The Department of Truth #7 is published by Image Comics, written by Tynion IV, art by Tyler Boss, colors by Roman Titov, and letters by Aditya Bidikar. Following the lead of the last issue, we are once more brought to the past to learn more about Oswald and his early days at the Department as we witness his first meeting with Doc Hynes. And learn what Doc knows about the notorious men in black.
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I suppose in hindsight, it was only a matter of time before The Department of Truth addressed one of the most prominent conspiracy theories of all time. After all, how many conspiracies get their own successful movie franchise? But while Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones are what most of us picture when we think of the infamous MiB, Tynion’s version is much more sinister.
The Department of Truth #7 feels almost like a small anthology book. As Doc Hynes explains to Oswald his history with researching UFOs and the people he believes are trying to keep their existence from the public eye, Tynion does his best to deliver these archetypal stories in a way that allows them a solid punch. And he mostly succeeds.
While the bulk of these stories will feel familiar to anyone who has heard the theories about the shadowy group that suppressed information about the extraterrestrial, Tynion gives enough specific details and odd points to make them feel like more than just rehashed techno ghost stories.
While the bulk of The Department of Truth #7 is devoted to these stories, there are also some interesting tidbits dropped concerning the nature of the world, and specifically why so many instances related to The Truth have started occurring recently. Tynion’s explanations for these events make a lot of sense.
The art in this issue does a great job of adapting once more to its new time and place. Artist Boss captures the vintage feeling of this story perfectly. And they double down on capturing classic print feelings, even more, when Hynes tells his stories from decades ago. The pages become simplified and take on a greater antique look to them.
The old school appearance is further added by Titov’s simple yet effective colorwork. The color palettes are utilized to give the feeling of old newsreels and old browning paper news stories. It is extremely effective in creating the illusion The Department of Truth #7 is going for.
The final piece of this classic presentation comes from Bidikar’s lettering. The lettering provides the final touch to the book’s overriding aesthetic, from the borderless dialogue bubbles to the slightly less clean line selection.
When all is said and done, The Department of Truth #7 manages to dive into a well-worn topic and still feel like a fresh take on the concepts it presents. This series continues to surprise with how adeptly it manages to reforge its visuals, as well as storytelling to fit whatever the new month’s concept is.
The Department of Truth #7 is available now wherever comics are sold.
The Department of Truth #7
TL;DR
The Department of Truth #7 manages to dive into a well-worn topic and still feel like a fresh take on the concepts it presents. This series continues to surprise with how adeptly it manages to reforge its visuals, as well as storytelling to fit whatever the new month’s concept is.
