The collywobbles
The new partially rebooted DCU kicks off with the animated series, Creature Commandos. No longer able to use humans viewed as dispensable, the Creature Commandos kick off the Gods and Monsters storylines with several monsters.
Photograph by Courtesy of Max
Belle Reve
The series opens at Belle Reve prison where General Richard Flag Sr. and Amanda Waller are watching news reports from Pokolistan where an Amazonian princess is attacking. Waller introduces Flag to his new team. He knows they can’t use humans like the Suicide Squad but is shocked when he meets the creatures who will make up the Creature Commandos team.
Photograph by Courtesy of Max
Once established with members: G.I. Robot, Weasel, Dr. Phosphorus, the Bride and Nina Mazursky, the team heads out to protect the people of Pokolistan. After setting up at the royal palace, Princess Ilana makes a move on General Flag. Later that night, Dr. Phosphorus attacks Flag to try to get a detonation device that Waller gave to Flag. After a fight, Flag tells Phosphorous that Waller has one of her own and will use it if he reports it. Meanwhile, Flag tries to build trust by not reporting it hoping to turn the Commandos into a true team.
While all this is happening, the Bride and Nina sneak out of the house and arrive at a mansion where the Bride reveals it’s where she was born. Unbeknownst to the pair, they are being watched and the woman keeping an eye on the grounds makes a call to Eric Frankenstein, the Bride’s estranged husband. He makes it clear he’s been waiting for her return as the credits roll on episode one.
Partial Reboot
When James Gunn ascended to the head of DC Studios, he announced a partial reboot for the long snakebitten DCEU. But it wasn’t clear what would remain canon from the DCEU and what would be fully rebooted. This series quickly starts with Viola Davis reprising her role as Amanda Waller. They reference the events of James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, where Weasel survived and Col. Rick Flag Jr., the son of Gen. Rick Flag Sr., died. This means that film is canon, and since it referenced the first Suicide Squad by David Ayer, I guess that means that film is canon too?
Photograph by Courtesy of Max
It makes sense that the DCEU film Gunn directed would carry over into the DCU once he took over the studio. But what about the characters in that film that showed up elsewhere? Does this mean Birds of Prey is canon, because Harley Quinn was in both? Gunn also said Peacemaker season one was canon, except the scene where he was with the Justice League. That makes things even more confusing going forward. Plus, Gunn announced Blue Beetle was the first DCU character to appear on movie screens when that film came out, but he also said the Blue Beetle film was not part of the DCU, so where does that leave anything connected to it.
MCU-DCU crossover
This series shows some major crossover in actors from the Marvel Cinematic Universe to the DC Universe. Obviously, James Gunn who directed three Guardians of the Galaxy films for the MCU is the biggest as he’s the creative mind leading the new DCU. His brother, Sean Gunn, played Weasel in both The Suicide Squad and Creature Commandos and also voices G.I. Robot. Sean Gunn also played Kraglin in the GOTG films.
Photograph by Courtesy of Max
David Harbour also makes the Marvel to DC jump as the voice of Eric Frankenstein. Harbour also plays Red Guardian in Black Widow and Thunderbolts*. And Frank Grillo has the biggest jump as he voices Gen. Flag Sr. Grillo previously played Crossbones in the Captain America and Avengers series. There’s also a minor jump for Maria Bakalova. She voices Cosmo the Space Dog in GOTG 3 and Princess Ilana in Creature Commandos.
Photograph by Courtesy of Max
And while it’s not an MCU crossover, Alan Tudyk has played Marvel characters in non-MCU properties. He appeared in M.O.D.O.K. and Deadpool 2. Of course, he has voiced characters in DC properties going all the way back to Young Justice, so he’s a name who gets a lot of work because of his voice talents. He appears as Dr. phosphorous in this episode and has been linked to numerous other voices later in the series.
Rating
This first episode felt a lot like what Disney already gave us in X-Men 97. The attack on Pokolistan is reminiscent of the attack on Genosha. The treatment of the creatures is similar to the treatment of the X-Men. The first episode was high quality with more of a mature direction than what you’ll find on Disney Plus, but it’s hard to escape the parallels between the two franchises. The Creature Commandos feel like a store brand X-Men through one episode. I’m still going to see this season through because I like the potential.
Check out Creature Commandos on Max.
Article Written By: Jeremy Brown for Stelmach Brown Media 2024
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