‘Creature Commandos’ Review: A Promising Start for the DCU, But Lacking Freshness

Fans of DC adaptations have been waiting for this moment, and now Creature Commandos is finally here. It’s an animated TV show for adults, inspired by DC Comics.

The show follows a secret team of monsters put together by Amanda Waller. It’s the first series in the new DC Universe (DCU). The show has seven episodes, all written by James Gunn. Dean Lorey is the main producer, and Yves “Balak” Bigerel is the director. The voice cast includes Steve Agee, Maria Bakalova, Viola Davis, David Harbour, and more.

James Gunn and Peter Safran announced the series in January 2023 after becoming co-CEOs of DC Studios. The project was already in the works, with the cast revealed in April 2023. The animation was done by the studio Bobbypills.

Now that we’ve covered the technical details, let’s talk about what the show is really like. First, it’s important to note that while Creature Commandos is technically the start of the DCU, as James Gunn and Peter Safran have said, it’s just a small preview of what’s to come in the DC Universe.

As we mentioned earlier, without giving too much away, after things go wrong with Team Peacemaker and the Suicide Squad, Amanda Waller can no longer use regular humans for her secret missions. So, Waller turns to the prisoners at Belle Reve and forms a new team, led by Rick Flag Sr. This team consists of dangerous, monstrous criminals who aren’t even considered human anymore.

The team includes Nina Mazursky, an amphibious scientist, G.I. Robot, a military android designed to kill Nazis, and Weasel, who we’ve already seen before. Also on the team are Doctor Phosphorus, a former scientist who is now permanently radioactive, The Bride, an undead creature created to be Frankenstein’s bride, and Rick Flag Sr., voiced by Frank Grillo.

The show is good, but it doesn’t offer anything new to the genre, especially when compared to Gunn’s previous works

Creature Commandos clearly feels like a continuation of Suicide Squad and Peacemaker. Remember, the entire first season of Peacemaker is part of the DCU, except for the Justice League scene, which will be explained in the show.

Because of this, you won’t really feel like you’re watching the start of a new cinematic universe. The episode structure is very predictable, with a part to introduce each character, a segment meant to be emotional, a funny part, an action scene, and not much time spent on moving the main story forward or explaining what’s happening.

With only 7 episodes, each about 25 minutes long, there isn’t enough time for a complex story. So, if you’re expecting a lot, you might be disappointed. The team dynamics are also very similar to what we’ve seen in Gunn’s other superhero shows.

The way the Creature Commandos team interacts could easily fit into Suicide Squad or Guardians of the Galaxy, and you wouldn’t even notice you’re watching a different group. You’ve got the tough, sassy woman, the dumb strong guy, the cold scientist, the lovable human who mostly gets things done, the animal sidekick, and the chaotic character—it’s all the same.

The character development is really well done, so you get to understand the motivations and backstories of each team member. Creature Commandos could easily be seen as an origin story for the characters rather than setting up a big, ongoing plot. Even though it follows familiar patterns, the characters feel human and relatable.

However, despite the strong development, it might still be hard to fully connect with them or care about their journey.

Gunn’s signature humor is all over the show, along with plenty of gore and references that fans of different franchises will enjoy. My favorite lines came from David Harbour’s version of Frankenstein, and since he’s likely to be a fan favorite, he gets just the right amount of screen time—enough to leave you wanting more.

The animation is smooth and well-executed, and the overall look avoids relying on stereotypes

Gunn wanted the series to fit into the larger DC Universe so that characters and places could appear in both movies and shows.

For example, the team first designed Belle Reve prison to look fancy and gothic, but Gunn made sure it matched the simple design from The Suicide Squad. New locations, like Frankenstein’s mansion, were also made to match this style.

Still, Gunn said he didn’t want to force one specific “look” on the DC Universe, giving each project its own style. Creature Commandos has a grounded but stylized design inspired by Eastern Europe, which is different from the look of Harley Quinn.

The Eastern European locations avoid the typical dull and gloomy look often seen in other media. The action and characters are well-animated, with a clean style that brings back a 90s cartoon feel.

Overall, if the animation quality stays at this level, the studio has a promising future ahead in animated projects.

The soundtrack was definitely one of the standout parts of the show

In August 2024, James Gunn revealed that Kevin Kiner and Clint Mansell, who worked on Peacemaker, are composing the music for Creature Commandos. The theme song is “Moliendo Café” by Venezuelan artist Hugo Blanco. Gunn drew inspiration from bands like Gogol Bordello and the Dresden Dolls to set the show’s musical style.

Each episode features a different song with an Eastern European influence, and the song in the first episode is catchy enough to make it onto your playlist.

The voice acting is strong overall, even though some cast members don’t have much experience in this area.

The show doesn’t require any prior DC knowledge, but by the end, it depends a lot on the larger universe to make sense

The best part of the show is that you don’t need to know about other DCEU movies to enjoy it. Both Rick Flag’s and Waller’s motivations are explained clearly, so you don’t need to watch Suicide Squad or Peacemaker first.

The team is obscure enough that only the most dedicated fans will notice differences from the original comics. It’s easy to jump in without any prior knowledge, especially since it’s the start of a new universe.

However, by the end of the show, you’ll realize it relies a lot on future projects, and the story doesn’t really wrap up—it just sets things up for what’s to come.

Yay or nay?

Let’s start with the best parts of the show: the animation, character development, voice acting, and soundtrack are all strong. The humor and references are spot on, showing Gunn at his best with a team of misfits, embracing the weirdness of it all.

The humor, gore, and references will definitely appeal to fans of Gunn’s past work, and the TV-MA rating lets him show some dark, funny moments. Gunn does a great job balancing comedy, drama, emotional scenes, and action, just like in his previous projects.

Now, the weaker points. The show feels too much like Gunn’s past works because he sticks to what he’s comfortable with. Creature Commandos was already a strange way to start a new universe, and it feels even stranger when you spot elements from Gunn’s previous DCEU projects.

It’s hard to separate the DCEU from the DCU in this show. While Gunn said the transition between the two universes will be smooth, it might just be something that doesn’t sit well with me personally.

The show depends too much on the larger DC Universe, making it feel like it can’t stand on its own. The structure is predictable, with little focus on moving the main plot forward, and the story feels more like an origin than a fully developed arc.

Although the character development is good, it’s hard to really connect with the team or care about what happens to them because there isn’t a strong, self-contained story. In the end, the show teases future projects but doesn’t offer much resolution, leaving the story feeling unfinished.

If you were expecting something new and groundbreaking, don’t! This show isn’t that. But if you’re watching because you enjoy Gunn’s style—weirdness, misfits, humor, and heartwarming moments—then you’ll definitely love it.

6/10