Title: The Metropolitan Man
Author: alexanderwales
Rating: M
Genre: Mystery/Adventure
Status: Complete
Fandom: Superman
Summary: The year is 1934, and Superman has arrived in Metropolis. Features Lex Luthor as the villain protagonist as he comes to grips with the arrival of an alien god. Occasional point-of-view chapters/sections featuring Lois Lane. Takes place outside any established comics continuity.
Link: Chapter 1

Lex Luthor has the world as his oyster, that is, until an Alien God comes to Metropolis.

This story explores the dynamics between a resourceful and intelligent criminal, a skeptical reporter, and a superman. The characters are relateable, their actions are understandable, but the result is anything but predictable:
5/5.

 

I second this recommendation. It's a very enjoyable read. I was kept guessing up until the very end.

 

The story is technically even library worthy with one of the most competent Lex I've seen in fiction but as a superman fan I didn't really enjoy some aspects of the story especially the ending which really sucked from the fan perspective.
4/5 from me. The minus one due to the ending.

 

What the hell is with that ending? I just don't get it. Made the story feel pointless.

 

Quoting myself from when the fic was first mentioned here:

I'll give it a 5/5.

 

I went looking for a Lex Luthor fic after watching the All-Star Superman animated film and being really disappointed with it. I sort of enjoyed Lex in it, but found him to be too cartoonish and silly.

This fic satisfied me. Lex in this story is brilliantly smart (without making really silly super gadgets- he uses realistic technology for the time period) and a ruthless sociopath. He is absolutely not a "good guy". Despite that, he's not a cartoonishly evil caricature.

For me, this was 5/5. However, I suspect most diehard Superman fans (which I am not) will dislike the tone of this story, which is quite dark.