M for Monster: DC’s Creature Commandos Premiere Review

It’s alive! It’s alive! The DCU, helmed by James Gunn and Peter Safran, is officially rolling off the slab and onto screens with its first animated TV series. Creature Commandos gives the DC Universe a jolt with more than a few bangs in the double-episode premiere.

How does Creature Commandos fit into the larger DC Universe? What might be the larger implications of its story? Well, we’re two episodes in but the possibilities are brighter than Dr. Phosphorus. And that’s saying a lot.

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Task Force M

Episode 1, titled “The Collywobbles,” begins with the traditional introduction from Amanda Waller to the various misfits included in her latest task force. It’s certainly not the Suicide Squad but there are similarities, namely a Flag being recruited to keep the weirdos in line. General Richard Flag is Rick Flag’s father.

Right off the bat, Waller and Flag establish where Creature Commandos lives in the DC Universe. The events of Peacemaker are canonized in that Amanda Waller’s A.R.G.U.S. operations are now under close scrutiny. And General Flag is still reeling from his son’s death at the hands of Peacemaker himself. In short, things are a mess. And nobody can fix a mess better than those who have nothing to lose. Waller’s Task Force M includes the Bride, Dr. Nina Mazursky, Dr. Phosphorus, G.I. Robot, and the only survivor of Project Starfish — Weasel.

Waller and Flag watch as a news report shows “some nutjob in a witch’s hat,” AKA Circe, terrorizing Pokolistan. Circe is from Wonder Woman’s hometown, Themyscira, and her group of minions, the Sons of Themyscira, threaten Pokolistan’s natural resources. Naturally, the U.S. government can’t let that happen.

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M for Monster

At the Belle Reve Non-Human Internment Division, five individuals are prime candidates for a mission that would benefit from “beings that aren’t human.” After all, monsters are more expendable. Aside from G.I. Robot, whose main imperative is to annihilate Nazis (keep it up, buddy), each of Task Force M’s members are compelling versions of the Universal Monsters.

For that reason, the show especially shines when it characterizes these monsters with small touches. The Bride is righteously angry, carved in fear and forged by two men long ago. Dr. Nina Mazursky, much like Gill-Man of The Creature from the Black Lagoon, toes the line between humanity and monstrosity. Flag and Waller position Nina as a potential leader of the team, which would be an asset because of her obvious warmth and heart. But the Bride also naturally falls into a leader position. This frenemy tension between the two women is one of the best parts of the show because it represents the team’s fraught dynamic.

Finally, Weasel is the feral sense of wildness found in the Wolf Man and Dr. Phosphorus is just unhinged enough to be like the Invisible Man. Together, this group could do great things. Or it could be a big disaster. Both will be exciting to watch.

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Problems in Pokolistan

Overall, this initial conflict is interesting. The Creature Commandos travel to Pokolistan to protect the country’s princess, Ilana Rostovic. The U.S. has a special interest in protecting the country’s natural resources because it hopes to exploit them for its own purposes. Sounds familiar. Even the constant description of a foreign country as “backwards” reflects the real world’s social dynamics.

In addition, bringing in Circe is a strong choice. Not only is she a welcome addition to the usually male-dominated field of DC super-villains, but she also connects to a future DCU project, Paradise Lost. This live-action series will focus on the inhabitants of Themyscira. And of course, Amanda Waller will be returning in her own solo live-action TV series.

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Over at Frankenstein Manor

But back to the monsters. Both episodes build a sense of intrigue and foreboding, especially with the Bride’s background. The sinister, spooky visuals when she arrives at Frankenstein Manor are perfect for expanding on her backstory and introducing the next member of the squad: Eric Frankenstein.

With chilling organs and hacked up body parts on an operating table, episode 2 “The Tourmaline Necklace” has a spectacular opening sequence. As the story goes, back in 1831 Frankenstein’s monster begged his creator for a mate. But Victor had his doubts. Still, Eric Frankenstein’s insistence won out and the Bride was born. This background plot captures the true essence of the grotesque reanimation process and its horrific impact on the monsters’ psyches, going from”nothing to something in an instant.” Without a tether to humanity, Victor dooms his creations from the start — Eric to loneliness and the Bride to disconnection. She doesn’t even have a name.

Drowning Out the Caterwaul

Tourmaline represents creativity as well as protection, which encapsulates the relationship that grows between Victor and the Bride. As Bride and Nina storm the castle to retrieve Bride’s lost necklace, her memories are flooded with the night her heart shattered to pieces. At the same time, Circe and her men close in.

While the Bride expertly puts the Sons of Themyscira in their place (reminiscent of Harley Quinn’s prison escape in The Suicide Squad), we come to understand why she’s so angry. Plus, the battle between Bride and Circe is top-tier animated fighting. The parallels between their climactic showdown and the peak of Bride’s passion with Victor portray the Bride’s inner demons perfectly.

However,  the montage that quickly follows of Bride and Eric facing each other over the years undercuts the previous moment’s emotional impact. It’s good insight into their characters but the upbeat Gogol Bordello song is a jarring transition from the previous moment. Maybe it would have been better placed at the start of episode 3. Still, it’s extremely fun to see flapper, go go, and grunge versions of the Bride.

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So far, Creature Commandos excels in its portrayal of the monsters’ humanity — aside from Weasel, of course. He’s kinda just Weasel. But there’s also no doubt the humans will show their monstrous sides as well. What are your thoughts on the first DCU animated series, Creature Commandos?

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