Department of Truth #1C, Declan Shalvey 1:10 Variant, Image '20

1st issue of The Department of Truth and the first appearance of Cole Turner. Declan Shalvey 1:10 incentive ratio variant cover.

The Department of Truth #1 is the debut issue of James Tynion IV and Martin Simmonds' ongoing series for Image Comics, released September 30, 2020. The story follows Cole Turner, a government operative who discovers that conspiracy theories are not mere fictions but forces that become real through collective belief, and that a shadowy agency called the Department of Truth exists to manage that reality. Tynion IV arrived at Image off the back of high-profile DC work, and this series marked a significant creative pivot into original horror and paranoia territory.

This is Cover C, the Declan Shalvey 1:10 incentive ratio variant. Shalvey, known for his kinetic and atmospheric cover work across Marvel and Image titles, brings a distinct graphic sensibility to his take on the series' conspiratorial tone. As a 1:10 incentive, this cover was available only to retailers ordering ten copies of the issue, making it a lower-volume print compared to the standard covers. The interior art by Martin Simmonds, rendered with a painterly, collage-influenced style, was widely noted as one of the more visually distinctive debuts of that publishing year.

Issue #1 of The Department of Truth was a significant launch for Image, selling out its initial print run and going through multiple subsequent printings. This copy is the original first printing of the Declan Shalvey variant, not one of the later reprints.