The Darkness of Mere Being (1987)
The Darkness of Mere Being Review
The Darkness of Mere Being is the ninth issue in the twelve-issue series Watchmen, written by Alan Moore and drawn by Dave Gibbons.
Continuing the story from the cliffhanger ending of the last issue, this one focuses on Dr. Manhattan and Laurie’s time spent on Mars. There, they discuss existential issues, particularly focusing on whether or not humanity is worth saving. This issue proved once again that the Watchmen series is much better at these one-location, introspective character studies than the usual progressing the main story issues.
The Darkness of Mere Being is, in fact, one of the best issues from the second half of the series’ run as it really builds on the relationship between these two characters and it deals with some important themes. Admittedly, how Dr. Manhattan changed his mind felt almost abrupt and unbelievable, but this had to have happened, so I don’t blame that conventional ending too much.
But everything that came before it was phenomenal. Dr. Manhattan grappling with the ideas of the importance of life and humanity’s many messy, but also deep facets was excellent and the dialogue was continually superb in those sections. Laurie herself got an intriguing backstory and the twist that The Comedian is actually her biological father was unexpected and it made for a complex study in human nature and how complicated male-female relationships can be.
The illustrations are also stunning here. This is one of the most visually impactful issues in the series as the Martian landscapes are jaw-droppingly breathtaking to see and those moments where they observed its terrain were quite epic. Another strength of this issue lies in that final supplement that focused on the original Silk Spectre and her complicated life through magazines, newspapers and interviews. It again showcased how she is a much more interesting character than her daughter.
