Comic book fans may know that Batman’s Gotham City is infamous for a sky-high crime rate and an assortment of supervillains who take control of the city on a regular basis – but Superman’s Metropolis might be even worse. The Man of Steel’s city is often depicted as an Art Deco-inspired shining town of tomorrow, and a version of DC’s New York City (even though New York exists in the DC Universe). But 1996’s Superman: The Wedding Album proves that Superman’s home turf has even more problems that Gotham City – and only Superman can solve them.
For over 50 years, Superman and Lois had a relationship, though not always romantic. Initially, Lois desired Superman while ignoring Clark Kent, but a shift in how DC wrote the character during the Silver Age changed the dynamic; Lois and Clark entered into a relationship of their own and the two were eventually engaged. Clark had wanted to tell Lois his secret for years – and after an ill-fated confession in Action Comics #662, Superman and Lois Lane split up (not for the first time).
The breakup didn’t last for long, however, and in Superman: The Wedding Album, Clark proposes again and Lois accepts. Unfortunately, Superman has temporarily lost his powers and can’t protect Metropolis like he used to (it doesn’t stop him from getting involved in stopping multiple crimes). Batman assures Superman that he should go on his honeymoon without worry. “Arrangements have been made to protect Metropolis.” Superman looks up in the sky to see over a dozen superheroes flying and leaping overhead.
Batman’s gesture is appreciated (as is his other gesture: buying out all the potential buyers of the couple’s preferred apartment), but it comes with dark undertones. Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, Shazam, the Flash, Superboy, and plenty of other heroes are called upon to protect the city, leading to the obvious question: just how many superheroes are needed to fill the void left by Superman? Perhaps Batman called in so many superheroes because Metropolis’ crime is only held at bay by Superman’s extreme strength – or because, similar to Batman, criminals are terrified of angering Superman.
Metropolis and Gotham are frequently portrayed as opposites within the DC Universe. Metropolis is often seen during the day while Gotham is often shown at night; Metropolis has 50s and 60s-style villains who stomp down the streets in giant robots while Gotham’s criminal element operates strictly in the shadows (except for the Joker, who loves the spotlight). But with this comic, DC hints that Superman’s city has even worse crime than Batman’s – and it takes an entire team of superheroes to equal the Man of Steel’s strength.
