Over the course of the first season of the animated series Creature Commandos, available to anyone with a Max subscription, screenwriter James Gunn and his team took us deeper into the backstories of the monsters assembled for the crew. Some of these personal histories included references to exciting DC characters, as when G.I. Robot (Sean Gunn) fought alongside Sgt. Rock and the men of Easy Company. All of them were tragic, up to and including the story of the amphibious Nina Mazursky (Zoe Chao). But while Creature Commandos Episode 7 dove into Nina’s tale, it also had several storylines to wrap up – from Frankenstein (David Harbour) and his pursuit of The Bride (Indira Varma) to the pending military conflict in Pokolistan. And the narrative necessity had several DC fans leveling the same complaint in the finale’s aftermath.
Creature Commandos forever will be remembered as the first entry in James Gunn and Peter Safran’s relaunched DCU, which is expected to ramp up in the summer with the release of Superman, not to mention the Max original series Lanterns, and the theatrical feature Superman: Woman of Tomorrow. And for the most part, Creature Commandos did an outstanding job of building out the DC world, using Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) to establish the presence of a new – and very exciting – team of monsters, while also increasing the importance of Rick Flag Sr. (Frank Grillo) as a power broker. I loved each of the backstories for characters like Weasel (Sean Gunn) and Dr. Phosphorous (Alan Tudyk), and dug the mission on which the Creature Commandos embarked. In general, it was a wildly entertaining season that probably could have gone on a few more episodes, with no complaints.
In fact, the buzz on social media in the DC community seemed to focus on one main complaint, and that is that the story – specifically in Episode 7 – felt rushed.
Great season. But the key issues are the length of the episodes, the length of the actual season, and how it felt slightly rushed. As far as characters and the actual story itself, fantastic. Just didn't feel like we got enough of a story or the background. Surely a season 2?January 9, 2025
Creature Commandos ran for seven episodes in its first season, and I can understand why James Gunn and showrunner Dean Lorey would limit themselves out of the gate. This was an unproven property. Animation takes a lot of time, and can be expensive. And the last thing that you want to do is “overstay” your welcome. Better to get in, deliver an entertaining story, and leave them wanting more!
Thumbs up. Liked it overall. A bit too short in my opinion as I think one more episode would've benefitted it but it definitely had amazing highs.January 9, 2025
That could have been one easier solution. Maybe instead of adding an eighth episode, you make one or two of the later episodes – especially the finale – closer to 45 minutes, so that story points could breathe. If I had to single out one story that felt really rushed, it would be Frankenstein eventually finding The Bride, only to have him shot in the chest and left for dead. Part of me wonders if there was a LOT more planned for that interaction, given that Gunn had been teasing out Frank and The Bride since Episode 1. Also, Frankenstein was my favorite character in the series besides G.I. Robot, so he better not be dead…
Again, if the biggest complaint for Creature Commandos ends up being, “I wish this was longer,” then that’s very good news for James Gunn, and the direction of the DCU, in general. The show establishes his unique voice, and his ability to build sustainable, loveable characters. I think he will switch things up for Superman, and I’m very excited for what that becomes. Also, Gunn will get another stab at this property, as Creature Commandos Season 2 already has been confirmed. Maybe we can aim for 9 episodes this time out? With a longer finale? Just asking, for some friends.
