A couple of years ago, I reviewed the first issue of a time travel comic called The Infinite Loop. Then, unfortunately, I missed the opportunity to review the rest of the story arc. But I liked the first issue enough that, even though I wasn’t reviewing it, I still kept up with the comic on my own. It was a beautiful blend of existential philosophy, social commentary, pop culture references, and, of course, crazy sci-fi shenanigans.
Now, the comic is starting on its next story arc, Nothing but the Truth, and I’m happy to report that the first issue is possessed of all the aforementioned elements, combined to make another compelling time travel story. Furthermore, the creators have stressed that the new story is entirely standalone, so even if you haven’t read the first Infinite Loop arc, you’ll still be able to enjoy this one.
In fact, you may have a harder time following if you DID read the first one, since a lot has changed in their world since then. Our hero, Teddy, used to be a time agent, finding and eradicating glitches in the timestream called anomalies; however, when some of those anomalies turned out to be living human beings—including one with whom Teddy fell in love—she went rogue and pledged to fight to save them and build a better world.
In this first issue, we join Teddy a few years later. She’s now an underground freedom fighter, working to keep anomalies out of internment camps, while the woman she loved, Ano, is a senator, striving to gain equal rights for anomalies through new legislation. She’s also now Teddy’s ex-wife.
When one of the anomalies that Teddy helped fails to check in, she goes in search of her and discovers a town where everyone is literally addicted to lies. A virtual reality headset allows you to see your past or future and distort them to look however you want them to. This pleasant escape is far preferable to harsh reality, and if left unchecked, leads people to be completely consumed by fantasy.
As with the first arc, the political implications presented are not subtle: a group of people treated as second-class citizens and forced to fight for their rights, while another group of people is fed a constant stream of lies that blind them to what’s really going on in the world. Feel free to draw your own conclusions.
The arc is just getting started, and already there’s plenty to like about this comic. In addition to the political and social commentary, there’s plenty of great sci-fi and time travel adventure to be had, as well as a really compelling story, vivid artwork, and at least a few subtle pop culture references. If you’re a fan of any of those things, you’d do well to pick up the first issue of The Infinite Loop: Nothing but the Truth. For myself, I can’t wait to find out what happens next…
