Cultural symbolism of Gotham City and Metropolis. Though fictitious, both Gotham City and Metropolis are representative of deeper cultural themes. Their primary significance can be seen through their respective representations of the social issues that exist in the urban environment. The term Gotham also has cultural ties to England which can be seen through the same comic representation. Both Metropolis and Gotham City also hold cross cultural significance with respect to contemporary urban culture and its evolutionary history. Through this exploration of a contrast between urban visions of darkness and utopia, political and economic themes of urban life are illuminated. Both Gotham City and Metropolis clearly offer insight into the evolution of urban culture. Using a cross cultural perspective, the origins and continued evolution of urban culture are explored with respect to the origins and continued evolution of Gotham City and Metropolis.