The Department of Truth #2
Image Comics
Written by James Tynion IV
Art by Martin Simmonds
Letters by Aditya Bidikar
The Rundown: Cole’s first day at the Department of Truth will have him looking into a long buried personal secret.
Cole is having a hard time sleeping and it has nothing to do with the fact that his world has been turned upside down at the knowledge that belief has the power to shape reality. His dreams have taken him back to a time in his childhood when he was convinced that he was in the presence of a demonic entity who is trying to convince the boy that nothing he sees is real.
In the real world, Cole is taken out to breakfast by Ruby and she can see that he is taking the surprising truth about the real better than expected. When he brings up the nightmare of his childhood, she decides to take him to the people in the department who might have answers. As he meets the colorful group of researchers at the Department of Truth, something catches his eye. Something that connects directly to his childhood and a little girl who is experiencing the exact same nightmare.
The Story: James Tynion IV is crafting a world full of big ideas and it is fascinating. The premise and the concept are so interesting in their scope and implications that I became instantly engaged in Cole’s journey. I like how the story evolved after that and how James Tynion IV deftly mixes reality and fiction to create a narrative that is both new and familiar. I am invested in this story and where it goes next.
The Art: Martin Simmonds delivers some beautiful and disturbing visuals throughout this issue. There is some blood curdling imagery in this issue and I like that Simmonds doesn’t shy away from how fear inducing those images are.