Creature Commandosis the first official DCU project to be released under that banner, and James Gunn has started things strong with a hilarious animated show aimed at a mature audience. WhileCreature Commandosintroduces several lesser-known characters from DC Comics, Gunn has proven his strength at turning obscure characters into fan favorites, and he does the same here. Combined with beautiful animation and clear references to the emerging universe just beyond the horizon, the show has great promise.
Cast
Creature Commandosfollows a mismatched team of convicted criminals who get an opportunity to play hero.Similar toThe Suicide Squad, the team consists of villains who are viewed as dispensable and unworthy, but Amanda Waller opts to put them to work under the threat of even more severe punishments. Where this team diverges from the Suicide Squad is the fact that they are all classified as monsters, not humans. This loophole makes it an easy pitch to send a group of subhuman criminals into the line of duty.
Creature Commandos Opens Strong, But It Feels Slightly Repetitive
When introducing a group of less popular characters from the cobwebbed corners of the DC archives, it makes sense they need a proper introduction. Considering the runtime for each episode is around 22 minutes, Gunn ensures that those introductions are all taken care of by the end of episode 1. However, it does feel like a moment largely copied and pasted from his 2021 filmThe Suicide Squad. This idea is further reinforced by the fact that Viola Davis returns as Amanda Waller and spends some time introducing the new team to Captain Rick Flag Sr. (Frank Grillo).
As always, Gunn’s strengths appear in the music selection, and the economical and strong writing.
This needs to happen, but despite being the launch point for the new DCU, it feels so similar to a previous project that it’s jarring. Fortunately, once the introductions are out of the way, the episode gets into the swing of things and the plot for the season is laid out with Task Force M receiving their first mission.
As always,Gunn’s strengths appear in the music selectionand the economical and strong writing. On top of this, the voice actors give a lot of personality to each character, making them distinct, and the animation for the show is a beautiful style that matches the monsters and storytelling.
And despite having a very similar tone toThe Suicide Squadand the originalGuardians of the Galaxy,Creature Commandosis different enough with its animation and episodic storytelling. The remainder of season 1’s episodes should further define and refine its unique nature and dynamics as the characters' personalities shine through. Fortunately, the actors cast for each of the main characters have their roles down, and there is plenty of character development even in just the first two episodes.
Creature Commandos Episode 2 Establishes A Strong Pattern For Season 1
While episode 1 sets up the overall plot and delivers some quick introductions to the monsters that form the team, episode 2 takes some huge steps in the right direction for the quality, engagement, and excitement of the show. With some time to interact, the team is beginning to establish themselves and connections between the members are beginning to be formed. This episode offers insight into the origin of the Bride (Indira Varma), while splicing those flashback moments with the present. This connected storytelling is executed perfectly, never feeling clunky, or detracting from either side of the story.
The result is an incredibly articulate and exciting episode that does more in 20 minutes than many TV shows accomplish in an entire season.
Gunn’s writing provides an incredible foundation for both sides of this story to be told simultaneously. The result is an incredibly articulate and exciting episode that does more in 20 minutes than many TV shows accomplish in an entire season. In addition, there are important beats delivered by other characters, like Flag, Doctor Phosphorous (Alan Tudyk), and Nina (Zoë Chao). This immediately heightens the stakes and takes the series from something fun and irreverent to really worth watching. And with the origin story for Bride being established early on, it feels reminiscent of theaward-winning filmPoor Things.
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By looking back at Valya and Tula’s past, we get a glimpse into who they really are and why they are so desperate to gain power in the Imperium.
Episode 2 also appears to establish a pattern for the series as a whole, connecting the past to the present. Overall, the show combines individually strong elements that are executed to a high standard, creating a very worthy foundation for the DCU.Creature Commandosfeels exciting, introducing brand-new characters with a side of incredible humor and wit.
The first two episodes ofCreature Commandospremiere on Max on December 5. The remaining five episodes will release weekly each Thursday through January 9.
