Dylan Dog 427 - Life and its opposite, review

Dylan Dog 427 - Life and its opposite

A cursed manuscript linked to mysterious deaths, cold cases linked by strange coincidences, even too many for our Dylan Dog and Bloch who no longer believes in coincidences since '56 even if, as a good policeman, he needs something more than the fifth sense and a half of our investigator. It is the story of Dylan Dog 427 - The life and the opposite of him just arrived on newsstands, written and drawn by the great Gigi Simeoni, an authentic thriller master who, once again, does not deny his mastery. Are you ready for a new reinterpretation of the myth of… vampires?

Dylan Dog, life and its opposite

After last month's excellent book (run to retrieve the review of La Morte up for grabs if you missed it), let's go back to speak again of the great Reaper, alive more than ever in this book. An oxymoron you say? Very true, and in this story you will find many others.

Life and death. Coincident states, obviously opposed, which govern the existence of an individual, then go on to characterize strange deaths, apparently natural or inexplicable, with a single common thread: mummification. Writing, mystery and the supernatural merged into a story that could only be written by an author like Gigi Simeoni.



A mystery that could not escape the greedy eyes of the news, but also from the inquiring ones of our Dylan, who curiously, this time, is not hired by a client, but is pushed into the investigation with a mere investigative spirit. What unites the found "mummified" body of an independent director, found in an abandoned church? A switch clicks in Dylan's mind, which will drag superintendent and father into a torturous investigation (it's always weird to think about it huh?) Bloch.

The two investigate, with different approaches we already know, but as always the fifth and a half sense of the Old Boy will prevail, guiding them towards an unexpected turning point.

In fact, the investigations will undergo an evolution that will revisit, in a rather original way, the concept of vampire. But there is also an unexpected and hilarious involvement of Groucho, in a co-star role, which will see him grappling with a creative writing course (!), As well as being exploited to the fullest in his acting skills. In short, in the past many screenwriters have clashed with the comedy of the legendary assistant, trying in every way to create jokes and puns to make appear, even one-off and in a marginal way in the course of the stories. A completely different story with Simeoni who seems to be really at ease with the character and with a genuine and truly hilarious comedy (let's imagine he had a lot of fun writing it).



The story narrated by Simeoni is linear, well structured and with a rhythm that recalls and reveals the author's narrative skills in the thrilling field, but there is no lack of the typical elements that make L a life and its opposite, an all-round “dylaniata” story, also evoking an old acquaintance (no spoiler!) still absent in this “new course”.

We don't believe in coincidences either

Life and its opposite is the tenth adventure of the Nightmare Investigator to offer Gigi Simeoni as screenwriter and designer, a curious record that until recently long ago it was held by another great teacher of our comics, Carlo Ambrosini.



Gigi S imeoni confirms himself as a master of storytelling, with a story that contains between the lines an authentic declaration of love for writing and the profession of writer, at the same time, a denunciation towards those who take advantage of the talent of others by exploiting it without scruples, and the final message is under the eyes of delighted readers, creating a perfect allegory. The author jokes a little about it (but not so much), thanks to the grotesque look, he introduces suggestions ranging from crime to literary thriller, passing through horror, reaching a high and new qualitative level of the stories he has seen. until now.

We appreciated the faint references to the new continuity, even if some firm figures such as Carpenter and Rania are hiding, but we have the graft of a historical character perfectly functional to the story. And then there is the chain of coincidences ... which cannot be mere coincidences. We don't believe in coincidences either.



Even the tables reach a new standard for the author, a style that certainly takes its cue from another big name in Italian comics, the great Magnus, but the personalization is strong, original and authentic. Less cartoon than Magnus, more realistic, excellent dynamism of the scenes and with one of the best Grouchos ever drawn… applause.

The cover designed by Cestaro Bros., despite the beauty offered by the play of lights in the gallery and the torch of the Old Boy, at first glance seems not to be very appropriate (you will later discover that it is a metascene of the story , given Dylan does not actually figure in that precise circumstance), but we agree in the desire not to anticipate too much on the real enemy of the story.



Life and its opposite is an old-fashioned Dylan Dog, like the one that not only pleases the readers of the "old guard", but capable of being truly addressed to everyone, thanks to an excellent facility. We are far from the decidedly more surreal and romantic Sclavian style in some ways, but Simeoni knows well the characterization of the Craven Road characters and manages to make them truly protagonists of a story, without making them pass for victims of events.

While dealing with a different form of classic vampirism, for the reading of Life and its opposite, we recommend listening to Powerless by Linkin Park and One Caress by Depeche Mode, and then let us know how it went.