Metropolis: 10 Things The Superman Prequel Must Include
2. Proper Serialised Storytelling
DC Comics
While it's possible to argue that Gotham is a procedural to a certain degree, it never really managed to live up to the expectations of those who'd read Gotham Central, the Ed Brubaker and Greg Rucka comic everyone thought the series would take inspiration from.
While the merits and faults of serialised storytelling have been well chronicled in recent years, there are certain concepts that lend themselves well to that style of TV series. Gotham isn't one of those concepts, and while Star Trek: Discovery continues to draw criticism for its shift away from procedural storytelling, the gamble has managed to pay off in the long run.
For Metropolis, a serialised format would seemingly make the most sense. The official synopsis sounds like it won't be heading in that direction, with Lois and Lex engaging in a 'caper of the week' almost, but it's definitely the route to take should the series value the lessons imparted by shows like Game of Thrones and House of Cards.
Have Lois and co. work away at a scheme over the course of one series, rather than small ones week by week, and it'll be so much better for it.
WhatCulture's very own resident movie guy, Ewan has been working in the content creation biz for over 10 years now, having started as a freelance contributor to WhatCulture Gaming all the way back in 2015. After graduating with a First-Class Honours in History from Northumbria University in 2017 (where he won a prize for a totally killer dissertation on the Watergate years), Ewan took on the role of Comics Editor at WhatCulture and quickly developed WhatCulture Comics into one of the biggest superhero-focused channels on YouTube. He followed this with a brief hiatus at Screen Rant in 2021, where he worked across the Gaming and Film sections as a writer and editor, before returning to WhatCulture as a Senior Content Producer / Presenter in 2023. He started his own podcast, We Love Dad Movies, in 2022, and has contributed several written pieces to the Eisner-nominated comics website Shelfdust as well.
In his current role, Ewan incorporates his love of cinema, comic books, and history into written pieces and video essays for WhatCulture's Film & TV channel, as well as WhatCulture Gaming and WhatCulture Horror, with a particular focus on nineties-era Dad Movies, old school Westerns, and Golden Age Hollywood Noir. John Carpenter is his fave, and he thinks Batman Beyond should never have been cancelled. If that's your vibe, you'll probably like his stuff.
