slider9499's review against another edition
2.0
Cool artwork, but the story wasn't anything like I was expecting
spiffysarahruby's review against another edition
5.0
Dang! It took a bit for my brain to catch up with the chaotic artwork but I eventually got used to it. I LOVE this twisted story and can't wait for Vol. 2.
anita_mv's review against another edition
3.0
Había leído cosas muy buenas de esta novela gráfica y esas expectativas no han estado a la altura.
La historia es interesante, me gusta el concepto de El departamento de la verdad, algo bastante real con las fake news, las teorías conspiranoicas, pero quizá tendré que esperar a los siguientes volúmenes para dar una mejora opinión.
La historia es interesante, me gusta el concepto de El departamento de la verdad, algo bastante real con las fake news, las teorías conspiranoicas, pero quizá tendré que esperar a los siguientes volúmenes para dar una mejora opinión.
ana_mv's review against another edition
3.0
Había leído cosas muy buenas de esta novela gráfica y esas expectativas no han estado a la altura.
La historia es interesante, me gusta el concepto de El departamento de la verdad, algo bastante real con las fake news, las teorías conspiranoicas, pero quizá tendré que esperar a los siguientes volúmenes para dar una mejora opinión.
La historia es interesante, me gusta el concepto de El departamento de la verdad, algo bastante real con las fake news, las teorías conspiranoicas, pero quizá tendré que esperar a los siguientes volúmenes para dar una mejora opinión.
mistresstaserblade's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
mermaidsherbet's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Violence, Blood, Death, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Child death, Cursing, Gaslighting, Murder, Racism, Stalking, Xenophobia, and Vomit
jonwesleyhuff's review against another edition
5.0
I was excited when the X-Files returned for new seasons, because there seemed to be so much potential in exploring our strange times through its lens. No matter how successful one might find those new seasons, I think it’d be hard to argue that it got the chance to really explore the full potential of our world. The dizzying conspiracy theories and the erosion of the very concept of truth.
That’s where this book comes in. Feeling like a spiritual successor to The X-Files while also being very much its own thing. The central premise is fascinating, and the writer wastes no time exploring the possibilities of it and how it would effect people. Once you feel like you have a feel for the landscape it twists. There are times the timeliness of this book can almost make for uncomfortable reading. But the moody, evocative art and story are irresistible and kept me plunging forward.
That’s where this book comes in. Feeling like a spiritual successor to The X-Files while also being very much its own thing. The central premise is fascinating, and the writer wastes no time exploring the possibilities of it and how it would effect people. Once you feel like you have a feel for the landscape it twists. There are times the timeliness of this book can almost make for uncomfortable reading. But the moody, evocative art and story are irresistible and kept me plunging forward.
jbmorgan86's review against another edition
3.0
Imagine if the earth was flat, the moon landing was faked, the CIA killed JFK, aliens are in Area 51, the Satanic panic of the 80s was real, 9/11 was inside job, Pizzagate was real, and everything QAnon said was true . . . That’s the narrative world of this graphic novel. Only, these conspiracy theories are true simply because enough people believe they are true and the theories manifest themselves into reality.
Confused yet?
Oh yeah, and there are two organizations responsible for controlling the reality of these theories: The Department of Truth (lead by an elderly Lee Harvey Oswald) and the shadowy Black Hat. The two of these organizations are somehow competing against each other, but it’s not clear how.
The reader experiences this bizarre horror/science fiction world through the eyes of Cole, a teacher of conspiracy theories who is being pursued by both organizations.
All of this makes for an intriguing concept, but it seemed poorly executed. I was confused throughout the whole thing. The book raised more questions than answers (maybe those will be answered in subsequent publications?). There’s not much narrative but there is a ton of expiation. The art is as creepy and confusing as the writing.
Confused yet?
Oh yeah, and there are two organizations responsible for controlling the reality of these theories: The Department of Truth (lead by an elderly Lee Harvey Oswald) and the shadowy Black Hat. The two of these organizations are somehow competing against each other, but it’s not clear how.
The reader experiences this bizarre horror/science fiction world through the eyes of Cole, a teacher of conspiracy theories who is being pursued by both organizations.
All of this makes for an intriguing concept, but it seemed poorly executed. I was confused throughout the whole thing. The book raised more questions than answers (maybe those will be answered in subsequent publications?). There’s not much narrative but there is a ton of expiation. The art is as creepy and confusing as the writing.
tarynmyheart's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
myqz's review against another edition
4.0
Tynion has taken a giant leap forward as a writer and creator here- creating what may be my favorite comic on the shelves right now, and my favorite conspiracy comic since Mind MGMT. The full weight that conspiracy holds in the lives of its believers is shown here without forgiving anyone of the harm they leave in their wake.
Perception shapes reality. Seeing pockets of demented reality burst forth from conservative corners of the internet into the mainstream is one of the scariest things about being alive right now, as these bigots are shaping our reality in real time. But of course, you can always look deeper, at media empires and billionaires who play with QAnon/NWO bs to shape reality in progressively more direct and opaque ways that suit their ends- power, money, and influence all shape perception. Tynion takes this and runs, rarely stopping to explain, just giving vignettes with a slowly emerging central storyline. Issue three “False Flag,” is a stunning vision for what I hope this series continues to grow into- centered on the mother of a Sandy Hook casualty, and displaying the human toll that these conspiracies take. Tynion has studied up on the subjects, and the grace with which he simply outlines and weaves multiple conspiracies into one narrative with is pretty impressive. I’m skeptical that the central storyline can hold up to the premise of his story, but this is an incredible first arc.
Unfortunately, the art does very little for me- it has a overly (digitally) textured look that recalls Sienkiewicz, McKean, and (more recently) Sorrentino’s work with Lemire, but often feels cold and sterile here. There are panels I loved this approach with, but rarely pages, and never whole issues.
Perception shapes reality. Seeing pockets of demented reality burst forth from conservative corners of the internet into the mainstream is one of the scariest things about being alive right now, as these bigots are shaping our reality in real time. But of course, you can always look deeper, at media empires and billionaires who play with QAnon/NWO bs to shape reality in progressively more direct and opaque ways that suit their ends- power, money, and influence all shape perception. Tynion takes this and runs, rarely stopping to explain, just giving vignettes with a slowly emerging central storyline. Issue three “False Flag,” is a stunning vision for what I hope this series continues to grow into- centered on the mother of a Sandy Hook casualty, and displaying the human toll that these conspiracies take. Tynion has studied up on the subjects, and the grace with which he simply outlines and weaves multiple conspiracies into one narrative with is pretty impressive. I’m skeptical that the central storyline can hold up to the premise of his story, but this is an incredible first arc.
Unfortunately, the art does very little for me- it has a overly (digitally) textured look that recalls Sienkiewicz, McKean, and (more recently) Sorrentino’s work with Lemire, but often feels cold and sterile here. There are panels I loved this approach with, but rarely pages, and never whole issues.