Product Description: Steven is afraid. Afraid of ghost stories, afraid of growing up... just afraid. That is, until he meets the mysterious Showman and his Theatre of the Real. Steven takes a ticket and watches the show on a dare, but getting out of the performance will be harder than he ever imagined. And then Steven learns what it is to be truly afraid. Neil Gaiman, internationally acclaimed and bestselling writer of both prose fiction (Neverwhere, Stardust) and graphic novels (The Sandman, Signal to Noise) teams with veteran artist Michael Zulli (The Sandman, Creatures of the Night) to create this dark and brooding morality tale. The Last Temptation is the latest addition to Dark Horse's proud and growing library of Neil Gaiman hardcovers. Originally published as part of the short-lived Marvel Music line of the early '90s, Zulli's lush and beautiful duoshade artwork is now showcased in a new format for this stunning second edition.
Alice Cooper stars as.... I've been a fan of Neil Gaiman since his early work of Don't Panic (a book about Douglas Adams' work). Also a fan of the Sandman stuff, etc. You know the drill. This one I half-cringed, thinking it just too good to be true that Neil Gaiman AND Alice Cooper had combined forces, but here ya have it. And it's crazy good. Buy it, read it, love it.
Alice Cooper, comic star and writer Yes, that Alice Cooper.
It's about a disaffected teenaged boy, Steve, at that age too old for kids' stuff but nowhere near adult. He's a stranger to everyone - his friends (such as they are), his parents, and even himself. So, when The Showman makes an offer that will cost nothing and everything, he has nothing to lose. Or so he thinks/
It's audience participation all the way, even after Steve has left the theater, the existence of which is iffy at best. The Showman appears again and again, on all of the wrong people's faces. The Showman presses his Faustian deal - whatever it is, we never quite see - endlessly. In the end ...
... Well, see for yourself. It's a growing-up story, but with a final insight that whispers rather than shouting. Readers expecting a bigger finish may find it indecisive, largely because decisions is an internal and invisible process. If you expect macabre madman Alice Cooper, you'll get a bit of that, but probably not as much as you expected. Instead, you'll get something more satisfying.
-- wiredweird
first reading of neil gaiman i had heard about neil gaiman so i decided to read this book, and it was pretty good in a showy way. i'm not an alice cooper fan, and before reading this i had no idea how much time he put in developing concepts for his albums. the poetic dialogue was enchanting, and i think this tale would strike a nerve with actors or those involved with theatre. it is a straightforward, fantastical tale about the choice between life and death.
Mediocre for Gaiman At one point in Neil Gaiman's The Last Temptation, the macabre master of ceremonies (a perfect 2-D rendition of Alice Cooper, as drawn by Zulli) makes a most tempting final offer to the young protagonist, Steven. There's only one thing he wants in return, and it's so small that the boy will barely notice it's gone. He doesn't need it, won't even miss it.
Let me guess, Steven says, at his age already worldly to horror cliches. My soul?
"Oh, no!" replies the master of ceremonies. "Your potential."
This little exchange is typical of Neil Gaiman - always refreshing, he never falls back on cliches. It is difficult to read much nowadays without guessing motives and endings, because so many authors get so lazy. But Gaiman manages to elevate the most frequent scene in literature - that of evil tempting innocence and offering fantasies come true, all in exchange for the poor sap's soul - into something quite unique.
Gaiman has therefore, understandably, been a favorite author of mine for years. From his graphic novels (Sandman, Books of Magic, 1602) to his welcome foray into mainstream literature(American Gods, Good Omens, Anansi Boys) and film (Mirrormask), he continually impresses with his talent. Like his Sandman protagonist, the king of dreams, Gaiman creates whole ficticious worlds and actually makes you believe that maybe it's all real. And he makes you care about what his characters go through.
Unfortunately, regarding The Last Temptation, that's the end of the pluses for me. I really didn't care what happens to Steven; I never got a sense of his personality, any feeling that he was real or realistic. As a lead character, he's a bit dull. The plot itself doesn't offer much. I found myself skimming bits of it just to get to the end. I always thought it impossible for Gaiman to write something mediocre, so I'm surprised.
The artwork is fun. As I said above, Zulli is spot-on with his depiction of Alice Cooper. And who else but Alice is perfect in a role as the ultimate showman (who really does turn out to be evil incarnate)? My only beef is the choice for black-and-white, which often makes the comic difficult to read. I hear there's a color version, which I've yet to find, but doing so may make it easier to follow the action.
In the end, it's a simple, straightforward little horror tale with not much to offer. Gaiman's admitted it's not his best work, just a cheap little thrill, not unlike a trip to the carnival or eating cotton candy when we can't find gelatto.
A Decent Tale I picked the book up on a whimsy. I like Gaiman, and this book looked different from the rest.
The introduction was among the most interesting parts for me, the prose that allowed Gaiman to tell how Last Temptation came about. Helping write a concept album for Alice Cooper sounded exciting and neat, and I imagine it is an opportunity that happens too often. Within the context of the album, the resulting graphic novel take form.
The tale is of Steven, a boy pressed with many fears and threats in his life, nothing amazing though, more on the level of a meek Joe Average. He is offered a place in the Theater of the Real by the Showman in exchange for his Potential. The Showman is very much the serpent, playing to Steven through the mouths of those around him, trying to tempt him to accept.
The story is pretty straight and simple. I believe it is the result of the collaboration. The story is a bit simpler in plot and character than I would ordinarily expect, but it is to the point and well told. The art is evocative and well done, bringing out the eeriness of the theme.
I would mostly recommend this to Gaiman and Cooper fans. There are definitely better books out there on this theme.
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