2000 AD #1378
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join free2000 AD Prog 1378 opens 'Brothers of the Blood' (progs 1378–1381), the four-part story that marks the first appearance of Cadet Dolman — a Fargo-line clone who, unlike any of his predecessors, actively rejects the destiny he was engineered for. That choice gave the Judge Dredd mythos its most sustained meditation on free will inside a deterministic clone programme: where Rico (the second) accepts his bred purpose fully, Dolman refuses it, and the quiet contrast between them forces readers to re-examine what 'the law' costs the people it manufactures. The issue is also the gateway to Dolman becoming a recurring figure who resurfaces crucially during 'Day of Chaos' years later, cementing his long-term narrative importance to the saga.
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The story was written by John Wagner, the co-creator of Judge Dredd, and the opening episode of 'Brothers of the Blood' was drawn by Carlos Ezquerra — the character's original and most closely associated artist. Wagner composed the arc in 2004 during a particularly fertile creative run at 2000 AD, immediately preceding his 'Terror'/'Total War' storylines of the same year. The material was collected, along with the earlier Rico-centred stories it builds upon, in the Rebellion trade paperback 'Judge Dredd: Brothers of the Blood' (ISBN 1-904265-85-5), and was later reprinted in 'Judge Dredd: The Complete Case Files 38' and in 'Judge Dredd: The Mega Collection' #53.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance of Cadet Dolman, a clone grown from the DNA of Chief Judge Eustace Fargo (and thus a genetic sibling of Judge Dredd), in 2000 AD Prog 1378 (2004).
- Dolman's debut issue also features Judge Rico (the second Rico, himself a Dredd clone introduced in progs 1186–1188) in a significant co-starring role, as the Academy assigns Rico to mentor Dolman on the streets.
- The story arc running from this issue through prog 1381 is titled 'Brothers of the Blood' and was written by John Wagner with art by Carlos Ezquerra on the opening episode.
- Dolman is a distinctive addition to the Fargo clone line because he ultimately refuses to become a Judge, choosing instead to join the Space Corps — the first clone in the main strip to consciously exit the Justice Department of his own accord.
- During the arc, Dolman meets Vienna Dredd (daughter of the original Rico) for the first time, deepening the recurring 'clone family' sub-plot that Wagner had been building since the early 2000s progs.
- The 'Brothers of the Blood' arc and this issue were reprinted in the Rebellion trade paperback 'Judge Dredd: Brothers of the Blood' (2006), in 'Judge Dredd: The Complete Case Files 38', and in 'Judge Dredd: The Mega Collection' #53.
- Dolman went on to appear in the landmark 'Day of Chaos' mega-arc (around prog 1750s–1790s), returning to Mega-City One and actively assisting the Judges during the city's most catastrophic event of that era.
- Dolman has no given first name — a detail established in his characterisation as someone who considered personal individuality an 'unnecessary encumbrance' given the life he was bred for.
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Reprints
Reprinted in The Red Seas: Under the Banner of King Death #[nn] (2005), Judge Dredd: Brothers of the Blood #[nn] (2006), Droid Life #[nn] (2007), Valkyries #[nn] (2014), Judge Dredd: The Mega Collection #53 (2017), 2000 AD The Ultimate Collection #87 (2020), 2000 AD The Ultimate Collection #106 (2021), Judge Dredd: The Complete Case Files #38 (2021)
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