Hace unos años, Alice Cooper estaba escribiendo un disco conceptual y le pide a Neil Gaiman que lo ayude a desarrollar el concepto. Luego de que el disco estuviera finalizado, a Gaiman se le ocurrió que sería una buena idea hacer un comic, entre otra cosas porque algunas partes de la historia no habían entrado en el disco.

En general me gustó, está bien escrita y bien dibujada, solo me pareció un poco sosa la historia. Me encantó el personaje de Alice Cooper, pero al fin y al cabo no es más que otra historia de terror como muchas otras.

Neil Gaiman and Alice Cooper!!! I am soooo there!!!!

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.

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.

Awesome! Alice Cooper inspired neatness.

DNF
I just couldn't get into this. In the first portion, I was intrigued with the set up. Introduction of anniversary edition by Gaiman was better than the entire portion of the book I read (I'm guessing the rest too, but I don't know).

I'm a fan of Gaiman. Not die hard, or anything, but I like his books. I like Sandman a lot, haven't finished it yet having been introduced to the series only a year or so ago. Anyway, I was hoping for something like that. Instead, I got a great idea and set up but it didn't follow through. I feel like the graphic novel didn't execute exactly what it aimed to fast enough. See, I lost interest. And I feel I'm a pretty patient reader but with graphic novels I think you need to grab the readers imagination and attention fully, and faster than with novels because of the visual element. It ups the anty (for me, anyway).

I wouldn't recommend this for those who want a super engaging and fast moving plot of a read. Graphics are good, but not great. I've seen better from Gaiman, even Gaiman twenty years ago. I'm not a big Alice Cooper buff, but I've heard better from Cooper then too.

To sum it up for a short DNF review: ambitious but not quite realized the expectations given with an anniversary release and fantastical (braggy) introduction. I was let down.

*I was provided a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.

nəhayət ki, tilsimi qırıb 2017-ə giriş verə bildim. Ustad yazınca oxumaqdan həzz almaqdan başqa çarəsi qalmır adamın. İlə Gaiman bolluğu içində gitiş vermişəm. Sho wman mənə Pennywise-ı xatırlatdı. Göxəl dialoqlar, ustaca rəsm edilmiş səhifələr. zövq aldım. :)

Great short read but hard to take Alice Coopers character seriously.

La historia no es nueva, la constante de siempre creo yo; el héroe asustadizo, el villano astuto, el interés amoroso, al final todo es lo mismo, el héroe siendo eso, el villano siendo lo propio, y el héroe salvando a la damisela en apuros, no es nuevo y hay un giro al final, pero, lamentablemente tampoco es inesperado.

Hasta donde sé es un proyecto que Alice Cooper, Michael Zulli y Neil Gaiman tenían y desarrollaron ellos tres, también entiendo qué hay un disco de Alice Cooper del mismo título que lleva de la mano la historia, tal vez valga la pena leerlo con el disco puesto, tal vez se lea de manera diferente, pero para ser honesto, yo no lo voy a intentar, pero es un buen dato, creo.

I really liked this one. Sweet, and creepy, true to childhood fears and parental worries for a middle schooler. Loved the collaboration - unexpected, yet somehow right. I read an edition with a forward by Gaiman explaining the origin of this collaboration, which added tremendously to my understanding and enjoyment.

n  This is the theatre of the real. It's the ultimate sideshow, the perfect escape from the workaday world.

This is the theatre of the real. It's the only thing you're ever going to hear from an adult that isn't a lie.

This is the theatre of the real. And it's going to tell you what it's really like, out there in the world of growing up and getting even.

This is the theatre of the real, Steven

Curtain!n

Somehow this collaboration between my favourite author Neil Gaiman and rock god Alice Cooper had missed my radar and it has taken this 20 year annivarsary edition for me to take notice.

The story is designed to be taken in whilst listening to the album of the same name, which is Cooper's 13th studio album. The story revolves around an unamed demon, with a striking resemblence to the notorious singer, who tempts wayward teens into his 'theatre of the real'. When Steven is loured into the disturbing otherworldly realm, he must all his wits to survive!

This edition is packed full of extras including interviews, the original script, and bonus material. If i was being picky, I would say it lacks bonus material from Alice Cooper, but I can't mark it down for that and it gets a full 5 stars.

Alice Cooper plays The Illustrated Man. Great Artwork.