History ComicBook / TheLastTemptation

* OurAngelsAreDifferent: The look like Alice Cooper, [[MindScrew maybe]].

* ShoutOut: The librarian is reading a book by Richard Maddock, a minor character and novelist in ''ComicBook/TheSandman''.

* CircusOfFear

* [[spoiler: KillItWithFire:]] The Climax.

* LouisCypher: While the Showman denies that he is the Devil (he claims the Devil is a "huge concept"), the end of the story implies that if he is not the Devil he is at least something very close to it.

* AbominableAuditorium: The Theater Of The Real is a ghastly venue run by the sinister Showman; the shows consist of undead souls essentially telling the young audience that adult life is horror, and the Showman offers them a place in the theatre in exchange for their life and potential. At the snack counter, you can get human tears, black wine, the waters of Lethe, or Coke.

* WhatMeasureIsANonHuman: [[spoiler: Mercy]].

[[quoteright:310:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/alicecoopertlt_1_pg_13.jpg]]

''The Last Temptation'' was a limited comic series originally published in the now defunct Marvel Music imprint and republished in a collected volume by Dark Horse. It was developed by Creator/NeilGaiman and Music/AliceCooper originally as Cooper's concept album of the same name, but eventually was adapted as a comic by Gaiman and illustrated by Michael Zulli.

'''This graphic novel provides examples of:'''

* AbominableAuditorium: The Theater Of The Real is a ghastly venue run by the sinister Showman; the shows consist of undead souls essentially telling the young audience that adult life is horror, and the Showman offers them a place in the theater in exchange for their life and potential. At the snack counter you can get human tears, black wine, the waters of Lethe, or Coke.

* BodySurf: The main method of the Showman's psychological attacks is to talk to Steven through the people around him, and then switching out of them at just the right moment.
* BrokenAesop: The Theatre of the Real is pretty much founded on convincing children that its broken aesops are the real deal.

* {{Expy}}: The Showman pops up in another Gaiman/Zulli graphic novel: ''The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch''. He's running another sort of circus show with mysterious powers, and he even sings Alice Cooper songs (badly), but because of his general lack of (obvious) malicious intent it's a little up in the air whether or not it's really the same Showman or if they were just fond of this type of character.

* LargeHam: The Showman knows how to play it up like its nobody's business.

* LouisCypher: While the Showman denies that he is the Devil (he claims the Devil is a "huge concept"), but the end of the story implies that if he is not the Devil he is at least something very close to it.

* OurGhostsAreDifferent: Sort of zombieish, but still called ghosts.

* TranshumanTreachery: In a way, this is what [[spoiler: the Showman offers to Steven and all the children he takes. "When you've become the thing that scares, there's nothing to be scared of ever again."]]

The story focuses on a boy name Steven who, on the day before Halloween, encounters the Showman and his [[TheLittleShopThatWasntThereYesterday Theatre of the Real]]. Inside Steven is treated to a show of all the horrors of the future, and the loneliness and doubt that adulthood offers. While this fails to crack Steven's will, he does find himself taken with the Showman's lovely female assistant, Mercy. After leaving the theatre, the Showman proceeds to attack Steven's sense of security through various mind games and eventually offers him an escape from having to face the future, [[DealWithTheDevil for a price of course.]]

* ShoutOut: The librarian is reading a book by Richard Maddock, a minor character and novelist in ComicBook/TheSandman.

* GlamourFailure: Mercy, in spite of all her allure and charm, doesn't appear to have [[{{Squick}} any skin on her back.]]

* ShotaCon: While nothing explicit ever happens, Steven has a pretty healthy sex drive for a kid his age. Because of this, the Showman appeals to Steven's lust to draw him in.

''The Last Temptation'' was a limited comic series originally published in the now defunct Marvel Music imprint and republished in a collected volume by Dark Horse. It was developed by NeilGaiman and Music/AliceCooper originally as Cooper's concept album of the same name, but eventually was adapted as a comic by Gaiman and illustrated by Michael Zulli.

* ShoutOut: The librarian is reading a book by Richard Maddock, a minor character and novelist in TheSandman.

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''The Last Temptation'' was a limited comic series originally published in the now defunct Marvel Music imprint and republished in a collected volume by Dark Horse. It was developed by NeilGaiman and AliceCooper originally as Cooper's concept album of the same name, but eventually was adapted as a comic by Gaiman and illustrated by Michael Zulli.

The story focuses on a boy name Steven who, on the day before Halloween, encounters the Showman and his [[TheLittleShopThatWasntThereYesterday Theatre of the Real]]. Inside Steven is treated to a show of all the horrors of the future, and the loneliness and doubt that adulthood offers. While this fails to crack Steven's will, he does find himself [[IfYouKnowWhatIMean taken with the Showman's lovely female assistant, Mercy.]] After leaving the theatre, the Showman proceeds to attack Steven's sense of security through various mind games and eventually offers him an escape from having to face the future, [[DealWithTheDevil for a price of course.]]

''The Last Temptation'' was a limited comic series originally published in the [[SoBadItsHorrible now defunct]] Marvel Music imprint and republished in a collected volume by Dark Horse. It was developed by NeilGaiman and AliceCooper originally as Cooper's concept album of the same name, but eventually was adapted as a comic by Gaiman and illustrated by Michael Zulli.

''The Last Temptation'' was a limited comic series originally published in the [[DarthWiki/SoBadItsHorrible now defunct]] Marvel Music imprint and republished in a collected volume by Dark Horse. It was developed by NeilGaiman and AliceCooper originally as Cooper's concept album of the same name, but eventually was adapted as a comic by Gaiman and illustrated by Michael Zulli.

''The Last Temptation'' was a limited comic series originally published in the [[SoBadItsHorrible now defunct]] Marvel Music imprint and republished in a collected volume by Dark Horse. It was developed by NeilGaiman and AliceCooper originally as Cooper's concept album of the same name, but eventually was adapted as a comic by Gaiman and illustrated by Michael Zulli.

''The Last Temptation'' was a limited comic series originally published in the [[SoBadItsHorrible now defunct]] Marvel Music imprint and republished in a collected volume by Dark Horse. It was developed by NeilGaiman and AliceCooper originally as Cooper’s concept album of the same name, but eventually was adapted as a comic by Gaiman and illustrated by Michael Zulli.

The story focuses on a boy name Steven who, on the day before Halloween, encounters the Showman and his [[TheLittleShopThatWasntThereYesterday Theatre of the Real]]. Inside Steven is treated to a show of all the horrors of the future, and the loneliness and doubt that adulthood offers. While this fails to crack Steven’s will, he does find himself [[IfYouKnowWhatIMean taken with the Showman’s lovely female assistant, Mercy.]] After leaving the theatre, the Showman proceeds to attack Steven’s sense of security through various mind games and eventually offers him an escape from having to face the future, [[DealWithTheDevil for a price of course.]]

Not to be confused for the trope [[TheFinalTemptation The]] ''[[TheFinalTemptation Final]]'' [[TheFinalTemptation Temptation]], which ironically enough doesn’t really appear in this story.

* BodySurf: The main method of the Showman’s psychological attacks is to talk to Steven through the people around him, and then switching out of them at just the right moment.

* {{Expy}}: The Showman pops up in another Gaiman/Zulli graphic novel:’’ The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch’’. He’s running another sort of circus show with mysterious powers, and he even sings Alice Cooper songs (badly), but because of his general lack of (obvious) malicious intent it’s a little up in the air whether or not it’s really the same Showman or if they were just fond of this type of character.
* GlamourFailure: Mercy, in spite of all her allure and charm, doesn’t appear to have [[{{Squick}} any skin on her back.]]
* KidHero: Steven
* [[spoiler: KillItWithFire:]] The Climax
* LargeHam: The Showman knows how to play it up like its nobody’s business.

* LouisCypher: While the Showman denies that he is the Devil (he claims the Devil is a “huge concept”), but the end of the story implies that if he is not the Devil he is at least something very close to it.
* MagicMirror: The Showman likes to appear in mirrors to mess with Steven’s mind, effectively making any mirror magic when he feels like it.
* NonHumanSidekick: The Showman’s cane, and his legion of little goblin things.

* OurSoulsAreDifferent: The Showman claims he doesn’t traffic in souls, but he’s always willing [[spoiler: to buy your future, and all that you ever could have been.]]
* ScaledUp: [[spoiler: The Showman]] at the story’s climax
* ShotaCon: While nothing explicit ever happens, Steven has a pretty healthy sex drive for a kid his age. Because of this, the Showman appeals to Steven’s lust to draw him in.

* TalkingInYourDreams: The other part of The Showman’s attacks on Steven’s mind.

* TownWithADarkSecret: The Theatre of the Real pops up in Steven’s town about every five years, but no one in the town is really in on the secret though.
* TranshumanTreachery: In a way, this is what [[spoiler: the Showman offers to Steven and all the children he takes. “When you’ve become the thing that scares, there’s nothing to be scared of ever again.”]]
* WhatMeasureIsANonHuman: [[spoiler: Mercy]]

‘’The Last Temptation’’ was a limited comic series originally published in the [[SoBadItsHorrible now defunct]] Marvel Music imprint and republished in a collected volume by Dark Horse. It was developed by NeilGaiman and AliceCooper originally as Cooper’s concept album of the same name, but eventually was adapted as a comic by Gaiman and illustrated by Michael Zulli.