The Dark Knight Rises Would Barbara Gordon Have Been Better Than John Blake? (Thread Contains Spoilers)

[El Hombre Gato]

My main issue with John Blake is that he replaces Batman without any proper training or guidance. So that got me thinking. This film takes place 8 years later. Gordon's kids would probably be teenagers by this point. So, wouldn't Barbara Gordon have been better than John Blake? She got kidnapped by Harvey Dent and almost killed. Well, maybe not ALMOST, but her life was threatened. An experience like that would affect someone and encourage them to train in martial arts and other self-defense studies. So, she would have the background to replace Bruce Wayne and us fans would have gotten a character from the comics.

Any thoughts or comments?

 

[Silvermoth]

Interesting but I do think...

Spoiler

Batman needed a Robin sooner or later

I would have loved to see Babs though. I like your reasoning. Oh well, maybe next time

 

[Batman jr.]

She would've been known as Oracle at the end.

 

[venus_ice]

Like I keep saying, in a sequel/reboot with my baby Ellen Page. They look damn good together.

Perfect.

 

[psyonic]

No because fans would complain that Robin should have been the one used.

 

[Nevincer]

@ Venus
That would mean pretty much every supporting character from Inception has an alter ego in the Batman universe

 

[R3M3D1]

With Leo Di Caprio as The Riddler.....

 

[El Hombre Gato]

No because fans would complain that Robin should have been the one used.

Fans are always gonna complain about something.

 

[Crev-3]

...he replaces Batman without any proper training...

We don't know that. Blake seemed pretty proficient in hand-to-hand combat. We can just say that before he joined the Gotham Police Department he was in the military; maybe as a U.S. Army Ranger or Green Beret. That's one of the great things about fiction; when certain things are left unexplained you can just make up your own explanations.

 

[Chrisbarnes182]

We don't know that. Blake seemed pretty proficient in hand-to-hand combat. We can just say that before he joined the Gotham Police Department he was in the military; maybe as a U.S. Army Ranger or Green Beret. That's one of the great things about fiction; when certain things are left unexplained you can just make up your own explanations.

Exactly.

3 Nightwing films please. Thanks.

 

[KneelBeforeZod]

The Gordon kid that was kidnapped by Two Face was a boy. Not even sure Gordon has a daughter in this series.

Generally, I'd rather Robin than Batgirl.

KBZ

 

[ShadowBoxer]

The Gordon kid that was kidnapped by Two Face was a boy. Not even sure Gordon has a daughter in this series.

Generally, I'd rather Robin than Batgirl.

KBZ

Watch the ending hostage scene for TDK again. Gordon has a daughter her head is down on her legs so you never see her face. Pretty much everyone assumes it was Barbara though (an early teen version I assume).

 

[atomicbattery]

I imagine minor changes that I would have liked throughout the trilogy (wish that Rachel Dawes had a comics-derived name, for example- perhaps Bruce's first comic book girlfriend Julie Madison).
But the biggest change I would have loved would have been for Jim Gordon's son to have been a red-haired daughter. The final scene in TDK, with Batman having just saved young Barbara's life, her standing next to her dad as he recites that speech, and knowing what the events of that night would do to inspire her own crusade in the future, would have been awesome.

 

[Chrisbarnes182]

We don't know that. Blake seemed pretty proficient in hand-to-hand combat. We can just say that before he joined the Gotham Police Department he was in the military; maybe as a U.S. Army Ranger or Green Beret. That's one of the great things about fiction; when certain things are left unexplained you can just make up your own explanations.

Exactly.

3 Nightwing films please. Thanks.

Do it you know u want too

 

[Majik1387]

I think if Blake should have been replaced with anyone, it should have been Renee Montoya.

Gordon's family left, and even if they stayed, Barbara would only be 8 years old in Nolan's universe.

 

[atomicbattery]

I think if Blake should have been replaced with anyone, it should have been Renee Montoya.

Gordon's family left, and even if they stayed, Barbara would only be 8 years old in Nolan's universe.

The daughter in the final scenes of TDK is obscured, but she appears to be in something like the 6-9 age range, meaning she'd be a teen in TDKR.

As I mentioned above, I wish that the son in TDK had been a red-haired daughter- Barbara- not so much to replace Blake, but because that final scene in TDK would have even more resonance.

These, of course, are mere points of conversation- the series is brilliant, and I think, upon second viewing, that TDKR just might be my favorite movie of all time.

 

[mbnasir6]

Not to be rude, but no way. His son appeared to be around 8-11, the daughter seemed just older than a toddler, she could be a Batgirl to the hero RJB becomes but much later in his life.

 

[storyteller]

Honestly I think it was best that Blake was a total stranger. It feeds back into , Batman can be anyone and isn't just the guy in the inner circle. Also lets be honest, it's easier to back a guy as Batman then a girl.

 

[Brother Jack]

Blake wasn't meant to be a stand-in for any single character. He was an amalgamation of all the Robins, and of people like Terry McGuiness. He was the embodiment of Batman's idea of a successor, which is why his name is literally Robin.

 

[theLegend]

Blake wasn't meant to be a stand-in for any single character. He was an amalgamation of all the Robins, and of people like Terry McGuiness. He was the embodiment of Batman's idea of a successor, which is why his name is literally Robin.

Gets it ... the literal name of Robin is a nod more than anything. People are acting like he's going to throw on the red and yellow and queer little elf boots.

He's the embodiment and idea of a successor. Bruce Wayne understood a legend and/or symbol is bigger than just one man's life.

By having a successor, the Batman lives on as an enduring protector of Gotham.

It also adds another layer of mystique considering everyone in Gotham believes he died that faithful day when he sacrificed himself by jumping on a atomic bomb.

 

[KalMart]

Gets it ... the literal name of Robin is a nod more than anything. People are acting like he's going to throw on the red and yellow and queer little elf boots.

I'd say it's worth it for the boots alone.

 

[theLegend]

I'd say it's worth it for the boots alone.

Haha, agreed.

 

[Micromind]

Blake was representing Ordinary Gotham citizen (as he grew up in an orphanage) in addition to being a cop, so using Barbara Gordon instead of Blake would not work, as she does not represent the underprivileged citizens.

 

[BlackFox]

Would love to have seen Nolans take on Barbara but then I would on so many other characters, can only have so many in a trilogy.

 

[Shpati]

My main issue with John Blake is that he replaces Batman without any proper training or guidance. So that got me thinking. This film takes place 8 years later. Gordon's kids would probably be teenagers by this point. So, wouldn't Barbara Gordon have been better than John Blake? She got kidnapped by Harvey Dent and almost killed. Well, maybe not ALMOST, but her life was threatened. An experience like that would affect someone and encourage them to train in martial arts and other self-defense studies. So, she would have the background to replace Bruce Wayne and us fans would have gotten a character from the comics.

Any thoughts or comments?

I agree. It made more sense sense she was in the previous movies. But you can go either way in my opinion.

Well, all I know is John Blake is not as good as Bruce Wayne, so they should have gave John Blake some extra help (Oracle) just in case Gotham goes bad again.