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Neil Gaiman's The Last Temptation #1-3
The Last Temptation
Neil Gaiman (Sandman, Coraline, American Gods) brings shock rocker Alice Cooper's concept album to life in a surreal sideshow of the soul! Join a young boy named Steven on a surreal journey of the soul, as an enigmatic and potentially dangerous Showman seduces him into joining his carnival. Celebrate the 20th Anniversary of this seminal Gaiman work, returned to print for the first time in over a decade. Fully remastered in color, this Deluxe Edition incorporates complete scripts to all three chapters, black-and-white thumbnail art of pre-colored pages, an original outline of the project by Neil Gaiman, and a collection of letters between shock rocker Alice Cooper and the author! "I'm really happy that The Last Temptation is coming out for a new generation of readers, who have not seen Michael Zulli's glorious drawings, or know of the Showman and his wicked ways," says Neil Gaiman. "I wrote this a long time ago, driven by love of Ray Bradbury's dark carnivals and of Alice Cooper's own pandemonium shadow show. It's time for it to shuffle out onto a leaf-covered street and meet the people who don't know about Stephen and Mercy and show what's coming to town."
168 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1997
70 people are currently reading
5344 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 283 reviews
March 13, 2020
Creepy good time with this fantasy, in which horrific apparitions all turn out to be--how stellar! & retro!--THE Alice! Cooper! Also, the animated corpses are standout, like the ghouls from the now-classic film by George A. Romero "Creepshow."
January 13, 2018
The art here is black and white and it's stunning. Alice Cooper is a character in this story and he made an album in the 90s with this same material. It might be interesting to listen one day.
I love Neil and this is well written but there was something about it that didn't feel as deep or take my breath away as normal. The story had a creep factor and surprises, so it wasn't a bad story. It did it's job. I simply didn't enjoy this as much as I have other stories of Neil. If you are a fan of Neil, then you should read this story.
A group of boys come across a theatre production that noone has heard of and that is there and then gone. There is evil afoot.
I love Neil and this is well written but there was something about it that didn't feel as deep or take my breath away as normal. The story had a creep factor and surprises, so it wasn't a bad story. It did it's job. I simply didn't enjoy this as much as I have other stories of Neil. If you are a fan of Neil, then you should read this story.
A group of boys come across a theatre production that noone has heard of and that is there and then gone. There is evil afoot.
April 4, 2017
Yazar Neil Gaiman, Sandman'in çizerlerinden Michael Zulli ve bir rock efsanesi Alice Cooper. Daha fazla ne demeli bilmiyorum. Tek noksanlığı kısa olması. Fakat eseri basan Marmara Çizgi bunun da önüne geçmiş, Gaiman ve Cooper'ın ilk mailleşmelerine, taslaklara, çizerin düşüncelerine ait baştan sona proje detaylarını metin olarak vermiş. Bence Gaiman, Sandman, rock ya da Cooper'ı seviyorsanız evde bulundurulması gereken bir eser.
August 17, 2020
"Bienvenidos al teatro de lo real, veros aquí es la gloria, y saber que vais a contemplar las pequeñas lecciones que he preparado es un verdadero éxtasis infernal(...)el espectáculo de feria definitivo, perfecta fuga del mundo cotidiano(...) este el el teatro de lo real, y va a deciros como son las cosas de verdad en el mundo donde hay que crecer y ajustar cuentas "
la historia transcurre en vísperas de halloween, en un teatro de feria. Es una historia de trampas y tentaciones,con un argumento faustico donde Alice Cooper es parte del "trato".
Tiene un arte de Michael Zulli que nunca defrauda, mostrando su maestría y versatilidad en los lapices.
la historia surgió como parte de un albun conceptual "The last temptation"en el que Alice Cooper le pidió colaboración a Gaiman.
dicho por el propio autor: No es una historia ni demasiado profunda, ni demasiado ambigua, es una historia para contar alrededor de una hoguera de un campamento.
Una obra para acompañar con el disco sonando de fondo.
* Doy fe que esta obra, con el disco, se combinan perfecto y lo hacen una experiencia muy disfrutable
la historia transcurre en vísperas de halloween, en un teatro de feria. Es una historia de trampas y tentaciones,con un argumento faustico donde Alice Cooper es parte del "trato".
Tiene un arte de Michael Zulli que nunca defrauda, mostrando su maestría y versatilidad en los lapices.
la historia surgió como parte de un albun conceptual "The last temptation"en el que Alice Cooper le pidió colaboración a Gaiman.
dicho por el propio autor: No es una historia ni demasiado profunda, ni demasiado ambigua, es una historia para contar alrededor de una hoguera de un campamento.
Una obra para acompañar con el disco sonando de fondo.
* Doy fe que esta obra, con el disco, se combinan perfecto y lo hacen una experiencia muy disfrutable
May 28, 2017
"All Hallows' Eve. Halloween. The first day of the death of the year. Folk beliefs about this day go back forever.On Halloween, they say, the gates of Hell swing wide, and the dead and the damned ride out from dusk until dawn. On Halloween, they say, the Dark spews out all the nightmares, all the pain, all the death; And the hurt and the hate take shape and form.That's when they can hurt you-- or so they say. On Halloween, Children, and those who are at heart children, celebrate the year's end with colored costumes, with masks and carven faces...His name is Steven, and he could be anyone. He could be you.."
The Last Temptation is the work of Neil Gaiman and Alice Cooper. Having been influenced by Alice Cooper's songs, Mr. Gaiman contacted Alice about a graphic novel. This is that novel.
Beautifully illustrated, we are treated to the story of a young boy named Steven. On a dare, he enters the Grand Guignol-a mysterious theatre where the usher/manager/owner is a character that looks much like Alice Cooper himself (though the character is no where named). What follows is Steven's look into the "Theatre of the Real" and the potential pitfalls that may await him in the future. Once the "show" is done he will be asked to make a choice.
More than that I will not say, as this is an excellent story. It has a Gothic horror feel to it. The gorgeous artwork and Mr. Gaiman's wonderful prose (the lines uttered by the "entity" that is the Alice Cooper lookalike are haunting) merge to create a truly creepy and dark world. How much of this is a dream? How much of this is real? What does the head of the carnival really want? All of these mysteries form the basis for a great story.
If you enjoy a good macabre tale, haunting and prophetic prose-all of it set to a beautiful art style that truly complements this creepy tale of temptation. Highly recommend to anyone who enjoys a good horror tale or just enjoys the work of Mr. Gaiman. Here he is at some of his imaginative finest.
The Last Temptation is the work of Neil Gaiman and Alice Cooper. Having been influenced by Alice Cooper's songs, Mr. Gaiman contacted Alice about a graphic novel. This is that novel.
Beautifully illustrated, we are treated to the story of a young boy named Steven. On a dare, he enters the Grand Guignol-a mysterious theatre where the usher/manager/owner is a character that looks much like Alice Cooper himself (though the character is no where named). What follows is Steven's look into the "Theatre of the Real" and the potential pitfalls that may await him in the future. Once the "show" is done he will be asked to make a choice.
More than that I will not say, as this is an excellent story. It has a Gothic horror feel to it. The gorgeous artwork and Mr. Gaiman's wonderful prose (the lines uttered by the "entity" that is the Alice Cooper lookalike are haunting) merge to create a truly creepy and dark world. How much of this is a dream? How much of this is real? What does the head of the carnival really want? All of these mysteries form the basis for a great story.
If you enjoy a good macabre tale, haunting and prophetic prose-all of it set to a beautiful art style that truly complements this creepy tale of temptation. Highly recommend to anyone who enjoys a good horror tale or just enjoys the work of Mr. Gaiman. Here he is at some of his imaginative finest.
January 12, 2017
A young boy named Steven is lured into the Theater of the Real by a Mysterious Showman who looks a lot like Rock and Roll Icon Alice Cooper. When he enters the theater, he is offered a deal of immortality. Can Steven resist this illusion of a deal? Read on and find out for yourself.
This was a pretty good horror and Ray Bradbury October Country Graphic novel that was written by Neil Gaiman and Alice Cooper for Alice Cooper's Album that is the same name as this graphic novel which Neil Gaiman helped him write the concept for it which is this story. The artwork is great too. Be sure to check this book out at your local library and wherever books are sold.
This was a pretty good horror and Ray Bradbury October Country Graphic novel that was written by Neil Gaiman and Alice Cooper for Alice Cooper's Album that is the same name as this graphic novel which Neil Gaiman helped him write the concept for it which is this story. The artwork is great too. Be sure to check this book out at your local library and wherever books are sold.
August 10, 2015
I've never really been a fan of Alice Cooper, or KISS, or any of those clown acts. Alice and Neil apparently got together to cook up an idea for a concept album (which I should have been playing while reading this, but see above) and graphic novel which has the theme and flavor of much of Gaiman's children's horror work: You're a fearful kid, you need to face those fears. Our hero, a fearful kid, goes to a show for one with Alice Cooper as a main character, and this continuingly scary experience bleeds into his every day life.
The story is largely forgettable, actually, but the art by Michael Zulli is pretty spectacular, and now, in this twentieth year edition, gloriously colored. And when you get Gaiman, you get master artist Dave McKean's covers, which are always amazing. This is a deluxe edition, so you also get letters between Alice and Neil (but see above, eh) and scripts and pre-colored sketches. This is better than the original and a nice package, but eh, read The Graveyard Book or Coraline or The Ocean at the End of the Lane if you want Gaiman kid horror.
The story is largely forgettable, actually, but the art by Michael Zulli is pretty spectacular, and now, in this twentieth year edition, gloriously colored. And when you get Gaiman, you get master artist Dave McKean's covers, which are always amazing. This is a deluxe edition, so you also get letters between Alice and Neil (but see above, eh) and scripts and pre-colored sketches. This is better than the original and a nice package, but eh, read The Graveyard Book or Coraline or The Ocean at the End of the Lane if you want Gaiman kid horror.
December 11, 2012
3.5 Stars
I recently read on someone's blog that it's not good for reviewers to review books without a knowledge of the genre, the author, the series, etc to inform their opinion.
Hrmph.
While I can see why that would be beneficial, on one level at least, I mostly disagree with it overall. I think books can, and should, be judged on their own merit. I think that, if I pick up a book, it needs to stand on its own and not use my previous experience with the author's other books as a crutch. I think that books have a story to tell, and they should just tell it without me needing to know every other story like it before I can form an opinion on it.
I thought of that blog and the ridiculous message it was sending (that opinions of books are only "valid" in certain circumstances) after finishing this little graphic novel.
Why, you ask? Well I shall tell you!
I purchased this book sight unseen based solely on the fact that Neil Gaiman wrote it. I didn't even know it was a graphic novel until I opened it. I read this without having a single clue as to what it was about, because I never read the description. And, I read this entire story thinking that the antagonist looked an awful lot like Alice Cooper, only finding out that it was in fact supposed to resemble Cooper when I read the introduction... last. Well, next to last. I read the book description last.
According to that blogger, all of these things apparently make me a bad reviewer. Not that I really give two shits about what that blogger thinks, but it just made me chuckle thinking about how different people think the act of reading should be done.
I envision that blogger like this:
Anyway... So, yeah. I bought this book a while back knowing nothing about it other than Neil Gaiman wrote it. I guess in this case I meet ONE of the Her Highness The Blogger's decrees: I have read quite a bit of Gaiman's work. Not all of it yet, but enough. So in a way, this was predictable, both for it being a classic rejection of temptation tale, and for Neil Gaiman writing it.
But that's not to say I didn't like it. I have very shifty opinions on when 'predictable' is acceptable, and it mostly was here. I knew where it was going, but not necessarily how it would get there. And that's Neil's gift. The getting there is good.
I liked the little nuances of the story, the shiftiness of it, the "is this all in Steven's head, or...?" feel of the story. I liked the abrupt shift from the everyday to dreamlike surreality and back. I liked quite a bit about this story, even though I'm not usually one for "performance" fiction... Circuses, fairs, carnivals... not my thing. This was pushing the boundary being none of those things, but theater fiction doesn't really do it for me either. So I also liked that that wasn't really the entire focus here.
Definitely worth a read, and yet another proof that Neil Gaiman's pen could explode on paper and it'd be worth reading.
So, the short, bad reviewer version: "I liked it."
I recently read on someone's blog that it's not good for reviewers to review books without a knowledge of the genre, the author, the series, etc to inform their opinion.
Hrmph.
While I can see why that would be beneficial, on one level at least, I mostly disagree with it overall. I think books can, and should, be judged on their own merit. I think that, if I pick up a book, it needs to stand on its own and not use my previous experience with the author's other books as a crutch. I think that books have a story to tell, and they should just tell it without me needing to know every other story like it before I can form an opinion on it.
I thought of that blog and the ridiculous message it was sending (that opinions of books are only "valid" in certain circumstances) after finishing this little graphic novel.
Why, you ask? Well I shall tell you!
I purchased this book sight unseen based solely on the fact that Neil Gaiman wrote it. I didn't even know it was a graphic novel until I opened it. I read this without having a single clue as to what it was about, because I never read the description. And, I read this entire story thinking that the antagonist looked an awful lot like Alice Cooper, only finding out that it was in fact supposed to resemble Cooper when I read the introduction... last. Well, next to last. I read the book description last.
According to that blogger, all of these things apparently make me a bad reviewer. Not that I really give two shits about what that blogger thinks, but it just made me chuckle thinking about how different people think the act of reading should be done.
I envision that blogger like this:
Anyway... So, yeah. I bought this book a while back knowing nothing about it other than Neil Gaiman wrote it. I guess in this case I meet ONE of the Her Highness The Blogger's decrees: I have read quite a bit of Gaiman's work. Not all of it yet, but enough. So in a way, this was predictable, both for it being a classic rejection of temptation tale, and for Neil Gaiman writing it.
But that's not to say I didn't like it. I have very shifty opinions on when 'predictable' is acceptable, and it mostly was here. I knew where it was going, but not necessarily how it would get there. And that's Neil's gift. The getting there is good.
I liked the little nuances of the story, the shiftiness of it, the "is this all in Steven's head, or...?" feel of the story. I liked the abrupt shift from the everyday to dreamlike surreality and back. I liked quite a bit about this story, even though I'm not usually one for "performance" fiction... Circuses, fairs, carnivals... not my thing. This was pushing the boundary being none of those things, but theater fiction doesn't really do it for me either. So I also liked that that wasn't really the entire focus here.
Definitely worth a read, and yet another proof that Neil Gaiman's pen could explode on paper and it'd be worth reading.
So, the short, bad reviewer version: "I liked it."
September 18, 2011
A mysterious theatre and a charismatic showman with an uncanny resemblance to Alice Cooper appear down an alley where before nothing stood, tempting a young boy inside for a show he won't soon forget - warning signs anyone? Not if you're a character in a Neil Gaiman book!
The boy is taken on a roller-coaster ride of strange performances in the theatre and when he escapes to the real world is still dogged by a Krueger-esque Cooper who haunts his dreams and waking life. But why is he doing this? Something to do with his soul - except not. Yeah, I was a bit confused too. Cooper claims to want the boy's "potential" whatever that might mean. Why is never explained. To continue "living"? Who knows. Gaiman and Cooper don't care they're just too enamoured with their Devil and Daniel Webster style story.
And that's what I didn't enjoy about the book, this lack of explanation or credible story. It's just a piece of pantomime that tries to have an emotional centre to it but fails. The only thing I'll say is truly exceptional is Michael Zulli's artwork. If you thought the cover was eye-catching, the splash pages and the two-page strips inside are something else. The black and white inks throughout are detailed and beautifully rendered, bringing the right tones of creepy to Gaiman's mood-driven script.
But maybe it's because of Cooper's involvement that the story is a bit light and maybe there are a number of references to Cooper's songs that I didn't get because I'm not a fan of his?
Buy it for the artwork but don't expect for your brain to be tickled by the simplistic story inside.
The boy is taken on a roller-coaster ride of strange performances in the theatre and when he escapes to the real world is still dogged by a Krueger-esque Cooper who haunts his dreams and waking life. But why is he doing this? Something to do with his soul - except not. Yeah, I was a bit confused too. Cooper claims to want the boy's "potential" whatever that might mean. Why is never explained. To continue "living"? Who knows. Gaiman and Cooper don't care they're just too enamoured with their Devil and Daniel Webster style story.
And that's what I didn't enjoy about the book, this lack of explanation or credible story. It's just a piece of pantomime that tries to have an emotional centre to it but fails. The only thing I'll say is truly exceptional is Michael Zulli's artwork. If you thought the cover was eye-catching, the splash pages and the two-page strips inside are something else. The black and white inks throughout are detailed and beautifully rendered, bringing the right tones of creepy to Gaiman's mood-driven script.
But maybe it's because of Cooper's involvement that the story is a bit light and maybe there are a number of references to Cooper's songs that I didn't get because I'm not a fan of his?
Buy it for the artwork but don't expect for your brain to be tickled by the simplistic story inside.
August 15, 2016
Basically, this follows a boy called Steven who is afraid of essentially everything (ghost stories, growing up and many other things) and who, upon hearing a scary story from one of his friends and making comments how it's gross and so on is called a "chicken" and he is given a dare to prove he is not as much of a scaredy cat as they think he is. He is supposed to go into a theatre that is abandoned and therefore counts as haunted. While he's in there, he meets the Showman, is offered a ticket to the show and takes it and then is shown the show. When he comes out, his friends don't believe him because apparently he was only gone 30 seconds, but afterwards he keeps seeing the Showman who is trying to convince him to join the show in exchange for eternal life, basically, and he is faced with that choice, which is not as easy to make as he first thought it would be, because the performance never ends…
So eerie and creepy. The art was fantastic and I have barely ever read a graphic novel that has gotten this under my skin with its creepiness. If you don't like horror and scary stories, I suggest you stay away from this, but if you like that kind of content, definitely give this one a go, please. I found it absolutely captivating and unique. I haven't really read about a story like that before. It started out on a normal not-very-scary creepy way but it quickly turned really, really dark and I must admit I’m glad I read it in broad daylight and not at night, which had been my first intention :D But I definitely recommend this for fans of Neil Gaiman, obviously, but also to anyone who maybe liked the Locke & Key or Outcast graphic novel series.
So eerie and creepy. The art was fantastic and I have barely ever read a graphic novel that has gotten this under my skin with its creepiness. If you don't like horror and scary stories, I suggest you stay away from this, but if you like that kind of content, definitely give this one a go, please. I found it absolutely captivating and unique. I haven't really read about a story like that before. It started out on a normal not-very-scary creepy way but it quickly turned really, really dark and I must admit I’m glad I read it in broad daylight and not at night, which had been my first intention :D But I definitely recommend this for fans of Neil Gaiman, obviously, but also to anyone who maybe liked the Locke & Key or Outcast graphic novel series.
February 8, 2016
Alice Cooper’ın müziğini ve sahnedeki anlatı sanatını çok seven biri olarak bu kitabı okumaya heyecanla başladım. Hikâyesi 94 yapımı The Last Temptation albümüyle paralel ve birçok yerde bağlantısı var. Konu fazla dallanıp budaklanmıyor. İki ana karakter var. Hikâyedeki esas karakter olan Şovmen ise belki Alice Cooper’ı, belki ona olan hayranlığımızı ve belki de düşlerin tek gerçeklik olduğunu simgeliyor.
Kitabı okurken gerçekten çok fazla zevk aldım. Bundaki en büyük etken ise Michael Zulli’nin eşsiz, yaratıcı, sanatsal ve günah kadar kışkırtıcı çizimleri. Hikâyenin genel seyrini ve akıcılığını ise yeterince beğenmedim. Bunda gerek kimi yerlerin girift şekilde sunulmak yerine yüzeysel olarak anlatılması gerekse de okuyucu tahminleri doğrultusunda hareket etmesi etkili. Böylesine özel bir proje de, anlatımda ve kurguda kimi klişe unsurların olmaması çok daha iyi olurdu.
Kitap 160 sayfa yalnız bunun 100 sayfası hikâyeden oluşuyor. Geri kalan kısımda önsöz, sonsöz, mektup ve kitabın senaryosu yer alıyor. Tüm bu parçaların tek bir kitapta toplanması çok hoş olmuş. Özellikle senaryoyu okuyarak, çizimlerinde bunun dâhilinde nasıl şekillendiğini görmek ise büyük bir ayrıcalık.
Çizimlere 5 yıldız, hikâyeye ise 3 veriyorum. Bütünüyle ise gayet sıkı bir iş olduğunu düşünüyorum.
Kitabı okurken gerçekten çok fazla zevk aldım. Bundaki en büyük etken ise Michael Zulli’nin eşsiz, yaratıcı, sanatsal ve günah kadar kışkırtıcı çizimleri. Hikâyenin genel seyrini ve akıcılığını ise yeterince beğenmedim. Bunda gerek kimi yerlerin girift şekilde sunulmak yerine yüzeysel olarak anlatılması gerekse de okuyucu tahminleri doğrultusunda hareket etmesi etkili. Böylesine özel bir proje de, anlatımda ve kurguda kimi klişe unsurların olmaması çok daha iyi olurdu.
Kitap 160 sayfa yalnız bunun 100 sayfası hikâyeden oluşuyor. Geri kalan kısımda önsöz, sonsöz, mektup ve kitabın senaryosu yer alıyor. Tüm bu parçaların tek bir kitapta toplanması çok hoş olmuş. Özellikle senaryoyu okuyarak, çizimlerinde bunun dâhilinde nasıl şekillendiğini görmek ise büyük bir ayrıcalık.
Çizimlere 5 yıldız, hikâyeye ise 3 veriyorum. Bütünüyle ise gayet sıkı bir iş olduğunu düşünüyorum.
November 12, 2018
Really, I want to rate this 3.5 stars. The art was great and graphic and totally creepy. Definitely for mature audiences, but I’m not sure the content was geared towards the correct age range. There was a moral to the story that seemed like it would be meant for kids, but clearly the art is more for like 14-15 and up. I liked it, but it being Neil Gaiman, I honestly expected more.
February 7, 2016
Gostei muito do traço do artista Michael Zulli.
Quanto à história achei-a boa mas nada de inovador. Aliás deu-me a sensação de já ter visto ou lido algo de semelhante.
Nota positiva para Michael Zulli.
Um grande Meh para Neil Gaiman.
March 8, 2023
Curioso tebeo, con muchos lugares comunes sobre el paso de la infancia a la madurez, los ritos de paso, los peligros del mundo, bellamente ilustrado por Michael Zulli.
September 6, 2021
Part of a multi-media collaboration between Alice Cooper and Neil Gaiman. From the basic outline of the story and continued collaboration, Cooper created an album and Gaiman a three-issue limited series, collected and reprinted here.
Something of a modern Something Wicked This Way Comes, but moved to one Halloween in the 80's. We follow a slightly sensitive pre-teen boy into the nightmare world of The Theater of the Real, whose impresario is the Showman, man of questionable origin modeled after Alice Cooper's stage persona. Perhaps we will follow Steven back out again...
Beautiful, sweeping artwork, but it occasionally fuddles the story. Really good storytelling, with occasional glitches and hiccups that obscure the message.
Something of a modern Something Wicked This Way Comes, but moved to one Halloween in the 80's. We follow a slightly sensitive pre-teen boy into the nightmare world of The Theater of the Real, whose impresario is the Showman, man of questionable origin modeled after Alice Cooper's stage persona. Perhaps we will follow Steven back out again...
Beautiful, sweeping artwork, but it occasionally fuddles the story. Really good storytelling, with occasional glitches and hiccups that obscure the message.
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October 28, 2025Sometimes the books you once loved just... hit a bit different when you learn too much.
This one used to be a 1 star read.
My original review - cause some can separate the art ... but I'm really struggling here.
This one used to be a 1 star read.
My original review - cause some can separate the art ... but I'm really struggling here.
March 21, 2016
I love stories like this and what better combination to create this kind of tale but Neil Gaiman and Alice Cooper! Granted there isn't anything massively new in the story itself but the style of the story and illustrations gives it an extra punch that is lacking in other similar tales, and it has Alice Cooper in it. Okay I'll admit, I am a little biased, but still this is an enjoyable story with a lovely dose of creepiness and fabulous bonus materials showing how the idea came about so if you like Gaiman or Cooper this is for you. If you just want a bit of a scare this is for you too.
December 12, 2017
I read the first and third installments of this comic a million years ago when I was in college, but wasn’t ever able to find the second one. I’m also not 100% certain I knew Neil Gaiman had written them—they caught my eye in a dinky little comic shop in town. So about 15 years later I finally got to read the middle!
I love this story. It’s clever and it has Alice Cooper, whom I believe is a wonderful, gentle person who endearingly loves golf and pastel sweaters as much as rock and roll. It’s a cool twist on an urban legend with an interesting history-of-horror basis.
I love this story. It’s clever and it has Alice Cooper, whom I believe is a wonderful, gentle person who endearingly loves golf and pastel sweaters as much as rock and roll. It’s a cool twist on an urban legend with an interesting history-of-horror basis.
October 14, 2016
L'ultima tentazione è il biglietto dorato che vi darà l'accesso ad uno degli spettacoli più decadenti e graffianti a cui avrete occasione di assistere. Nessuna legge, nessuna morale, solo uno spettacolo che deve continuare.
Consiglio questa lettura in concerto con l'ascolto dell'album omonimo di Alice Cooper; disponibile, tra le altre forme, su Spotify.
Consiglio questa lettura in concerto con l'ascolto dell'album omonimo di Alice Cooper; disponibile, tra le altre forme, su Spotify.
February 23, 2022
I absolutely need to re-read this.
May 3, 2020
perfectooo 🖤
December 15, 2023
A nice, short graphic novel to read during spooky season since it's set on Halloween night. The art was great and so was the concept but something was missing.
June 13, 2015
*ansia*
Neil Gaiman, l'uomo che può tutto. Grazie di condividere questo tutto con noi ♥
Neil Gaiman, l'uomo che può tutto. Grazie di condividere questo tutto con noi ♥
March 1, 2025
Si se combina la lectura con la escucha del disco y se entiende el proceso creativo de Cooper y de Gaiman, estamos ante una obra que puntúa entre un 3.5 y un 4. Si escuchamos solo el album musical o leemos únicamente el cómic, la valoración baja porque se pierden matices. De todas las maneras, es disfrutable y se presenta como una muy buena opción para entrar de lleno en el espíritu de Halloween.
ENGLISH
If you combine reading with listening to the album and understand the creative process of Cooper and Gaiman, we are faced with a work that scores between a 3.5 and a 4. If we listen to only the musical album or read only the comic, the rating drops because nuances are lost. In any case, it is enjoyable and is presented as a very good option to fully get into the Halloween spirit.
ENGLISH
If you combine reading with listening to the album and understand the creative process of Cooper and Gaiman, we are faced with a work that scores between a 3.5 and a 4. If we listen to only the musical album or read only the comic, the rating drops because nuances are lost. In any case, it is enjoyable and is presented as a very good option to fully get into the Halloween spirit.
September 4, 2014
4-4.5/5
Fumetto che esce in una veste celebrativa deluxe del ventennale a firma di Neil Gaiman e Michael Zulli.
L’originale fu pubblicato nel 1994 e faceva parte di un concept album di Alice Cooper, che qui compare come uno dei protagonisti, benché sotto mentite spoglie.
Protagonista della storia è un ragazzo di nome Steven, che motteggiato dagli amici, è tentato da un enigmatico e inquietante uomo di spettacolo enigmatico (Alice Cooper) di unirsi al suo carnevale (Grand Guignol).
La storia è ben costruita e completa ed ha in sé una chiara morale, anzi, in un certo senso è una metafora di un percorso di formazione: il momento della crescita da adolescenti ad adulti, allorché è necessario capire le conseguenze delle proprie azioni e il senso di responsabilità, cosa che significa anche andare oltre il proprio egoismo, per prendersi cura degli altri, saper scegliere consapevolmente.
Tutto questo è arricchito da emozioni come la paura, la tentazione, la seduzione, il desiderio.
L'ispirazione è tratta da diverse fonti eterogenee: spunti teatrali, come appunto il celebre Grand Guignol, un teatro parigino che metteva in scena spettacoli macabri durante i primi anni del ventesimo secolo, la leggenda tedesca di Faust, richiamata quando lo Showman tenta di attrarre Steven con i misteri e le delizie del suo baraccone, fino a Ray Bradbury (Something Wicked This Way Comes, ove un carnevale arriva in città poco prima di Halloween per sedurre la gente del posto con la promessa di piaceri oltre i loro sogni più segreti).
Le tavole grafiche sono molto belle e si abbinano perfettamente alla storia, con i loro colori densi, riquadri spesso cupi. Il tutto dà uno stampo non solo orrorifico, ma quasi onirico alla narrazione, rendendola più accattivante ed emozionante.
Uno stile, inoltre, che ricorda il classico gusto goth di quel tempo, tra immaginario, moda, musica.
Una graphic novel molto bella, che appassiona, forse non il massimo vertice di Gaiman (ma Sandman rimane insuperabile), ma di sicuro una buona prova.
Fumetto che esce in una veste celebrativa deluxe del ventennale a firma di Neil Gaiman e Michael Zulli.
L’originale fu pubblicato nel 1994 e faceva parte di un concept album di Alice Cooper, che qui compare come uno dei protagonisti, benché sotto mentite spoglie.
Protagonista della storia è un ragazzo di nome Steven, che motteggiato dagli amici, è tentato da un enigmatico e inquietante uomo di spettacolo enigmatico (Alice Cooper) di unirsi al suo carnevale (Grand Guignol).
La storia è ben costruita e completa ed ha in sé una chiara morale, anzi, in un certo senso è una metafora di un percorso di formazione: il momento della crescita da adolescenti ad adulti, allorché è necessario capire le conseguenze delle proprie azioni e il senso di responsabilità, cosa che significa anche andare oltre il proprio egoismo, per prendersi cura degli altri, saper scegliere consapevolmente.
Tutto questo è arricchito da emozioni come la paura, la tentazione, la seduzione, il desiderio.
L'ispirazione è tratta da diverse fonti eterogenee: spunti teatrali, come appunto il celebre Grand Guignol, un teatro parigino che metteva in scena spettacoli macabri durante i primi anni del ventesimo secolo, la leggenda tedesca di Faust, richiamata quando lo Showman tenta di attrarre Steven con i misteri e le delizie del suo baraccone, fino a Ray Bradbury (Something Wicked This Way Comes, ove un carnevale arriva in città poco prima di Halloween per sedurre la gente del posto con la promessa di piaceri oltre i loro sogni più segreti).
Le tavole grafiche sono molto belle e si abbinano perfettamente alla storia, con i loro colori densi, riquadri spesso cupi. Il tutto dà uno stampo non solo orrorifico, ma quasi onirico alla narrazione, rendendola più accattivante ed emozionante.
Uno stile, inoltre, che ricorda il classico gusto goth di quel tempo, tra immaginario, moda, musica.
Una graphic novel molto bella, che appassiona, forse non il massimo vertice di Gaiman (ma Sandman rimane insuperabile), ma di sicuro una buona prova.
July 22, 2008
Book signed by Gaiman at the 2005 National Book Festival, where Gaiman was promoting his new Anansi Boys novel. Visited NBF at last minute, tagging along after a friend who had invited me down several times over the course of the preceding week because she really wanted to see the person whose name I heard as: Neil Diamond. I wasn't interested in traveling two hours to meet a singer whose music I'm not interested in, and it was only the night before the festival that she finally said, "I thought you liked Neil Gaiman? Why don't you want to meet him?" and I said, "Neil Gaiman?"
I hadn't read Gaiman's new novel yet, which had been just released and was available only in hardcopy, and as I was at the time a poor graduate student I didn't want to shell out for a book I wasn't yet sure I loved. Still, I had to find something to get signed, and all my Gaiman hardbacks were in storage out-of-state. So about 10 minutes after the conversation above, I dragged my friend out to a bookstore (about 15 minutes before closing) and The Last Temptation was the only other hardback of Gaiman's in the store. My friend was equally amused and irritated.
Gaiman read an excerpt from Anansi Boys that made me go: Oh, I'm going to like this book, and also made me suddenly remember Gaiman was British. :sigh: School was really hard that year. Later, at the book signing, I babbled something inane to him, and he was very polite. "Thank you for coming by" or maybe "Thank you for visiting". I can't really remember now. Oh, the awesomness of meeting authors. Maybe one day I'll sound intelligent to one.
The story: Good. Slightly creepy. This is something I could see Ray Bradbury and James O'Barr creating if they could have merged into one person. This is the first time I'd encountered work by the illustrator, Michael Zulli, and it encouraged me to track down some more of his to see.
I hadn't read Gaiman's new novel yet, which had been just released and was available only in hardcopy, and as I was at the time a poor graduate student I didn't want to shell out for a book I wasn't yet sure I loved. Still, I had to find something to get signed, and all my Gaiman hardbacks were in storage out-of-state. So about 10 minutes after the conversation above, I dragged my friend out to a bookstore (about 15 minutes before closing) and The Last Temptation was the only other hardback of Gaiman's in the store. My friend was equally amused and irritated.
Gaiman read an excerpt from Anansi Boys that made me go: Oh, I'm going to like this book, and also made me suddenly remember Gaiman was British. :sigh: School was really hard that year. Later, at the book signing, I babbled something inane to him, and he was very polite. "Thank you for coming by" or maybe "Thank you for visiting". I can't really remember now. Oh, the awesomness of meeting authors. Maybe one day I'll sound intelligent to one.
The story: Good. Slightly creepy. This is something I could see Ray Bradbury and James O'Barr creating if they could have merged into one person. This is the first time I'd encountered work by the illustrator, Michael Zulli, and it encouraged me to track down some more of his to see.
May 4, 2014
Neil Gaiman could simply write about a tree, and one would still love it. He has a certain charm in his writing, something effortless about him, that makes reading his books also seem effortless. Having said that, The Last Temptation is unlikely to be one of his finest works. This wasn't actually intended to be a book to begin with. Neil Gaiman had gotten together with rock singer Alice Cooper for the latter's next album. And from there the idea to develop a 3-part comic book also developed.
The Last Temptation narrates the story of Steven, a young kid, who is enticed by a showman (depicted as Cooper himself) to join his traveling show so that he never has to grow up. The 3-part tale is about the seduction, temptation and eventual redemption of Steven. The initial part of the story isn't really compelling enough, but Gaiman's words do make you want to continue (our own temptation?). The third act, titled Cleansed by Fire, does make for an impressive finale though, where Steven has to figure out the choices he needs to make. So the story does conclude in a stronger manner than it began.
The illustrations by Michael Zulli, who has worked before with Gaiman on the Sandman series, are amazing and at times make up for the lackluster story arc. Overall, The Last Temptation is still a fine read, something which would be completed in one sitting, though there isn't much of the "extraordinary" in it that we come to accept of Gaiman.
The Last Temptation narrates the story of Steven, a young kid, who is enticed by a showman (depicted as Cooper himself) to join his traveling show so that he never has to grow up. The 3-part tale is about the seduction, temptation and eventual redemption of Steven. The initial part of the story isn't really compelling enough, but Gaiman's words do make you want to continue (our own temptation?). The third act, titled Cleansed by Fire, does make for an impressive finale though, where Steven has to figure out the choices he needs to make. So the story does conclude in a stronger manner than it began.
The illustrations by Michael Zulli, who has worked before with Gaiman on the Sandman series, are amazing and at times make up for the lackluster story arc. Overall, The Last Temptation is still a fine read, something which would be completed in one sitting, though there isn't much of the "extraordinary" in it that we come to accept of Gaiman.
November 12, 2014
Halloween is almost upon them when Steven and his friends discover an alley that wasn’t there before that leads to a theatre that wasn’t there before. The Theatre de Grand Guignol is for the more, shall we say, discerning patron and the showman (the only name he is ever given in the story), who bears a striking resemblance to Alice Cooper, is offering one ticket to any boy brave enough to enter. As much as he is terrified by the prospect, Steven is shamed by his friends into accepting the offer.
The manager offers Steven a deal - he can give up all of his fears and live forever as a child among the ghosts and spirits in this traveling show but there is a down-side, of course – he must also give up all of his potential. Steven is tempted by Mercy, the beautiful and seductive ticket seller, but, when he finally refuses, he finds that the showman isn’t one to take no for an answer and, as they say, our dreams are the portals to our soul.
The Last Temptation was a collaborative effort between Neil Gaiman and Alice Cooper originally designed as a tie-in to Alice Cooper’s album by the same name released in 1994. It was re-released by Dynamite to mark its 20th anniversary. This is a marvelously dark and macabre comiing-of-age tale and is great fun to read. However, what really makes this graphic novel worth revisiting after all this time is the visually stunning artwork by Michael Zuli.
The manager offers Steven a deal - he can give up all of his fears and live forever as a child among the ghosts and spirits in this traveling show but there is a down-side, of course – he must also give up all of his potential. Steven is tempted by Mercy, the beautiful and seductive ticket seller, but, when he finally refuses, he finds that the showman isn’t one to take no for an answer and, as they say, our dreams are the portals to our soul.
The Last Temptation was a collaborative effort between Neil Gaiman and Alice Cooper originally designed as a tie-in to Alice Cooper’s album by the same name released in 1994. It was re-released by Dynamite to mark its 20th anniversary. This is a marvelously dark and macabre comiing-of-age tale and is great fun to read. However, what really makes this graphic novel worth revisiting after all this time is the visually stunning artwork by Michael Zuli.
May 19, 2016
No me considero fan de Alice Cooper pero si lo tengo presente como a un gran artista. Y este comic escrito por Neil Gaiman es muy entretenido, bastante oscuro, por momentos pesimista pero por otro lado lleno de un optimismo adolescente que no viene mal leer y disfrutar. Me pareció una historia sobre la madurez y de la importancia de nuestras decisiones durante nuestra juventud.
No es el mejor guión de Gaiman ni por asomo pero se nota su letra en cada viñeta del comic.
Los dibujos de Zulli son espectaculares, son lo que más me gustó de la historia y le dan ese toque mágico que se mezcla muy bien con el guión.
No es el mejor guión de Gaiman ni por asomo pero se nota su letra en cada viñeta del comic.
Los dibujos de Zulli son espectaculares, son lo que más me gustó de la historia y le dan ese toque mágico que se mezcla muy bien con el guión.
June 11, 2018
Picked this up on a whim at the library, and I am glad I did. This story is equal parts chilling and intriguing- a coming of age story entwined with the traditional Faustian bargain. If that weren’t enough, the art style is lovely and complements Gaiman’s writing beautifully.
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