Comic Review: The Department of Truth #2 (Image Comics)

The truth, according to the second issue of The Department of Truth from Image Comics, is a many splendoured thing. Elusive, effusive, and God only knows. White lies, black boxes, signs, and hints. Innuendos and crescendos.

James Tynion IV writes of the lead character, Cole Turner. He (Cole) 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.

It’s a look or a fast glimpse anyway, behind the star-maker machinery, behind the popular press. The aliens, the pandemic conspiracy, the pizza places, the unending chatter that matters. This book gets right into the sweat, the anger, the confusion, and haze. It’s purple veiled and reviled haze, it’s experiments on the mind, it’s semi-true, it’s semi-bitter.

Artist Martin Simmonds draws, scratches at the door, erases all traces of tracing. He brings intermittent understanding and vague shapes into clarity. He produces yellow, red, blue and hues of horror. The dark silhouettes of doubt are sowed so deep into the fabric, it’s ‘hey what are you wearing’, and a scream to read.

Image Comics, The Department of Truth #2, $3.99 for 26 pages of content. Mature