Creature Commandos streams new episodes every Thursday through January 9, 2025 on Max. UK airdates are yet to be confirmed.
Review
Strap yourselves in DC fans. Our first foray in to James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DCU is finally here. Creature Commandos lays out ambitious plans for a fully-realised DCU. With weight of an entire shared multimedia universe in the hands of Gunn and his animation team, can this ragtag bunch of monstrous characters prove their ambitious plans are worth our time?
In typical Gunn fashion Creature Commandos is loud and packed to the gills. Right out of the gate we’re thrown in to the action. A group calling themselves the “Sons of Themyscira” has reportedly joined forces with Circe (Anya Chalotra) a reported sorceress and rogue Amazonian. The group is threatening the delicate balance of political power in the DCU by invading the fictional – and seriously deep-cut – location of Pokolistan. In the DCU the country is a tiny fragment of the broken-up Czech Republic which may ring a bell with comic book readers. It’s unlikely this name was chosen completely at random. It’s ties to Superman and Action Comics may even tease the direction of travel a certain bald villain may be taking in next year’s Superman.
Circle also claims to be the air to the throne of Themyscira, potentially hinting at the political struggles of the hidden island which may be explored in its own previously announced series. In a jab at so-called woke politics, the all-male group is working for Circe in the hope she will allow them to conquer the all-female island.
Within mere frames of animation Gunn has shown us a well known DC villain and name-dropped the home of Wonder Woman. Those familiar with his writing will know Gunn never drops names for shock-value. These are important nuggets of information as to what’s happening in the DCU so get ready to stand up and take note.
Circe’s dastardly plans mean Waller needs to send a team to Pokolistan to investigation. That means it’s time for our roll call of ridiculous and irrepressibly compelling characters begins. When last we saw Waller she had Rick Flag working for her as Task Force X entered the Corto Maltese to infiltrate Project Starfish (see The Suicide Squad). Sadly that mission saw Flag killed by Peacemaker. Now she has Rick Flag Sr. (Frank Grillo) at her side. His character is a central focus in this episode, with each episode moving forwards also putting the spotlight on to members of his team. Creature Commandos is typical of Gunn’s writing, elevating character development to the same level as the overarching plot. Flag, whilst dedicated to his mission, bears the weight of his loss and “The Collywobbles” is quick to emphasise that means he isn’t afraid to flex Waller’s trademark icy demeanour to connect with his team.
Creature Commandos introduces to its team in typically loud fashion, taking a page from the original Suicide Squad and Gunn’s own The Suicide Squad. The already animated series gets even more animated as Waller announces her picks for Task Force M(onster): The Bride (Indira Virma), Nina Mazursky (Zoe Chao), GI Robot (Sean Gunn), Weasel (also Gunn) and Dr. Phosphorus (Alan Tudyk).
The series only clocks in at 25 minute episodes so there isn’t room to pack in character development for each of them in every scene. But what Gunn does incredibly well is give insight in to who they are. Whether it’s Weasel’s playfulness or GI Robot’s constant need to recount his previous missions. There’s plenty going on behind each character to ensure the audience become fully engrossed in their stories. It’s the same approach which Gunn used to make The Suicide Squad such a captivating story. He fundamentally understands that an audience will coming along for even the most preposterous ride when the human heart underneath is relatable.
A lot of that heart and emotion is driven by the series cast. Grillo settles in Flag Sr. instantly. He feels at ease interacting with Viola Davis as her subordinate both also carries the authority to lead the team. The format of the series, focussing on a different character each episode, will give each actor the chance to shine. But as an ensemble they also seem to gel very quickly as the series thrusts us in to a world where their relationships – mostly – already exist. As for Davis, she’s had almost a decade to get used to playing Waller and that voice instantly cuts through as if no time has passed.
The series animation style plays incredibly well on screen. It’s so clean and crisp yet filled with fine detail. DC’s own Tomorrowverse had its detractors for its use of bold outlines and block colours. Creature Commandos takes those aesthetics to incredible levels. Less inspired by Otto Schmidt, the series still carries much of his design sensibilities. What’s most impressive is just how much details the animators are able to pack in to the frame. Gunn has spoken at length about the DCU being one integrated world. A world where actors can move freely between animation and live-action in their roles. So it seems the locations in Creature Commandos are designs to reflect potentially tangible sets in the real world.
Belle Reve springs to life and feels like another wing of the prison we saw in The Suicide Squad. Likewise Pokolistan perfectly encapsulates the design Lagrange of Eastern-European architecture. Though it might be a fictional country it’s as meticulously designed as any real-world location which is translated in to animation.
Verdict
Creature Commandos fires out of the gate with a meticulous first episode which sets up strong character arcs as well as a mission capable of carrying us through the seven-episode season. As mission statements go, James Gunn certainly knows how to tell the audience to expect the unexpected.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
