James Gunn and Peter Safran’s long-awaited relaunch of the DC Universe has finally taken off. Keep in mind, not with Gunn’s upcoming Superman film, but with “Creature Commando,” an animated series centered around a monster team going on a globe-trotting mission to save the world. It might sound like a new version of Gunn’s “The Suicide Squad,” but animated and with a team of lesser-known stature. And in many respects, “Creature Commando” is exactly that. However, James Gunn, who wrote all eight episodes, takes advantage of his unique skill set as a character writer/storyteller and delivers an exciting series that pits this C-tier DC team against the newly formed DCU’s “A-Team.” Make sure to make in.
Funnily enough, Gunn’s new turn starts with canonizing The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker spin-offs. Following the events of “Peacemaker”, ARGUS (Advanced Research Group Uniting Super-Humans) director Amanda Waller (Viola Davis, the only ‘close-to-day-one’ cast member to survive the entire franchise reboot) is sanctioned by Congress. Had gone. Use humans from any task force mission. She recruits the late Rick Flag’s father, Rick Flag Sr. (Frank Grillo), to lead a team of super-powered prisoners at Belle Reve on a mission to America’s ally, Pokoliston. There, they must protect Princess Ilana Rostovik (Maria Bakalova) against an Amazonian sorceress named Circe (Anya Chalotra) and her band of militia henchmen called “The Sons of Themyscira”.
The team is composed of creatures that appear monstrous on the outside, but when centralized they contain tragic, tortured souls. There’s Doctor Phosphorus (Alan Tudyk), a radioactive skeleton with plasma flesh and a gruff attitude, and G.I. Robot (Sean Gunn), a robot programmed to kill Nazis no matter which timeline and which one. Also be visible in the country. Additionally, there’s the return of Weasel from “The Suicide Squad”, who is given a sympathetic characterization through only growling, growling, and speaking in whispers. There’s also a sensitive fish woman named Nina Mazursky (Zoe Chao), and finally, there’s a temperamental, hard-edged corpse named The Bride (Indira Varma). Unlike all the other dead “brides”, she wants nothing to do with her Frankenstein (David Harbour), as she is determined to pursue him and make him love her, no matter how many times he refuses for centuries. Do it. (Think of an immortal Pepe Le Pew.)
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” serves somewhat as the motto of “Creature Commando”. It’s all about playing to the mission formula that Gunn mastered in “The Suicide Squad.” In its typical style, the series is a gory, gonzo, raunchy, porn thrill ride, fueled by the same distinctive musical cues as the titular team. Still, Gunn’s humanization of his diverse monster crew amid the sheer bloodshed surrounding it is the fuel that keeps the engine running. Each episode devotes a fair amount of time to exploring each team member’s backstory and learning about their various unfortunate circumstances at Belle Reve. Even Weasel has an origin-story episode, which embarrassingly bugged me.
The characters all share an interesting albeit familiar camaraderie, but given their distinct traits, they’re an entertaining, archetypal group to follow. I found myself mostly attracted to the budding friendship between the tough-talking bride and the very wholesome-looking Nina, as some of the most touching character moments and humorous bits stem from their dynamic.
French-based animation studio Bobbypills, which describes himself As a studio “full of depressed, beautiful, people making cartoons for depressed people”, it is a perfect match for Gunn’s sensibilities. So it’s no surprise to say that the animation is fantastic. The character’s design features a stylish geometric, sharp-edged structure reminiscent of Bobby Pill’s other series, “Captain Laserhawk”. bad boy Producer Mike Mignola. When the ultra-violent action sequences arrive the animation pops and feels like a kinetic graphic novel. It’s one that stands on its own with the distinctive style of “Invincible” or “X-Men ’97”.
The series suffers from a low episode count (only seven). The episodes in the latter half of the season seem to race towards their conclusion, resulting in a mildly unsettling finale. Otherwise, the show is a bloody and brutal good time. If “Creature Commando” is the first showcase of things to come in the Safran/Gunn DC universe, I’m excited to see what happens next.
The entire season was screened for review. Premieres on Max on December 5.