REVIEW: ‘A Thing Called Truth,’ Issue #2

A Thing Called Truth #2 is published by Image Comics, written by Iolanda Zanfardino, with art by Elisa Romboli. After losing her research and her job, a drunken Dr. Traumer crashed in the backseat of her car, only to awaken to find it had been stolen. Now, she struggles to wrap her sizable brain around the bizarre set of circumstances she finds herself in.

This issue opens with an introduction to Traumer’s accidental kidnapper, Dorian Wildfang. Despite the unfortunate initial circumstances that brought her into Traumer’s life, I couldn’t help but love Dorian from the first page of her background. The reader sees a woman that has more than enough reasons to be far more miserable than her cheery disposition will allow. The opening scene with her brother Faust is all the best aspects of sibling affection.

This wonderfully endearing introduction quickly spirals as tragedy strikes the woman’s life. Zanfardino writes this sequence with brutal realism. From Dorian’s struggles to the clinically cold speech of the doctors, the whole scene feels terrifyingly real in a chillingly mundane way. But they say the night is always darkest just before dawn. And as Dorian comes to terms with her changing world, she discovers something that sets her off on a new path in her life. She’s going on an adventure!

After this sizable introduction to Dorian, A Thing Called Truth #2 catches up with her and the doctor as they travel towards the Eternal City, Rome. The two play off of each other in a classic odd couple style. With Traumer understandably upset about the situation, while Dorian’s reinforced sense of chill always lets Traumer’s stress roll off her back, the two banter back and forth in an incredibly entertaining way. While the witty banter of our two protagonists steals the show in this issue, my favorite aspect of Zanfardino’s writing here is much more subtle.

The biggest problem I usually have with story setups like this is that they generally lack any level of believability. That someone would choose to stay with someone who accidentally kidnapped them while stealing their car sounds pretty ridiculous on the surface. But between the precise moment that this random event has occurred in Traumer’s life and how the writer delivers Dorian’s personality throughout A Thing Called Truth #2, I can’t say in similar circumstances I wouldn’t agree to the situation too.

The art throughout this book delivers the shifting tones of the narrative wonderfully. Romboli captures the isolation that Dorian feels after her life-changing event with skill. The art depicts the feelings Dorian struggles with through virtually every tool at its disposal. POV, color choice, framing, and the emotions of the character herself build out the moment, so it lands with brutal force.

Balancing the low point of the story’s emotional spectrum, Romboli pushes the brighter moments just as hard. From the opening pages of Dorian with her brother to the frantic energy of the car ride, the art lets the brightest moments of the story shine so much that I couldn’t help but smile at them.

The final element of A Thing Called Truth #2 presentation is the lettering. While the lettering does a great job of laying the story out clearly, I would’ve liked to see it lean into the energy of some of the story’s louder moments. But, again, it’s never bad or detrimental to the story; I just think it could’ve done more to enhance the story than simply deliver it.

When all is said and done, A Thing Called Truth #2 delivers a fantastic follow-up story. To weave so much emotion and fun into its story while keeping all its various elements feeling balanced and equally important is an impressive feat of storytelling. And one I cannot recommend enough.

A Thing Called Truth #2 is available now wherever comics are sold.