The Man Who Effed Up Time #4 Review
Writer: John Layman
Artist: Karl Mostert
Colours: Dee Cunniffe with Mark Dale
Letters: John Layman
We’re carrying on the insane time travel story with the fourth issue of The Man Who Effed Up Time, with this penultimate issue beginning to fill in the gaps in the story and explaining some of the mysteries, with the issues ending promising answers in next months concluding issue. This issue unfortunately doesn’t live up to the higher standards set in previous issues, watching Sean come to conclusions which the reader already had earlier on in the series felt a little dragged out, and while the mysteries aren’t all solved the answers feel glaringly obvious. If anything this issue sets out to lay all the mysteries bare, without giving us any concrete answers. It feels a little too much like the readers being taken by the hand here rather than being intelligent enough to draw their own conclusions. Perhaps if this issue, and the finale issue, had been wrapped up in one comic it would have made for a better read.
Not only that, but until now the timeline being messed around with has made for a fun, albeit bonkers, read. With this issue some of the insanity feels stretched a little too far and a little of the fun has worn off. It’s definitely overstayed its welcome a little which is a shame, an issue or so less and the series would have come across as an insane and fun look at the timelines being messed with. Perhaps because five issues is a good length for a trade, and four a little short, we’ve been given a series with one too many issues.
The art from Karl Mostert has been great throughout the series, he’s risen to the challenge of combining elements from throughout history admirably, and here he is given his most difficult world to imagine yet. Everything that Layman has thrown at him has been brought to life in a believable, in not mad, way. There is a scene in this issue when Sean is putting together all the pieces which have been in front of him all along and Mostert brilliantly captures Sean’s thought process, then moment of realisation well. The colours from Dee Cunniffe & Mark Dale are likewise really well done, just as challenging as the art is the colours to bring this nuts combinations of time periods together and they are well done throughout.
The penultimate issue in an otherwise fun and engaging series is beginning to outstay its welcome. Questions which have been apparent to the reader from near the start of the series are only just occurring to Sean, which takes away a little of the shock factor and instead leaves it feel a bit predictable and unexciting. The art and colours are a visual treat, and here the art team faces its hardest challenge yet.
Artist: Karl Mostert
Colours: Dee Cunniffe with Mark Dale
Letters: John Layman
We’re carrying on the insane time travel story with the fourth issue of The Man Who Effed Up Time, with this penultimate issue beginning to fill in the gaps in the story and explaining some of the mysteries, with the issues ending promising answers in next months concluding issue. This issue unfortunately doesn’t live up to the higher standards set in previous issues, watching Sean come to conclusions which the reader already had earlier on in the series felt a little dragged out, and while the mysteries aren’t all solved the answers feel glaringly obvious. If anything this issue sets out to lay all the mysteries bare, without giving us any concrete answers. It feels a little too much like the readers being taken by the hand here rather than being intelligent enough to draw their own conclusions. Perhaps if this issue, and the finale issue, had been wrapped up in one comic it would have made for a better read.
Not only that, but until now the timeline being messed around with has made for a fun, albeit bonkers, read. With this issue some of the insanity feels stretched a little too far and a little of the fun has worn off. It’s definitely overstayed its welcome a little which is a shame, an issue or so less and the series would have come across as an insane and fun look at the timelines being messed with. Perhaps because five issues is a good length for a trade, and four a little short, we’ve been given a series with one too many issues.
The art from Karl Mostert has been great throughout the series, he’s risen to the challenge of combining elements from throughout history admirably, and here he is given his most difficult world to imagine yet. Everything that Layman has thrown at him has been brought to life in a believable, in not mad, way. There is a scene in this issue when Sean is putting together all the pieces which have been in front of him all along and Mostert brilliantly captures Sean’s thought process, then moment of realisation well. The colours from Dee Cunniffe & Mark Dale are likewise really well done, just as challenging as the art is the colours to bring this nuts combinations of time periods together and they are well done throughout.
The penultimate issue in an otherwise fun and engaging series is beginning to outstay its welcome. Questions which have been apparent to the reader from near the start of the series are only just occurring to Sean, which takes away a little of the shock factor and instead leaves it feel a bit predictable and unexciting. The art and colours are a visual treat, and here the art team faces its hardest challenge yet.
A Look Inside
