The Department of Truth #1 — Sixth Printing | Martin Simmonds Cover | Image Comics (2021)

The Department of Truth #1 — Sixth Printing is the acclaimed first issue of the conspiracy-driven mystery series created by writer James Tynion IV and artist Martin Simmonds, published by Image Comics.

The story introduces Cole Turner, an FBI agent and lifelong student of conspiracy theories who discovers that the unbelievable stories surrounding events such as the JFK assassination, the Flat Earth theory, and reptilian shapeshifters may actually contain terrifying truths. Behind these theories lies a secret organization known as the Department of Truth, an organization that has worked for generations to control what the public believes to be reality.

This striking sixth-printing cover by Martin Simmonds uses a distressed collage-like visual style dominated by black, white, gray, and intense red tones. The fragmented imagery, distorted typography, silhouettes, and layered textures create an unsettling atmosphere that perfectly complements the series' themes of conspiracy, paranoia, hidden organizations, and the blurred boundary between truth and belief.

The Department of Truth #1 originally launched in September 2020 and became a major sales success, eventually receiving multiple reprints. Image Comics announced this sixth printing as the sixth and final printing after the debut issue repeatedly sold out at the distributor level.