THE DEPARTMENT OF TRUTH #1-22 (James Tynion IV / Martin Simmonds)

We live in an age of conspiracy theories. Perhaps that’s how many people have felt since the '70s, especially in the '90s when the success of The X-Files made conspiracy theory culture mainstream. Yet no conspiracy theories from preceding decades seem as brain-breaking as QAnon, as self-evidently falsifiable as Flat Earth, or as unsettling as the ones surrounding the late billionaire Jeffrey Epstein and his many famous connections — all of which are very popular on the internet these days. Into this zeitgeist steps The Department of Truth, a new comic from Image

Most conspiracy discussions focus on proving or disproving the theory at hand. Proponents present evidence that what they believe is true, while opponents try to refute that evidence or present countervailing examples. But The Department of Truth, written by James Tynion IV (Justice League Dark) and illustrated by Martin Simmonds (Dying Is Easy), has a different take. Maybe conspiracies can be either true or false, depending not on evidence but on how many people believe in them.

« I think we all have a bit of a fascination with conspiracy theories — the more outlandish, the better, » Tynion tells EW. « The human brain is always desperate to make connections, to make sense out of a chaotic world, and the answers we create often reveal our basest fears and delusions. The Department of Truth is set in a world where all conspiracy theories are true, and stars a young man named Cole who must wade through the darkest shadows of the American Dream in search of something real. It’s about the truths America wants to see about itself, and the ones it does not. It is a frightening conspiracy thriller and I am deeply excited for people to join us for the ride. »

The first issue opens with the grand-daddy of American conspiracy theories: The JFK assassination. In the exclusive preview pages below, you can see a young Lee Harvey Oswald being interviewed by government agents before the story jumps ahead in time to FBI investigator Cole Turner’s attempt to untangle modern internet conspiracies.

« This book is unlike any project I have worked on before, and I can’t wait for readers to follow us into the tangled web of truth, lies, and a world teetering on the edge of a life-shattering realization, » Simmonds tells EW.

The Department of Truth #1 hits stores on Sept. 30. Check out exclusive preview pages below, and a variant cover by Jenny Frison above.

Source : www.ew.com

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Published: October 28, 2020
Diamond ID: AUG200339
Age Rating: M
Genres: Horror, Thriller
Buy

Cover price: $3.99
COLE 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 IV
Artist
Martin Simmonds
Cover A
Martin Simmonds
Cover B
Christian Ward

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C’est intrigant.

Entre ça et le récit de Ram V, y a une résurgence sienkiewiczienne assez frappante !

Jim

THE DEPARTMENT OF TRUTH #3

Written by: James Tynion IV.

Art by: Martin Simmonds.

Covers by: Martin Simmonds, Andrea Sorrentino.

Description: Mary never knew what « false flag » or « crisis actor » meant, until her son was murdered in a mass shooting, and the threats and accusations began. But as her reality starts to bend around her, it’s the job of the Department of Truth to keep these dark conspiracies from coming true…at any cost.

Pages: 32.

Price: $3.99.

Available: Nov. 25.

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THE DEPARTMENT OF TRUTH #4

Written by: James Tynion IV.

Art by: Martin Simmonds.

Covers by: Martin Simmonds, Tradd Moore.

Description: How can a journalist ethically report on a story that they know can’t possibly be true? As packages with proof of impossible stories keep arriving on one reporter’s doorstop, sent by a mysterious entity known only as Q, one reporter must find the answer themselves.

Pages: 32.

Price: $3.99.

Available: Dec. 23.

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THE DEPARTMENT OF TRUTH #5

Written by: James Tynion IV.

Art by: Martin Simmonds.

Covers by: Martin Simmonds, Dani, Tula Lotay, Tiffany Turrill.

Description: What is Black Hat? Who is the mysterious man pulling its strings? Why is he in Cole Turner’s apartment? The first arc of the new series from comes to a dramatic conclusion, as Cole questions whether or not he’s on the right side of the War for the Truth!

Pages: 32.

Price: $3.99.

Available: Jan. 27.

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THE DEPARTMENT OF TRUTH #6

Written by: James Tynion IV.

Art by: Elsa Charretier.

Covers by: Martin Simmonds, Elsa Charretier.

Description: Uncover the deep tangled roots of the Department of Truth - roots that stretch as far back as the Middle Ages. What is the Inquisition? Who are the Illuminati? And what is the truth behind the Phantom Time Hypothesis?

Pages: 32.

Price: $3.99.

Available: Feb. 24…

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Published: March 31, 2021
Diamond ID: JAN210194
Age Rating: M
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Cover price: $3.99
It’s another deep dive into the Secret Archives as guest artist TYLER BOSS (4 Kids Walk Into a Bank) joins JAMES TYNION IV (Batman) and THE DEPARTMENT OF TRUTH to investigate sightings of flying saucers…and the strange men in black suits trying to cover up their existence. Hold onto your cows—the truth is out there!
Writer
James Tynion IV
Artist
Tyler Boss
Cover A
Martin Simmonds
Cover B
Tyler Boss

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Published: April 28, 2021
Diamond ID: FEB210080
Age Rating: M
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Cover price: $3.99
Cole Turner thought he joined the right side of the war for the Truth. But now that he’s learning more about Lee Harvey Oswald’s tenure leading the Department, he’s not so sure. The answers Cole seeks are hidden behind a pair of unsolvable riddles: WHO is the Fictional Woman, and WHAT does she want from him? The second arc of the smash-hit THE DEPARTMENT OF TRUTH begins here!
Writer
James Tynion IV
Artist
Martin Simmonds
Cover A
Martin Simmonds
Cover B
Bill Sienkiewicz

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Published: May 26, 2021
Diamond ID: MAR210189
Age Rating: M
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Cover price: $3.99
Cole Turner has seen firsthand the horrifying ways collective belief shapes the world and how theories can manifest and take physical form…but what happens when those thought forms start to have thoughts—and desires—of their own? What truths about Tulpas lay at the heart of the Tibetan Book of the Dead?
Writer
James Tynion IV
Artist
Martin Simmonds
Cover A
Martin Simmonds
Cover B
Michael Avon Oeming

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THE DEPARTMENT OF TRUTH #10

Written by: James Tynion IV.

Art by: Martin Simmonds.

Covers by: Martin Simmonds, Vincenzo Riccardi, Michael Dialynas.

Description: Some fictions manifest in reality as dangerous, half-formed things. The Department of Truth relies on hunters to track down and contain these wild tulpas before they become too real. It’s time for Cole Turner to see this side of the job firsthand. It’s time for Cole Turner to join his first Bigfoot hunt.

Pages: 32.

Price: $3.99.

Available: June 30.

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Published: August 25, 2021
Diamond ID: JUN210205
Age Rating: M
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Cover price: $3.99
America was built on a lie that’s never quite come true. The cracks in that idealistic vision have inspired dangerous people to do horrible things in the name of an America that’s never really existed. Hawk Harrison knows the genuine story of this country, and he’s ready to give Cole Turner a history lesson.
Writer
James Tynion IV
Artist
Martin Simmonds
Cover A
Martin Simmonds
Cover B
Caspar Wijngaard

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Published: September 29, 2021
Diamond ID: JUL210223
Age Rating: M
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Cover price: $3.99
Thirty years ago, Cole Turner dreamed up a Star-Faced Man who ate children in the basement of his preschool. Today, Cole is going to make sure that nightmare can never haunt another kid. The second arc of the smash-hit THE DEPARTMENT OF TRUTH ends here with a revelation that turns the series upside down!
Writer
James Tynion IV
Artist
Martin Simmonds
Cover A
Martin Simmonds
Cover B
Álvaro Martínez Bueno
Cover C
Maria Llovet

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THE DEPARTMENT OF TRUTH #14

Written by: James Tynion IV.

Art by: John Pearson.

Covers by: Martin Simmonds, John Pearson.

Description: In 1946, Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard and eccentric rocket scientist Jack Parsons performed a series of rituals to summon a divine feminine being. Her name was Babalon. She was dressed all in… red. John J. Pearson joins The Department of Truth for an occult blast from the past.

Pages: 32.

Price: $3.99.

Available: December 1.

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Published: January 12, 2022
Diamond ID: OCT210129
Age Rating: M
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Cover price: $3.99
Back in 1967, the Department of Truth went out to West Virginia and tried to create a tulpa of its own. Forty-six people died in the aftermath. Fan-favorite illustrator DAVID ROMERO (Razorblades: The Horror Magazine) joins Eisner Award-winning writer JAMES TYNION IV to reveal the true origin…of Mothman.
Writer
James Tynion IV
Artist
David Romero
Cover A
Martin Simmonds
Cover B
David Romero

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Arriving: February 23, 2022
Diamond ID: NOV210064
Age Rating: M
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Cover price: $3.99
Turn on, tune in, and drop out as ALISON SAMPSON (HIT-GIRL IN INDIA) enlists with the Department of Truth for a mind-altering dive into designer hallucinogens, MKUltra, and Lee Harvey Oswald’s true motivations behind unlocking the hidden power of the human mind. The Eisner-nominated series continues its history-shattering guest arc here!
Writer
James Tynion IV
Artist
Alison Sampson
Cover A
Martin Simmonds
Cover B
Alison Sampson

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Arriving: March 23, 2022
Diamond ID: DEC210274
Age Rating: M
Buy

Cover price: $3.99
The third arc of Eisner-nominated THE DEPARTMENT OF TRUTH concludes here, as breakout star JORGE FORNES (Rorschach) joins the team to reveal the long-awaited secrets behind one of the biggest conspiracy theories of all time. Strap in, folks: Richard Nixon has a moon landing to fake.
Writer
James Tynion IV
Artist
Jorge Fornes
Cover A
Martin Simmonds
Cover B
Jorge Fornes

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Arriving: May 25, 2022
Diamond ID: MAR220065
Age Rating: M
Cover price: $3.99

Co-creator MARTIN SIMMONDS returns for the explosive new arc of the Eisner-nominated hit! For decades, THE DEPARTMENT OF TRUTH battled a secret war against its Soviet counterpart, THE MINISTRY OF LIES. Now Cole Turner will have to face the consequences of his predecessors as the dark actions of the past unfurl before him…
Series included as one of Entertainment Weekly’s 10 Best Comics of 2021!

Writer
James Tynion IV
Artist
Martin Simmonds
Cover A
Martin Simmonds
Cover C
Chris Shehan
Cover D
Martin Simmonds
Cover E
Todd McFarlane

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Arriving: June 29, 2022
Diamond ID: APR220183
Age Rating: M
Cover price: $3.99

One of the Department of Truth’s greatest rivals lay dead in America’s capital, and all signs point to Black Hat as the culprit. To uncover the truth, Cole Turner must decipher the hidden history of…the Ministry of Lies.

Writer
James Tynion IV
Artist
Martin Simmonds
Cover A
Martin Simmonds
Cover B
Jenna Cha
Cover C
Martin Simmonds

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