A Thing Called Truth #1 Comic Review

A comic that starts with a car chase, the protagonists caught in the pangs of anxiety, cursing ‘shit! shit! shit!’? Sounds like an interesting ride already, and that’s just how ‘A Thing Called Truth’ by Iolanda Zanfardino and Elisa Romboli begins. Right from the first panel, there’s a lot of action going on and it’s a melange of colors.

I’ve read and reviewed ‘Alice In Leatherland’, a fun LGBTQ+ comics series created by the same duo and the complete change in tone and palette was an interesting surprise. Artist Elisa doesn’t hold back on the color palette with this new work, but there’s a noticeable shade that dominates certain sections of the comic, but it keeps changing, along with the mood of the plot.

So let’s get to the plot – since this is just the first issue, all we know is that the protagonist is called Doctor Magdalene Traumer, who is on the verge of big breakthrough. Magdalene has developed some sort of life-saving device that will, in her words – ‘SAVE THE WORLD’. She has dedicated her life to this device, even courting divorce with a partner, because who has time for saving a relationship when they can save the entire world? But just a day after her breakthrough, she is fired, denied access to her lab and lifelong work. And to make things worse, she wakes up drunk, with a stranger driving her car in a different continent!

While the whole ‘save the world’ theme sounds a little predictable, author Iolanda keeps things fun by focusing more on Magdalene’s life outside her lab. So we get a brief glimpse into her past relationships, her work ethics and whether she can hold her drink.

With just 22 pages to boot in the first issue, readers get a playful take on a workaholic doctor/genius’ life. Complimenting all of this is the vivid & vibrant artwork by Romboli, which exudes a glossy joy through the pages. Need to read the next few issues soon, to understand just where all this is going!

It’s supposed to be ‘chaotic lgbtq+ road trip’ and is a 4/5 from me.