Metropolis only a limo ride from Smallville? ... silly WB writers. [Archive]

Stupendous Man

11-14-2001, 11:13 AM

Did anyone catch on yesterdays episode of Smallville that
Metropolis is just a limo drive from Smallville?

Not even a long drive apparently since you can make a concert
there in relatively no time , or have teenage student make
weekend plans in the city without so much as a blink.

I think we can isolate this as a strictly 'Smallville' error or
change of the superman myth.

Im pretty sure Metropolis is not in the state of Kansas.

Not that DC comics has ever said conclusively what states their
fictitious cities are in.

However every thing in the Superman mythology has implied that
Metropolis is a east coast city. Even superman the animated
series had several storylines involving Metropolis's shipping
lanes .. docks ... ships pulling into town... refference
'World Finest ' episode.

Now im no geography expert ... but I dont think that
Kansas is big on its coasts or its shipping .

Also several of the comic storys have Lois teasing Clark on
coming from Kansas ... bieng a long ways away from Kansas etc.

Then theres the connection between Metropolis and Gotham ..
Gothams only supposed to be a couple hours from Metropolis.
I dont think Gotham was a midwest kind of town.

* * *

Ive always imagined Metropolis to be city in Virginia and
Gotham to be a city in New Jersey or New York State.

Failure

11-14-2001, 11:37 AM

I was wondering about that too. I've always thought of both Metropolis and Gotham as NYC. Gotham as the real NYC and Metropolis the future NYC. Maybe it was part of Lex's plan, to make Clark and Lana go on a 4 day limo ride. ;)

Stupendous Man

11-14-2001, 11:49 AM

Well they cant both be new york ..lol.

Actually, there is a new york city in the DC universe.
Although the first real mention Ive seen of NYC was
in Green Lantern. Kyle Rayner lives in NYC.

The only other real city that gets mentioned in DC universe
is Washington DC.

You notice Lex isnt the President in Capital City .. its Washington
DC.

~

But I think I saw once a map of the US for a DC RPG game and
they had the DC Cities marked on the map.

Did I imagine this ? Has anyone else ever seen this?
Ive never played DC RPGs so Im not sure.

~

I really think though that Gotham and Metropolis are
East Coast cities ..and relatively near each other.

I think Virginia works for Metropolis ...keeps it close to
washington DC and Manhatten.

And New Jersey works for Gotham.

* * *

I think having Smallville the show , say that Smallville the
community is a farming community on the outskirts of large
town Metropolis may facilitate things for the WB writing staff
but really diminishes the Superman Legend.

Clark leaving the comforts of Smallville for the big city of Metropolis
is hardly as impressive if he just took a bus over to the next town.

DisneyBoy

11-14-2001, 11:57 AM

Ok guys, I may be wrong here since I missed about twenty mintues of the show (I only saw the beginning and the end), but I think that Whitney (why they named him that I'll never know) and Lana were supposed to go to Metropolis, but since he cancelled Lana went with Clark to the concert instead, but not necesarrily to Metropolis. Again, I didn't see the episode, but I think you guysmay have been mixed up...

Stupendous Man

11-14-2001, 12:08 PM

No .. you missed it , they were going to go see
'Radiohead' in Metropolis.

~

The question remains ...where is Metropolis.
Its definitely not in Kansas.

Toddman

11-14-2001, 12:38 PM

Try this website on for size. I think a lot of this info comes from the DC RPG game you mentioned, Spirit.

http://www.geocities.com/karridian/dcatlas.html

I've always enjoyed the theory that Metropolis is New York City during the daytime and Gotham is New York City at night.

Toddman

Stardust

11-14-2001, 12:38 PM

Originally posted by Failure
I was wondering about that too. I've always thought of both Metropolis and Gotham as NYC. Gotham as the real NYC and Metropolis the future NYC.

I've always imagined Gotham and Metropolis both in New York, almost like a big city like NYC, and Bludhaven in Jersey. Hmm. :p

Stupendous Man

11-14-2001, 12:49 PM

Wow Todd ... This link is awesome .

This answers so many DC Universe geography questions
Ive always had.

Im thrilled that I was right about Gotham bieng in Jersey
and Metropolis in Virginia. It just makes good sense .

Im even more excited about finding Opal City on the map !
I loved the James Robinson Starman series!

Todd you should post a thread labeled ..
"Curious about where your favorite DC Universe city in the
US .. " and post that link there.

Im sure tons of fans would like to see this.
This is by far the coolest thing Ive seen in a while.

I wonder if its considered official by DC.
Was it part of the RPGs they sold?

Karkull

11-14-2001, 02:27 PM

A DC Comics road map would be confusing as hell. In addition to the real cities they have the fictional ones that seemingly overlap. For example, Coast City is kind of like L.A. or San Franscisco and Opal City is like Boston.

I've always pictured Metropolis as New York and Gotham City as either another New York or maybe even Detroit--I could never picture Gotham in New Jersey (although Bludhaven could be...thereby adding credibility to Gotham as N.Y.).

Stupendous Man

11-14-2001, 02:34 PM

Its not an either or proposition ...
New York exists , Boston exist in the DC Universe.

Gotham & Metropolis resemble, have the same flavor
as New York cause their in the same geographic area.

And it seems based on this Atlas of the DC Universe that
Gotham is indeed in NJ. Which makes sense because its
been established that gotham is on the east coast ...
in proximity to Washington DC ... Metropolis & Manhatten .

Garden State ..and home of the Batman !

Karkull

11-14-2001, 02:38 PM

But the question remains: could the Joker stand to be seen in New Jersey? Besides, I've never seen a tollbooth anywhere in Gotham.

:D

Failure

11-14-2001, 02:40 PM

Originally posted by Karkull
But the question remains: could the Joker stand to be seen in New Jersey? Besides, I've never seen a tollbooth anywhere in Gotham.

:D

good point. new jersey's like the armpit of america. :p

Stupendous Man

11-14-2001, 02:44 PM

LoL ..this coming from someone in Philly .. LoL.

Just be happy that Batman is even close to Philadelphia.

Fantasie117

11-14-2001, 05:25 PM

new jersey's like the armpit of america.

Thank you.

I've always thought of Gotham City as New York City. I thought Metropolis could be Chicago or something. That's reasonably close to Kansas.

Then again, I don't read the comics. I only watch the shows.

Okay, I just looked at that DC Atlas thing. Gotham is where Atlantic City should be?? Huh? I would definitely put it up north or near Camden in the industrialized areas of the state. Not East Bumble Atlantic City.

Stardust

11-14-2001, 05:54 PM

whoa, metropolis in delaware.....interesting. never had i thought of delaware being the home of metropolis...where superman resides, nonetheless. metropolis seems like such an important city, like new york is a big huge state. ah, gotta take some getting use to i guess. :) they didn't put bludhaven in, i wonder why.

Stupendous Man

11-14-2001, 06:00 PM

Not Delaware ... Its ( Metropolis ) in Virginia .

optimal321

11-14-2001, 06:20 PM

I know i've kind of missed this conversation, but i agree that the Smallville/Metropolis thing is weird. But then again, Metropolis has been the only other city named in the show (i think). And it seems like they're sister cities or something, which they shouldn't be.

Fantasie117

11-14-2001, 06:47 PM

Not Delaware ... Its ( Metropolis ) in Virginia .

Nope. According to that DC map, it's in Delaware...which is just as weird as Gotham=East Bumble Atlantic City.

Toddman

11-14-2001, 06:58 PM

The majority of the city (and country) locations are from the DC RPG atlas, at least the edition published around 1990, because that's the one I have. That edition did not include Opal City and Gateway City and some of the others that were not introduced into the comics until a few years later. Those locations might be in later editions of the atlas, though.

Bludhaven is mentioned in the description of Gotham on the website along w/ Brick City.

Metropolis is pictured in Delaware, which I always found puzzling. Because for a very long time Happy Harbor (where the JLA had their original HQ) was written as being just outside of Metropolis. So years later, when Happy Harbor was used again in the comics and was identified as being in the state of Rhode Island, I assumed that Metroplois was in RI or at least Massachusetts or Connecticut.

On a personal note, my favorite part of the atlas was the listing of MLB, NFL, NBA, and NHL teams as they exist in the DCU. It was kind of cool to see the Gotham Knights listed beside the New York Giants in the NFC east and the Metropolis Meteors listed with the Boston Red Sox in the AL east.

Toddman

The Guard

11-14-2001, 06:59 PM

Ok. In the DCU, Gotham is just to the left of Metropolis, and...as seen in Death of SUperman, Metropolis is a few hours north of Ohio, just below New York City. Bludhaven is below Gotham...

Failure

11-14-2001, 08:12 PM

Originally posted by Fantasie117

Nope. According to that DC map, it's in Delaware...which is just as weird as Gotham=East Bumble Atlantic City.

Such a bustling metropolis (no pun intended) in Delaware?

So much history can be changed!

"The Simpsons are going to Delaware!"
"I wanna see the screen door factory!"
"I wanna get Superman's autograph!"

In the next issue of Superman, Superman prevents Lex Luthor from imposing on the right of tax free shopping!

Calhoun07

11-14-2001, 11:16 PM

Originally posted by Fantasie117

Thank you.

I've always thought of Gotham City as New York City. I thought Metropolis could be Chicago or something. That's reasonably close to Kansas.

Then again, I don't read the comics. I only watch the shows.

Okay, I just looked at that DC Atlas thing. Gotham is where Atlantic City should be?? Huh? I would definitely put it up north or near Camden in the industrialized areas of the state. Not East Bumble Atlantic City.

I don't quite get that Atlantic City thing either. I was also thinking Metropolis could easilly be along the shores of the Great Lakes, explaning the shipping docks and all that. And if NYC is mentioned in the DCU, I guess they could put Gotham there if they want to!

Tim Drake

11-15-2001, 03:24 AM

that's really neat!!

Stupendous Man

11-15-2001, 05:54 PM

Where would there be more corruption than Atlantic City?

I like Batman in Jersey, I always thought Selina Kyle was
a Jersey Girl.

Plus remember all the Mafioso elements in Gotham.
Obviously Jersey, What none of you have seen the Sopranos?

**

I could get used to the idea of Metropolis in Delaware.
I mean Metropolis always struck me as too clean and white bread a town to be in a New York type state.

Other than the Supervillans in Metropolis ... Its really
an idealic sort of city. The kind of city a farm boy would feel
comfortable in. Great schools for the kiddies too.

* * *

So Smallville definitely goofed by continually implying
that Smallville is neighboring Metropolis.

Do you think the producers are even aware that
Smallville is in Kansas?

Failure

11-15-2001, 09:10 PM

Originally posted by The Spirit
Where would there be more corruption than Atlantic City?

Well there is Camden, probably the absolute worst city in the country, it's also fairly close to AC.

Stupendous Man

11-21-2001, 11:22 AM

bumped for Shadowwolf .

JusticeLeagueLegion

12-04-2001, 09:56 PM

I've said this before, but in the comics universe (not nessasarily the animated universe) Metropolis is in Dellaware, whereas Gotham City is in New Jersey. The comics do give the information as to what state their ficticious cities are in, but the info is almost hidden, it's only a matter of study...which I'm sure Paul Kupperberg did since he wrote the "DC Heroes Atlas." That's where I got this info from.

The Game

12-04-2001, 10:12 PM

I don't care what ANYONE (not even Bob Kane if he were alive) says, Gotham City IS New Yokr. Sorry. Case closed.

JusticeLeagueLegion

12-05-2001, 09:47 AM

Originally posted by thegame8866
I don't care what ANYONE (not even Bob Kane if he were alive) says, Gotham City IS New Yokr. Sorry. Case closed.

For one thing, Gotham City is not big enough to be New York, and another thing New York City is also shown in the "DC Heroes Atlas" because that's where the "Titan's Tower" was: The HQ of the Teen Titans. I think that in the animated universe it was shown in New York, but not in the comics universe. In the comics universe, it was shown in New Jersey.

Naraht

12-05-2001, 09:52 AM

Would this be a bad time to point out, that both citys were based on NYC, that they were designed by diffrent people,. and eventually merged into the same universe, by DC.

Tracer

12-05-2001, 11:22 AM

Originally posted by The Guard
Ok. In the DCU, Gotham is just to the left of Metropolis, and...as seen in Death of SUperman, Metropolis is a few hours north of Ohio, just below New York City. Bludhaven is below Gotham...

Funny you mention that... IF I remember correctly, the original sites for Metropolis and Gotham were Detroit and Chicago (I don't really remember which was which). They were in the Mid West, not too far from Kansas for the kents to just drive up every now and again, but far enough that Clark still had that country-boy image to him.

Now this dates back like 20 years or so (oops, I just dated my fanboy-ness) all that has changed I am sure. Somewhere between then and now, they definately made one or both an East Coast City. But the commute between the two is a few hours, far enough for Batman to not want to make the drive unless absolutely neccessary.

Samhaine

12-05-2001, 03:10 PM

Originally posted by naraht
Would this be a bad time to point out, that both citys were based on NYC, that they were designed by diffrent people,. and eventually merged into the same universe, by DC.
Yes, the were both based on NYC, but that doesn't mean that either of them were, or are NYC.