Vault Comics
Release Date:
July 29, 2025
The next band to jump on the comic book bandwagon is Def Leppard! Whether that’s good or bad depends on whether readers like me are ready for a story about other characters rather than the band featuring Joe Elliott, Rick Savage, Phil Collen (who wrote this story), Rick Savage and Vivian Campbell. Although they do not have stage personalities like KISS, what’s offered with issue #0 on Free Comic Book Day is more of a prologue, with no sign of the band in sight.
The victims in the opening pages reminded me of Ritchie Valens and his tragic death. Although this musician never bought a cursed guitar or continued playing as that plane crashed, the similarities in appearance could not go unnoticed. The tale then jumps forward a few years and introduces Foz.
Although this woman thinks nothing of it, to play this instrument may well mean good things. This six-string calls to her, success will not be automatic. I suspect this instrument of the devil is like James Dean’s Porsche 550 Spyder: whoever comes to possess it is fated to die! As for whether Phil and co-writer Eliot Rahal had these ideas in mind, I guess not. Not even artist Alex Schlitz is thinking of it, otherwise I’d see dents on the instrument.
Also, prologues are never enough to say this is a comic book everyone must read. I prefer my comic book day freebies to be one-shots than lead-ins. While that’s changed lately with some offerings, I’m still curious about who is going to live or die by the string.
When Foz leads the band Darkside, I suspect things won’t go well in the long run! Just how heavy metal or hysteric this tale gets has me curious. I also doubt Hysteria means anything more than letting readers know the comic book is going to borrow from a few songs. I doubt tracks like “Women” and “Pour Some Sugar On Me” are going to translate over at all.
As long as the horror elements come from the right places, then all is good. When it forgets some classical roots, including that of Percy Bysshe Shelley, who put his soul into such an instrument when professing his love for Mary, even I want to know! This poet died soon after! Not that many cursed instruments exist. If there should really be one put on display and behind a protective glass case, that should be Robert Johnson’s guitar! I’m willing to bet the devil took that instrument when the two met at the crossroads, and re-tuned it. Afterwards, the Hellhounds can hear it a mile away.
What Hysteria needs is just that motif, and I’d be “tremblin’ on the tree” too.
Discover more from Otaku no Culture
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
