Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Watchmen: Chapter XII - page 7


PAGE 7

Panel 1:  Again, Moore & Gibbons ironically juxtapose the imagery with the dialogue as Dr. Manhattan comments on the fact that it is “midnight” when they arrive back on Earth while standing in front of the former offices of the Promethean Cab Company – its sign proclaiming Promethean is “Bringing Light to the World” at an hour when there would be no natural light.

Having the first word of this final chapter be midnight emphasizes the climactic point we readers are experiencing, as midnight is often seen as the final moment of a 24-hour day. 

Conversely, the use of midnight could also be interpreted as foreshadowing the new status quo that will result from this “alien attack,” as midnight is the first minute of a new day.

Visually, Laurie’s tears are a modified version of the “blood spatter” that has been utilized throughout this narrative.  And the clasp of her choker being a skull also emphasizes, subtly, the devastation that has been wrought on New York City.

Panel 2:  Dr. Manhattan’s observation that the static, which has interfered with his ability to see into the future, was not caused by a nuclear detonation indicates that something or someone else is behind the static interference, and we will discover that that someone is Adrian Veidt.

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