Review: ‘The Man Who F#&%ed Up Time’ #5 Offers Up Thrills, Spills And A Suitably Happy Ending

Throughout this time-twisting sci-fi series there has been some consistency even with our hero, Sean Bennett, f#&%ing up time, and one such reoccurring image has been that of Abraham Lincoln. So it makes some kind of sense (as much as time-travel can even make sense)  that he would be a factor in getting the timeline back on track again. But, it still makes for a confusing opening to this concluding issue, so thankfully Sean, and writer John Layman, dial it back a bit and give readers the lowdown. And, before we know it, we’re witnessing the unravelling of a “whodunit” as we return back to where it all began, in the labs of Fine Tomorrow and the initial testing of the time-machine. Seems like Sean wasn’t the first person to f#&% with time. Seems, in this book, there’s a lot of time-f#&%ers.

I have seen Karl Mostert develop as an artist across the run of this five issue mini-series, and witnessed him develop into a formidable talent. And, in this issue, he gets one more chance to shine and stretch those art muscles across the fabric of time itself, illustrating widescreen scenes from the past and future as Sean finally realises what he must do to fix time; go back to the future. Dee Cunliffe’s added colour art maintains the light-hearted tone t proceedings too, reminding readers that this may have peril, but its not a grimy and gritty time-travelling tale either.
Looking back at this fun, frothy and fantastic sci-fi yarn as a whole; it’s a really feel-good kind of goofball comedy that plays with the tried and tested tropes of this sub-genres of sci-fi while offering up a hero of circumstances that many readers will be able to relate to.
Layman does a mean line in underdog characters, and Sean Bennet is no different. We want him to succeed after everything he’s been through, and Layman certainly delivers a finale that will leave readers happily satisfied. He’s had far too much bad luck across the course of this comic book caper through time, and I’d be surprised if the reader wasn’t rooting for him too. I know I was, and even if the ending goes all Hollywood, it’s the ending that Sean deserves. And, what’s sp wrong in that anyway? A happy ending for a would-be loser in life who finds his true self. 
All in all, a real feel-good sci-fi story and another genre Layman can cross off his list of genres to parody reverentially. 
The Man Who F#&%ed Up Time #5 is available now from AfterShock Comics.
Rating: 9/10