Welcome to the Couch Club, our recurring column devoted to all things #DCTV! This week, Joshua Lapin-Bertone discusses why Amanda Waller’s new task force has things even worse than her previous one.
 

Where do you draw the line between monsters and humans? It’s a question I’ve pondered as I’ve watched Max’s Creature Commandos. The animated series has been a wonderful introduction to James Gunn and Peter Safran’s new DC Universe. It’s thrilling, funny, heartfelt…and full of so much gratuitous violence. Seriously, rewatch “Cheers to the Tin Man” and try to keep up with the kill count. Or if you really want to get crazy—and you’re of legal drinking age—take a shot every time Doctor Phosphorous melts someone’s face off. You will not make it to the end.

But let’s address the elephant in the room. Since Creature Commandos debuted, there have been some comparisons to other James Gunn projects. A team of misfits embark on a mission together and become a found family? At first glance, it sounds like the same setup as 2021’s The Suicide Squad and that team of intergalactic guardians that Gunn assembled for another marvelous studio. However, once you watch Creature Commandos, the differences become clear.

Task Force X was made up of mercenaries, assassins and career criminals. Task Force M is monsters. How do you distinguish between the two?  Suicide Squad members like Bloodsport and Ratcatcher 2 can blend in with the rest of the world. They can walk into their local coffee shop and order a drink without raising any eyebrows. Task Force M members like Nina Mazursky and Doctor Phosphorus can’t do that.

Barring any scientific or magical miracles, the Creature Commandos will never live a normal life. This has given them a different worldview. If we had a long conversation with Doctor Phosphorus, you would probably find that his goals and ideals are far different than Harley Quinn or Peacemaker’s.

To be fair, there are some similarities between Task Force X and M. King Shark would fit in with the rest of the Creature Commandos. In fact, Weasel was a member of both teams (even if he doesn’t realize it). But Weasel and King Shark are the exceptions. They were monsters on a team full of humans, while Task Force M is nothing but monsters.

It’s also interesting to note how Amanda Waller is using them. To be clear, she uses everyone. The entire world is her chessboard, and she thrives on manipulating and using other people as pawns. She won’t think twice about putting another human in the line of fire if it serves her goals. However, she appears to be taking a different approach with Task Force M.

You might recall that Waller placed bombs in the skulls of Task Force X and didn’t hesitate to detonate them if the members got out of line. (Slipknot, we hardly knew ye.) For Task Force M, the bombs have been replaced with painful electricity jolts. Is this a sign of compassion on Waller’s part? Hardly. My theory is Waller realizes her assets are limited, so she’s working with what she has. The government has tied her hands and she’s no longer able to use humans, but she’s bending the rules by using monsters and she doesn’t have enough to lose any just to prove a point.

In some ways this speaks to the overall theme of the Creature Commandos being the unwanted and unloved. Even for Amanda Waller, these monsters were the second choice. Nobody wants them, even the woman who wants to use everybody.

In some ways, she’s even crueler to them. With Task Force X, Waller would offer them better prison accommodations, assistance for their families, or even reduced sentences. It’s a promise of hope. However, Task Force M gets no such promise. She views them as less than human and takes for granted that they will do what she says. No riches or freedom promised, they are simply animals locked in her cage.

As a result, the members of Task Force M yearn for agency and affection. Nina Mazursky is a great example. Look at the moment where the little girl waves to Nina in the premiere episode, “The Collywobbles.” Most of us wouldn’t think twice about a friendly child waving, but for Nina that moment was everything. This was probably the most kindness anyone has shown her in years. It was a genuine human connection and it made Nina’s day.

It at least somewhat explains why Nina is so desperate to form a connection with the Bride. She’s isolated and wants a friend. When you’re desperate for any sort of connection, you’ll follow someone to an ominous castle, even if they insult you every second of the way.

That same episode also has Doctor Phosphorus attempt to steal the remote control that triggers their electrical shocks. After a violent (and epic) fight with Rick Flag Sr., Phosphorous is told that his plan was stupid because Waller and Flag had backup remotes. However, Flag was missing the point. Phosphorous probably suspected that there were more remotes, but that’s a chance he was willing to take. In fact, he was willing to bet his life on it.

Why? Because he had nothing to lose. A shot at freedom, even if it was only brief, was better than anything Waller was offering Phosphorus. He’s been forced to live as a monster, isolated from society and used as a tool. At least stealing the remote would give him some agency, even if he died minutes later.

This is where Creature Commandos differs from Gunn’s other projects. Task Force M is filled with members who have no hope, no prospects and no joy. I can’t help but feel for them. They may be unlovable monsters and misfits to the people of their world, but somehow, they’ve captured my heart. I’d imagine they’ve captured plenty of yours as well.
 

Creature Commandos is now streaming on Max. Look for new episodes every Thursday.

Joshua Lapin-Bertone writes about TV, movies and comics for DC.com, is a regular contributor to the Couch Club and writes our monthly Batman column, "Gotham Gazette." Follow him on Bluesky at @joshualapinbertone and on X at @TBUJosh.

NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Joshua Lapin-Bertone and do not necessarily reflect those of DC or Warner Bros. Discovery, nor should they be read as confirmation or denial of future DC plans.