Going into a story fresh without knowing the subject matter can be exciting. I only had a vague notion regarding how political writer James Tynion and artist Martin Simmonds “The Department of Truth” #1 would actually be. The horror of evoking what a far-right conspiracy meeting would look like when factoring in supernatural elements was a novel idea. It is hard to think of a better time in our political climate for a story like this to raise interesting questions about how people with different perspectives think. This is an incredibly unique comic book to be on store shelves. I’m profoundly interested to see if Simmonds and Tynion can continue this unique and thoughtful narrative without getting lost in the smaller details and stay focused on the story.
Written by James Tynion IV
Illustrated and Colored by Martin Simmonds
Lettered by Aditya BidikarCOLE TURNER has spent most of his life suppressing false memories of Satanic ritual abuse at his preschool. Now, he’s the newest recruit of the Department of Truth…and he just found out those false memories might be truer than he thinks. JAMES TYNION IV (Batman, Something is Killing the Children) & MARTIN SIMMONDS (Dying is Easy) continue their breakout conspiracy thriller!
Writer James Tynion’s apocalyptic vision about the dangers of conspiracy theories got even more harrowing this week with “The Department of Truth” #2. It is clear from the opening pages that Tynion and Simmonds aren’t ready to throw all of their cards on the table and reveal all the aspects of the plot yet. Readers are still trying to catch up to protagonist Cole Turner’s nightmares about the occult. As the series progresses, I hope to see Tynion give Turner’s character a sense of progression where he begins to become more confident. Turner always seems to act like he’s seen too much and isn’t sure how to process or go about daily life. Tynion does a great job portraying a feeling of confusion and making Turner feel incredibly distant and cold at times.
At the end of the day, this title is a noir comic book about detectives. Turner isn’t incredibly well fleshed out yet so the book draws a lot on supporting characters and horror for the atmosphere. “The Department of Truth” #2 packs freaky apocalyptic visions at all times and doesn’t stay focused on one topic for a long period of time. Turner will even have brief moments of panic when he is speaking with others where the creatures who go bump in the night rear their ugly heads. The two sequences that bookend the title are particularly scary with their innocent beginning and horrific endings.
No matter how well you are following the narrative, Martin Simmonds art direction will give you a sense of disorientation. Simmonds is constantly experimenting with his page design and the ways to tell this story. Even the lighter moments are harrowing, giving readers a sense that they are never safe even when Turner is doing something mundane like eating pancakes. Simmonds is constantly experimenting with the page and adds blots of ink or surreal background details. The moments occasionally make you question if the objects are even supposed to be located in the story. The art blends the abstract work of Bill Sienkiewicz with a cleaner and more vibrant hue of Phil Noto or Rod Reis. The script for this title is always interesting and I’m glad to see Simmonds art match Tynion’s ambition.
This script introduces ‘Hunky’ who takes a certain kind of delight in removing some of the ambiguity behind the concepts Tynion is exploring. Hunky works in a very special capacity within “The Department of Truth” that stretches the political aspects of the series yet again. Tynion digs past the surface and shows what happens to your temperament when you watch too much cable news. Tynion needed to remove this level of ambiguity from the story and talk directly to readers. I was happy to see the script make the adjustment and even subtly throw shade at right-wing talking points. With the news media lobbying a steady diet of distractions it is fascinating to see how Turner and his team are dedicated to finding the truth.
Continued belowRight now “The Department of Truth” is still setting the stage for bigger things to come. Tynion and Simmonds craft a beautiful narrative that takes a stance on important issues and teases brutal horror elements. While this issue didn’t quite capture the surreal horror of the first chapter, it establishes more pieces of the narrative and has a few great sequences. With the establishment of our current political climate being as frustrating as it is, this story is cathartic but also challenging. Tynion and Simmonds fill the comic with an impressive level of subtext that will speak to a certain type of reader in a certain type of way.
At the end of the first arc, I would love to see Tynion start to divulge some of the answers for what is going on that he teased at the beginning of the first chapter. Also, I do wish that Tynion explores one particular conspiracy theory in more depth to give his political stance on a topic. Based on the content from the first chapters, I have no doubt that this content is coming up in future stories that reveal more about our satanic antagonist. It also can’t be understated how important the small moments of humor are in the story. “The Department of Truth” has genuine scares, haunting art, and even packs a couple of jokes about breakfast foods.
Final Verdict: 8.4 – “The Department of Truth” #2 digs deeper into the fractured mind of Cole Turner and reveals his fondness for pancakes.
