Watchmen: Chapter III - page 10

PAGE 10

Panel 1:  Laurie’s image in the coffee mug here is even more reminiscent of the smiley face button, with the running mascara sitting in for the blood splatter and the wavy lines that form her nose looking very much like the smile.

Panel 2:  Laurie’s voice over in the caption, “. . . how did everything get so tangled up?” is placed over the image of Dr. Manhattan’s tie twisting into a traditional knot.  And again, the manner in which he is using his powers to dress himself – the clothes moving of their own volition in order to cover Dr. Manhattan rather than Jon taking an active role – showcases once more how detached from humanity, and his humanness, Jon Osterman, as Dr. Manhattan, has become.

Panel 4:  Laurie’s voice over in the caption box, “I’d rather be somewhere else . . .” is a direct foreshadowing of Dr. Manhattan’s fast approaching departure for his television interview.

Note the cufflink hovering in the air just below the caption box and Laurie’s bra as a reminder of what just occurred between these two.

Panel 6:  Laurie says (in the caption box), “Sometimes the cabs just disappear and getting from A to B takes forever.”  Both parts of this sentence apply to the image in this panel.  First, we have a literal connection with Dr. Manhattan disappearing.  But the second part of Laurie’s statement reflects ironically on this instance, as Dr. Manhattan will immediately appear across town at the ABC studios for his appearance.

Panel 8:  More irony from Moore & Gibbons as the locksmith’s voice over regarding friends just turning up “completely outta the blue” refers directly to Dr. Manhattan appearing in the studio as well as the fact that he is blue. 

Panel 9:  Here we get the first mention of the Promethean Cab Company, which we have seen previously in the story.

Also, the locksmith’s remark that “these are baaad neighborhoods” foreshadows what is going to happen to Dan and Laurie on the following pages as they are walking to Hollis Mason’s place.