Def Leppard’s Phil Collen debuts graphic novel, Hysteria.

If you live and breathe hard rock, you already know that Def Leppard has earned its place as one of the greatest bands of all time. So, when the band’s iconic guitarist, Phil Collen, dropped his graphic novel Hysteria for free via Rolling Stone, we were more than ready to dive in.

With a title like Hysteria, we were expecting a ride filled with blistering riffs, headbanging, and enough rock ‘n’ roll chaos to take us straight back to the glory days of their legendary 1987 album of the same name. And while the guitars are there, the story itself takes a detour into a strange and unexpected world.

The novel’s lead character is an androgynous frontwoman, and while she’s got some serious edge, the storyline is as unpredictable as the wildest backstage tales. Sure, there’s a nod to the rock and roll lifestyle, but it’s not exactly the gritty, rock-fueled journey we had in mind from one of the original bad boys of Sheffield.

That said, the artwork is killer, and the energy still rocks. But the real win here? Phil Collen’s Hysteria made us want to crank up the Hysteria album again, and from the first note to the final chord, it’s still a masterclass in hard rock. One spin of “Pour Some Sugar On Me” and we’re right back to raising our fists and shouting every word like it’s 1987 all over again. Phil Collen may have thrown us a curveball, but nothing tops the adrenaline rush of Def Leppard at full volume.