Image Comics and September 2020 Solicitations Spoilers follows.
DC Comics’ Batman: The Joker War Writer Unveils New Creator Owned Series Department Of Truth! Solicitation and covers for writers James Tynion IV’s new series below.
- Department of Truth #1
(W) James TynionIV (A/CA) Martin Simmonds (CA) Jenny Frison
SERIES PREMIERE! Cole Turner has studied conspiracy theories all his life, but he isn’t prepared for what happens when he discovers that all of them are true, from the JFK assassination to flat Earth theory and reptilian shapeshifters. One organization has been covering them up for generations. What is the deep, dark secret behind the Department of Truth? Bestselling writer JAMES TYNION IV (Batman, Something is Killing the Children) debuts his first Image ONGOING SERIES alongside breakout artist MARTIN SIMMONDS (Dying is Easy)!
In Shops: Sep 30, 2020
SRP: $3.99
EW covers the launch and Tynion IV describes the series as follows:
- This is PROJECT DALLAS, which I once erroneously referred to as PROJECT OSWALD for what should now be fairly obvious reasons. DEPARTMENT OF TRUTH is a story about conspiracy theories. It is the story of a young man named Cole Turner recruited into a shadowy organization within the United States government that makes sure that conspiracy theories stay conspiracy theories, a job that will push him to his own limits as he grapples with the nature of truth, history, the human condition, and the American dream. It is a conspiracy thriller, told with a horror edge.
The first issue will be oversized, with 32 pages of comic content. There are preview pages at the EW link, but here’s a little taste of the gorgeous Martin Simmonds work you’ll find inside. Every issue will build on the last, but is meant to be read standalone as well. Each will highlight a different conspiracy theory. The first issue deals with Flat Earth Theory. The second with the Satanic Panic of the 80s. The third deals with False Flag conspiracy theories. I’ve got big plans for a lot of conspiracies, from UFOs and Chemtrails, to Reptillians and Atlantis, and obviously, the assassination of JFK. I’ve done more research for this book than any I’ve written in my career. The books I’ve bought, and the podcasts I’ve listened to have almost certainly put me on a dozen government lists, and I’m sure I’ll be on the rest of them by the time the series is done.
It is written by me, with art by the phenomenal Martin Simmonds, letters by the amazing Aditya Bidikar, and design by the magnificent Dylan Todd. It is edited by the incredible Steve Foxe. Martin is doing physical media collage covers for the issues, and the covers are just staggering works of art… There’s a whole fun history to the first cover that I’ll dig into as we get closer to the book. I want to spoil it all now, but I guess I can be “patient.” We also have a Cover B by Jenny Frison that I am absolutely in love with. It features a mysterious character from the series known only as “The Fictional Woman.” I know people went crazy over Jenny’s variant for Something is Killing the Children #1, so be sure to grab this one while you can.
Creator owned books take a long time to get up off the ground. I pitched the book for the first time almost exactly three years ago… Almost 9 months before I started talking about Something Is Killing The Children or Wynd with Boom! Studios. This was project that I knew I wanted more control over, and that I wanted full ownership with my co-creator. The pitch document is labeled June 29th, 2017. I approached Martin to draw the book in fall 2018. I started to write the first script while attending Dallas FanExpo in spring 2019, after visiting Deeley Plaza for the first time in person. It’s the most rigorously outlined book I’ve worked on in a minute. The series bible I sent Martin almost two years ago was 15 pages long. Which isn’t to say I won’t go off-path, but I have a plan and something I very much want to say with this project, when it’s all said and done, and I want to say that as intricately as I can.
The book is an ongoing title. There is an ending point in mind, but there’s a lot of room in this world for story, and I’m eager to spend a lot of time playing in it. We’re also determined to get an issue in your hands every month, without gap months. I’ll talk more about how we’re planning on doing that, but I want retailers to know that if you get people hooked on the title, you’ll have something regular in hand. I realize I am cursing myself and collaborators by making that promise publicly, but as long as you support the book, and we have story to tell, you’ll have a monthly issue in hand. And maybe MORE than just an issue…
I just put an order in on a set of 100 pins, featuring the in-universe logo of the Department of Truth (as designed by Dylan Todd). If you personally want a pin, it will cost you $10. If you’re a retailer, and want to buy in bulk orders, it’ll cost you a bit less. This is all lo-fi with no store front, so be patient with me. If there’s a big demand, I’ll put in a second run of pins! But look at the mock-up! They’re super rad! I’m not going to start promoting them on Twitter until I have them in hand, so this is your chance to wipe out my inventory early. I DARE YOU! Email DepartmentOfTruthComic@gmail.com with an order request, and I’ll do my best to get back to you in some kind of orderly fashion. (Note: I won’t be receiving the pins for another couple of weeks at the earliest, so this would go in the mail some time in July).
Ahhh, it feels good to have this all out in the open. I’ve been watching some of the most beautiful interior art I’ve ever seen come into my mailbox for months, desperate to talk about all of it. The opening pages of Issue #2 are so beautiful, I wish I could just share them now, but I guess it’s fair to parcel out content. Covid made me worried we might have to push it to launch in 2021, but thankfully, after discussing with Eric Stephenson at Image, we found the right place in the calendar and set a date.
Department of Truth #1 will be in stores on September 30th. I am so freaking excited for you all to read it.
Intrigued?
