Dylan Dog #34
Dylan Dog #34, 'Il buio' (July 1989), marks the debut of Mana Cerace — a darkness-incarnate entity who would become one of the most enduring and recognisable antagonists in the series, returning in issue #68 (1992), the Color Fest, and a dedicated three-part story arc in 2020–21 (issues #409–411). The issue simultaneously served as the double debut of writer Claudio Chiaverotti and artist Piero Dall'Agnol at Sergio Bonelli Editore, launching a creative partnership that would define much of the series through the 1990s, with Chiaverotti eventually writing roughly fifty episodes and becoming the title's de facto caretaker alongside Tiziano Sclavi. Beyond its villain, the story deepens the series' psychological register by grounding supernatural horror in primal childhood fear — the dark itself — rather than in any external monster, a thematic move that critics and collectors have long regarded as one of the most disciplined examples of the early run's literary ambition.
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Claudio Chiaverotti had entered comics in 1986 writing strips for Bonvi's 'Sturmtruppen' before being brought into Sergio Bonelli Editore in 1989; 'Il buio' was his first professional work for the publisher, making issue #34 a genuine cold-start debut for both him and Dall'Agnol. The character of Mana Cerace (also identified in the story as the serial killer Philip Crane) was conceived as a composite figure drawing on the Italian folkloric Babau, the Freddy Krueger archetype from Wes Craven's 1984 film 'A Nightmare on Elm Street', and the generalised childhood terror of the creature in the closet — a deliberate synthesis that gave the antagonist cross-cultural resonance within the series' London-set horror framework.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Title: 'Il buio' ('The Dark'); Series: Dylan Dog (monthly); Publisher: Sergio Bonelli Editore; Cover date: July 1989; Issue number: #34; Page count: 94.
- Script by Claudio Chiaverotti; art by Piero Dall'Agnol — the first Bonelli work for both creators, representing their simultaneous professional debut at the publisher.
- First appearance of Mana Cerace (also known in the story as Philip Crane), a supernatural entity who personifies darkness and preys on fear; the character would return in Dylan Dog #68 ('Lo spettro nel buio', 1992), the Color Fest #3 story 'Il buio nell'anima' (2009), and the three-part 'Trilogia del buio' arc in issues #409–411 (2020–21).
- The story's antagonist is depicted as a fusion of the Italian folkloric Babau, elements of Freddy Krueger's appearance (from Wes Craven's 1984 film), and the archetype of the monster lurking in childhood darkness.
- Chiaverotti went on to write approximately fifty issues of Dylan Dog, effectively co-stewarding the series through the 1990s alongside Sclavi, and later created the Bonelli characters Brendon and Morgan Lost.
- Dall'Agnol's debut artwork, noted by critics for its clean black-and-white line work with stylistic echoes of Milo Manara, evolved significantly across his subsequent Dylan Dog contributions.
- Reprinted across multiple formats: Prima Ristampa (May 1992), Seconda Ristampa (March 1994), Collezione Book (March 1999), Mondadori Oscar Bestsellers #1379 as part of 'Dylan Dog: Killer!' (October 2003), Grande Ristampa #12 (August 2008), Collezione storica a colori #12 (May 2013), and 'Viaggio nell'incubo' #28 (January 2020).
- Ispettore Bloch and Groucho both appear in supporting roles consistent with their established series functions; no evidence found that either character undergoes a first appearance or notable developmental milestone in this specific issue.
Cast · 4 characters
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Reprints
Reprinted in Dylan Dog de Tiziano Sclavi #9 (2015), Seriemagasinet #1/2001
Key issues in Dylan Dog
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