Creature Commandos launches the new DC Universe: mission accomplished (review)

While waiting for Superman, James Gunn unveils the first official series from the new DC Studios which he pilots with Peter Safran. A fun, bloody, colorful and rhythmic cartoon. No surprise.

What the new DC Universe will look like James Gunnthe one who should make us forget the multiple failures of past films? We don't really have the answer afterwards Creature Commandos. The very first creation of the new DC Studios which he pilots with Peter Safran has just been launched (on Max in France) and the first episodes are exactly what we expected.

Without any surprise, this alternative to Suicide Squadpopulated by wacky and dangerous creatures, comes across as an explosive cartoon, absolutely bearing the “Gunn” touch. Creature Commandos is a very fun cartoon and carried by an exhilarating soundtrack (we already love the Gogol Bordelloan old American gypsy punk group which takes over the Mano Negra) which infuses each scene with its own little dose of adrenaline. It's bloody, but not too bloody. Violent, but not excessive. Beautifully staged, but in a sober and effective manner.

In other words, Creature Commandos accomplishes its mission but does not overturn the table. While Invincible (on Prime Video) completely broke the codes of the superheroic genre or that Arcana (on Netflix) has just blown us away visually, this animated series (made by the French Bobbypills) remains in the mold. A little tangy appetizer, which should make your saliva rise while waiting for the dish Superman (in July 2025 in cinemas). A spelle “gentle introduction to our universe in which meta humans exist, monsters exist, magic exists and incredibly complicated political situations exist” summarizes Gunn in Variety.

Except that we understand straight away that Creature Commandos is not quite the opening of the new DC Universe, since it is the direct sequel to The Suicide Squadthe film of James Gunn (2021). Viola Davis returns to do Amanda Waller (in VO), who no longer has the right to use the humans of “Task Force X”, after the events of Corto Maltese (the final scene of the film with the giant starfish). As a result, she will recruit non-human creatures to form this new Task Force – nicknamed “Task Force M”. Their first mission: save a small country in Eastern Europe, allied with the USA (for its oil), which is being attacked by a rebel Amazon from the Island of Themyscira. At the head of the group we find Colonel Rick Flag, who has risen in rank (he is now General Flag). Sean Gunn also returns to do Weasel, the horrible bloodthirsty weasel who was already present in the film at the time.

James Gunn therefore signs here a pure and simple continuation of his work, keeping his recipe which works every time: fighting, rhythm and black humor in each sequence. Exactly what we expect of him… but will he be able to reproduce the same recipe for Superman ? No, Gunn already warns (in Variety), who wanted to establish from the outset that he would be able to dare in his new DC Universe. But… “It's not about creating a world in which everything is sex and violence. We're also going to make films for the whole family, which are aimed at the general public, like Superman”. So to what extent can we really gauge the future DC Cinematic Universe from Creature Commandos ?*

Creature Commandos, in 7 episodes to watch on Max from December 5.