When it comes to The Department of Truth, there’s always something different, but the curveball of the latest story arc certainly takes the cake. It’s not a monster or a new conspiracy theory, but a readjustment of what truth stands for. In the latest issue, Cole’s hideaway gets filled with old friends, as a team starts to form for what comes next.
The Department of Truth #35 opens with Cole feeding the Star-Faced Man. Picking up from the last issue, it’s a striking full-page splash opening, as Martin Simmonds draws the monster like some kind of insect with its overly large face and closed eyes in a sickly blue hue. The opening rings as a kind of change of perspective, with the once main villain of Cole now some kind of captured pet.
From there, the motley crew that showed up at Cole’s house is gearing up for what comes next. In a key scene later in the issue, they discuss what they stand for in a world where the Department of Truth works for a government hellbent on leading with lies. An obviously close-to-home sort of subject given the state of American politics, by the end of the issue, Cole and his new team – complete with an apt name – give the reader a sense of hope. In the dark, when the power of America is so tainted and backwards, maybe there are cells willing to fight their power.
Striking first page.
Credit: Image
Intercut with the scenes with Cole and his crew is Lee Harvey Oswald’s big meeting with Black Hat. Woven into their meetup is the Georgia Guidestones and the conspiracy surrounding it. It’s a nice return to form for the series, which is always good for a conspiracy deep dive while weaving it into its own narrative.
Simmonds’ art is excellent throughout, with some visionary work sprinkled throughout. From the opening already mentioned to Black Hat going full demon in his convo with Oswald, there’s a lot of striking, horror-filled visuals here. And yet, it’s mostly just people talking! The weirdness of Cole’s team is on full display here and there, like the tin-foil hat guy who has a cosmic burst splitting out his hat at one point.
Of course, a bunch of folks talking, one side good and one side bad, is not the most compelling of stories. There’s no action, and outside of the opening page, no monsters or dangerous moments. This is very much a table-setting issue, with the good guys getting their ducks in a row as they prepare their side, and the Department of Truth trying to gain an edge in the darkest way possible. It’s all-important seeding for what is to come, but it’s also a transitional chapter.
Continued here is the Elvis backup by Scott Snyder and Joshua Hixson. After the Russian attack of the last issue, it’s time to bring in the big dogs at the Department. At least, that’s what Lee Harvey Oswald thinks, but the agent on the case does the right thing. The ending could pretty easily be predicted, though it’s a nice sentiment from Snyder on his love of the King.
The Department of Truth #35 is a deliberately quiet but thematically loaded chapter that reorients the series toward what comes next. James Tynion IV uses conversation and ideology as his weapons here, asking hard questions about power, belief, and resistance in a world built on lies, while Martin Simmonds ensures the unease never dissipates, even when nothing “happens.” It’s not a fireworks issue, but it’s a necessary recalibration, one that gives the series renewed purpose and a flicker of hope amid its usual dread.
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