The haunting conspiracy series Department of Truth, from the iconic James Tynion IV (The Nice House on the Lake, Something Is Killing The Children) and Martin Simmonds (Punks Not Dead, Dying Is Easy), has become one of the most successful and acclaimed thriller comics in history.
It is finally celebrating its 5th anniversary at Emerald City Comic Con 2025, with a panel featuring Tynion IV and Simmonds diving deep into the best-selling series. The gorgeous comic features a secret government organization in charge of covering up mind-bending conspiracy theories like Flat Earth and Bigfoot. In this world, collective human belief (o,r as Tynion IV puts it, “Consensus-Based Reality”) turns conspiracies and cryptids into real, and only the Department of Truth can stop the world from falling apart.
When Department of Truth debuted five years ago, Tynion IV only planned on the comic being a 15-issue limited series. The prolific horror writer quickly realized that the world of the Department of Truth was larger than he imagined, transforming the book into an ongoing series that had just debuted its 28th issue.
I was lucky enough to meet series artist Martin Simmonds at ECCC’s Artist Alley, and wow, his art is truly breathtaking. The covers and interiors for Department are deranged and beautiful, and what is most impressive is that Simmonds uses multimedia, making every page of the series seem like something that should hang in a Museum of Modern Art. Simmonds spoke about how classic Vertigo comics inspired his art and that he got the job because Tynion IV wanted the art in the comic to look like a “photocopy of a photocopy” that one would find in the corner of a vintage bookstore.
Speaking on his inspiration for Department of Truth, Tynion IV reflected on the 2016 US Election and how he began to research the “mainstreamification” of fringe beliefs across the country. Tynion IV wanted to explore this new reality America was living in, focusing on how much the country loves a Showman and a Grifter.
He has continued to research and dive deep into both real and fake conspiracy theories throughout the series’ publication because the creators decided they did not want to make up conspiracy theories that didn’t already exist.
The creators also discussed how the core of Department is a “human story,” focusing on protagonist Cole Turner, even though the series also includes incredible world-building as Cole “falls down the rabbit hole.” Cole’s personal life, his experience as a key part of the 1980s Satanic Panic and the tension he has with his partner, remains a central part of the of series years later, and Tynion IV says upcoming issues will bring many of Cole’s personal tensions to a tipping point.
Tynion IV referenced that much of this conspiracy theory talk can be summarized by a quote Agent K says to Agent J before he joins the Men in Black:
“A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it. Fifteen hundred years ago everybody knew the Earth was the center of the universe. Five hundred years ago, everybody knew the Earth was flat, and fifteen minutes ago, you knew that humans were alone on this planet. Imagine what you’ll know tomorrow.”
One of Tynion IV’s favorite issues of Department is one where a main character gets kidnapped by the villainous organization Black Hat, speaking on how much of the series is meant to “throw you off balance, bombard you, and then bring you back down to Earth.” Simmonds’ approach to his artwork in the series is meant to feel like a “found footage” film that will “keep you on your toes” while visualizing every page.
Tynion says that “the story that started with Cole Turner in issue 1 has always had an ending,” reporting that their current vision is that the series will end at issue 50. However, he also said that there is a possibility he and Simmonds create other comics in the Department of Truth universe, like one set decades ago when the Department was first founded! They also revealed Department of Truth #0, coming out in September, and described as the “evil version of Issue #1,” published in celebration of the 5th anniversary.
Personally, I hope that the Department of Truth never ends because its possibilities are truly limitless.
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