Dylan Dog 174, Un colpo di sfortuna

Winning the lottery doesn't exactly seem like the stuff of nightmares, but up to the moment that his number is called out Clarence Clough has had his share of misfortunes, but perhaps no more so than anyone else. There is the loss of both his parents in a car accident while he is a child, but luck is on his side when as a young man he meets up with Brittany, the girl he has dreamed of since college, they marry and have two children. True, they are separated now after Brittany found Clarence in a compromising position with the glamorous Gloria, but that's life. When he has a stroke of luck (Un colpo di sfortuna) and wins £5 million in the national lottery, true to form for Clarence, there's a downside, as he discovers soon after the win that he has a serious illness and only two months to live.

There is certain a hand of date or just misfortune in Clarence's situation, but where does Dylan Dog, the investigator of nightmares, come into the picture? Well, aside from that role in the world of the dark and supernatural, Dylan is also known for his womanising, and seems to be victim to an unfortunate curse that prevents any relationship lasting longer than a month (coincidentally or not the length of time between Dylan Dog issues). The woman trouble he has this time is the aforementioned lady called Brittany, but his personal involvement with Clarence doesn't extend beyond an encounter in the bookshop Clarence works, looking for the latest Stephen King.

The horror element is in there initially as a background to this tale of domestic ordinary misfortune in life, but there can be all sorts of issues when people inevitably start looking for answers to where their life has gone wrong and where it is going. Some look to tarot cards, others to self help books. As far as Clarence's outlook goes, his immediate concern apart from making things up with Brittany, now has turned to what awaits him in the afterlife and how he should prepare for it. At around this time a maniac with a large knife start a murder spree where the victims are all regulars at pub where Brittany works and where Clarence frequents. Brittany turns to Dylan as this looks like it is indeed turning into a nightmare situation for anyone close to Clarence. But Dylan is also part of Brittney’s circle…



Un colpo di sfortuna is a typically well balanced Dylan Dog adventure, the writer Pasquale Ruju blending horror but with everyday situations and a little bit of romance and humour. The humour element is often provided by Dylan's assistant Groucho of course and that's also the case here. The Marx brother lookalike tries to help Dylan get over his latest romantic troubles by reminding him of his good fortune elsewhere, not least in being lucky to be born English. Imagine if you were Italian… Groucho jokes for the benefit of the Italian readership. Giovanni Freghieri's artwork is fairly straightforward European style, but effectively illustrates each situation. You might be less convinced of the motivation and explanations of the killer in this story - even Inspector 'old boy' Bloch doesnt know what to make of it. "Mmm… me ho visiti di moventi assurdi, nei casi di omicidio… ma come questo…”. He doesn't know the half of it, but convincing or not, the strokes of luck and misfortune that have dogged Clarence's life seem to have resolved into a certain satisfactory sense of justice being served.


Reading notes: Dylan Dog #174 'Un colpo di sfortuna', January 2004 (Ristampa), 98 pages. Story and script by Pasquale Ruju, artwork by Giovanni Freghieri.

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