Watchmen: Chapter III - page 16

PAGE 16

Panels 1-2:  In this instance, Dr. Manhattan’s dialogue in panel 1, “. . . leave me alone” is a commentary on panel 2 where Laurie is hurriedly making her exit, telling Dan she needs to go find a hotel for the night.  And her dialogue leads into

Panel 3:  as it carries over and she says she always feels “sorta empty” after a fight, laid over the scene of a solitary Dr. Manhattan standing in the middle of an empty television studio.

Panels 4-5:  Now the interplay of words and pictures is reversed as Laurie’s conversation with Dan carries from panel 4 into panel 5 where her dialogue is in a caption box reading, “[I’m going to] see if I can come up with one good reason to stick around.”  This reflects directly on the scene in panel 5 as Dr. Manhattan has blinked out of the studio, having no good reason to “stick around.”

Laurie’s comment, “. . . it feels so much better now it’s out in the open” refers not only to the dissolution of her relationship with Dr. Manhattan but also to the fact that there seems to be a connection between Dr. Manhattan and the cancers of his friends and acquaintances.  And, it is also a comment on Dr. Manhattan’s displeasure with all things human as evoked by the poor turn the interview took.  This has set Dr. Manhattan free just as Laurie leaving Dr. Manhattan and talking things over with Dan has set her free.