Monday, October 6, 2014

Review: "Neil Gaiman's The Last Temptation 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition" by Neil Gaiman, Alice Cooper, Michael Zulli, Dave McKean

Disclaimer: I received a free, advance e-copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Release Date: October 21, 2014

Type: Graphic Novel, Anniversary Edition, Re-release, Horror, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Music, Comic Book, The Theatre from Heck

About the Book: 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."

My Review: As a fan of Both Neil Gaiman and Alice Cooper, I went into this graphic novel with high expectations... And I was definitely not disappointed! Working together, these two geniuses created a dark, haunting story that left me more than a little creeped out. The art was truly stunning, perfectly matching the storyline.

In full cover on my device, the pages were gorgeous, I can only imagine what this book looks like in all its physical glory. This is a must have for any true fan of these amazing artists. And even better, this story lends itself to re-reading, to catch all the subtle hints and tricks that have been weaved into the tale. I'm grateful I got the chance to go to read this graphic novel before it's re-release. Be sure to check it out when it comes out October 21, 2014!

Cover Lovin': Great cover - appropriately haunting, considering the masterminds behind the title.

Recommendation: For fans of Neil Gaiman and Alice Cooper. For graphic novel readers that want something weird and creepy to go along with your Halloween read-a-thong. Or maybe for people who just like weird stuff.

Final Rating: FOUR out of FIVE stars (4/5). Creepy, awesome, and made me have a nightmare or two - a perfect read for Halloween, or really, any time.

Happy Reading!
~!~ Amanda at Novel Addiction ~!~

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