The Last Temptation

Huh...

So, I picked this up on Free Comic Book Day because it has Neil Gaiman's name on it and I didn't own it. I am only peripherally familiar with Alice Cooper, mostly from his stint as Herod in Jesus Christ Superstar. He is my favorite Herod, though, and I hear the actual Alice is a neat person under the eyeliner. This book was made to accompany his concept album, and don't I wish I could just call up Neil Gaiman and Michael Zulli to write and draw me into a spooky comic.

The story is a twist on the coming of age story where Steven, a boy edging into adulthood, meets the serpent, personified as Alice's “Showman” and is tempted to run away and join the show forever. Alice's demonesque creature is a terror well suited to Zulli's style. Nobody draws creepy undead like Michael Zulli. Nobody. His art is excruciatingly crafted to terrify in its detail. You have to stare at it, even when your brain is telling you no good dreams will come of this.

The story is simple, but Neil Gaiman simple so still quite beautiful. It's a rock song, and a classic story, and a collaboration of three greats in their respective fields. If you're a fan of any of these gentlemen, you'd do well to pick this one up.