Watchmen: Chapter VII - page 23

PAGE 23

Panel 1:  Again, we see how comics, as a storytelling medium, is unique with this oversized panel of Archie flying across the rooftops of New York City.  The size of the panel, particularly in relation to the smaller panels prevalent within the 9-grid of this story, provides the scope of the scene while also relating the drama of the scene – its larger size making readers linger on the image a bit longer – in the way music might provide the same emotional resonance in a film.

And in the lower right corner, we see a tenement house on fire, which follows from the news report about a series of tenement fires as seen on Page 11, Panel 6.

Panel 4:  It seems an obvious choice, but notice how John Higgins utilizes various shades of red to not only indicate the fire but also enhance the tension of the scene.