat offices took a hold of Dick and made him and Babs an item again. Then in the new 52 they may have made her actually younger than Dick, but now they try to sell them as being the same age. Babs age fluctuates a lot depending on how they may want to portray her.

In the New 52, I think she and Dick were both meant to be 21, with her starting out as Batgirl '4 years ago' at age 17 (Dick started out as Robin '5 years ago' at age 16).

Yeah, sorry BohemiaDrinker, but bat39 is right, Babs was stated to be 21 in the Batgirl of Burnside run, and Dick was 21 in New 52 Nightwing. Their age gap now is just a few months. They were aged back up in sync around the time Burnside ended and Dick was shot and lost his memory, and are both now in their late 20s.

[BohemiaDrinker]

Yeah, sorry BohemiaDrinker, but bat39 is right, Babs was stated to be 21 in the Batgirl of Burnside run, and Dick was 21 in New 52 Nightwing. Their age gap now is just a few months. They were aged back up in sync around the time Burnside ended and Dick was shot and lost his memory, and are both now in their late 20s.

Nah, I wasn't folowinmg closely. But wasn't Burnside Babs published at the same time as Abnett's Titans Hunt? I think the Titans people were a little older there.

(God, I miss pre and post Crisis. **** was simpler to calculate then)

[Digifiend]

Burnside Babs was second half of New 52, and Rebirth.

[WonderNight]

Burnside Babs was second half of New 52, and Rebirth.

Wasn't stephanie and harper in that run? How come there bot 6 or 7 years older also.