He is a big boy.

Polarstus is also known in lore and legend around the galaxy as “the star eater” but few believe that this giant monster actually exists. The bulk of Xenotrackers is about brilliant xenobiologist Goja Femb, who earnestly believes there is an entire array of leviathan species out there; Leviathans being the term for kaiju in the comic.

And yes, he is very heavily inspired by Godzilla.

As for Polarstus, he has remained largely hidden because of long hibernation periods within stars, which seems impossible. But what is impossible to a kaiju, anyway?

Let me know if you want to see me adapt Dracula someday. If you are interested in supporting what I do, you can do so through donations on Ko-Fi. I also take commissions.

The post 2025 Sketchbook #031 – Polarstus appeared first on hpkomics.com.

So this sketchbook entry is a little noodling about what I might do. You get to see a bit of my design process as well.

Count Dracula in Many Forms

My own experience of reading Bram Stoker’s novel has always emphasized the undead element of the monster. I like the imagery of a faded noble reduced to a corpse who tries to maintain an illusion of their status within their abandoned castle. As much as I like Bela Lugosi as the Count, it isn’t exactly what I envision with Dracula as a character. I was always more taken with Max Schreck’s Orlock as a depiction of Count Dracula.

Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu was fantastic and I am very much obsessed with it. I also appreciate that the Orlock of the film leans on the heavy mustache look, which I always associate with Stoker’s novel. So, whenever I do my own Dracula adaptation, the mustache is essential to my take.

Just yesterday I had a chance to watch Le Vourdalak, a French film about a vampire, and the vampire is a marionette. it is a wonderful movie, and the puppeteered, shriveled corpse struck me very much. I have a thing for undead characters.

Designing Dracula

So, that’s the thought process that aligned and led to my take on the Count, here. This is just noodling and a rough pass, but I have ideas. I like the idea of the thick mustache helping hide the fangs within the mouth with shriveled lips. It has a particular abject quality to it. Imagine the bristling mustache parting to reveal four, sharp teeth. Imagine the grotesque accumulation of blood within the thick, aging mustache hairs. Oh, and of course I want those pointy ears on my version.

I have a sense of a possible outfit for the character here, partially inspired by the bundled look of Gorcha from Le Vourdalak. But, I’d probably aim for the heavy durry coat and Turkish influence of Orlock from the recent Nosferatu. As the story progresses, we see Dracula’s form flesh out a bit more, but this would be the initial frightening appearance revealed to Harker in dim lighting.

Let me know if you want to see me adapt Dracula someday. If you are interested in supporting what I do, you can do so through donations on Ko-Fi. I also take commissions.

The post 2025 Sketchbook #029 – Dracula appeared first on hpkomics.com.

Revenge of Graphic Content #11: Creature Commandos – S1E7 –  “A Very Funny Monster”

The final episode of the first season of Creature Commandos, “A Very Funny Monster,” continues the streak of strong episodes throughout the season. But it does feel a little lacking as a season finale as the pacing problem from the first episode rears its head.

However, the focus on a tragic backstory does a lot to elevate the material. Overall, “A Very Funny Monster” delivers a memorable, if not a little lacking, conclusion.

The Good – Nina Mazursky’s Tragic Hour

The episode has two tasks: the first is to create a good episode that spotlights the show’s remaining monster, Nina Mazursky. The second is to create a conclusion that pulls the threads of the season together. “A Very Funny Monster” does well on the former and less so on the latter.

The core of the episode is a race against time as Task Force M approaches the goal of killing Princess Ilana Rostovic. This is as Waller and Enonomos try to piece together exactly what Flag, Sr. mentions as he briefly comes out of a coma. All the while, the episode presents flashbacks to the tragic story of Nina Mazursky and her even more tragic fate.

As a whole, the episode works quite well with the ticking clock element. The slow ramp-up to Nina needing to be the one to kill the Princess is also well handled, as the flashbacks create a great deal of tension. The fallout of the attempted assassination is brutal and nobody wins, least of all poor Nina.

Nina Mazursky: A Victim of Circumstance

Nina is the show’s most tragic character. Even with Weasel and G.I. Robot, there is a killer streak to both of them and they are undoubtedly dangerous. It doesn’t excuse how society in the DCU has treated them for their monstrosity, but it does make sense.

This is not the case with Nina, however. Zoë Chao did a great job all season making Nina an endearing character through her voice acting. She does so here, as well, underscoring the tragedy our favorite fish-girl faces. Added to the mix is Gregg Henry, a long-time Gunn collaborator, who plays the role of Nina’s scientist father, Edward.

Edward’s loving devotion to Nina is heartwarming and ultimately heartbreaking. His struggle to spare her a life of trauma due to a rare birth defect only creates more problems for her. As a toddler, she is forced to wear an iron lung as a suit, and then his later experiment mutates her into the form we see in Creature Commandos.

She loses any sense of having a “normal” life at his instances of trying to foster it upon her. She eventually chooses to live in isolation among the sewers and ponds of Star City, but because of her appearance, she is captured; she is a monster, after all. And in a final gesture of love, Edward reunites with his daughter, only to be killed advocating for her.

The Fate of Nina Mazursky

I am, of course, omitting some details. All of this tragic background is meant to connect us to Nina even further as she ultimately commits to doing explicit harm for the first time in her life: assassinating the Princess as she is taking her morning swim. Nina becomes something akin to the monster she has always been labeled as for the first time, and as a result, she loses her life when the assassination fails due to Princess Ilana being more than she seems.

Did Nina need to die? Yes. The world of the monsters has been largely unfair to them, and its moment is used to solidify the character of The Bride. Nina is a victim, through and through. She was never fit for an A.R.G.U.S. task force, but what could she do to advocate for herself? The minute she attempts to fit into the model of the monster she has had thrust upon her, she loses her life.

It is unfair and tragic. It’s by far the most unfair existence among the members of Task Force M. It will be something that likely haunts The Bride for a long time, as her genuine, growing affection for Nina was one of the highlights of the show.

Nina Mazursky: A tragic life, cut short, in service to making a monster better.

The Bad – Despite the Excellence of Nina Mazursky’s Story, Pacing Problems, Yet Again

As fascinating and affecting as everything surrounding Nina in the episode, the show suffers from pacing issues, again. Narrative threads are pulled together, but less successfully and less organically than they should have. The show has been hampered by the limited runtime of the season. Given shows in the streaming landscape tend to have 8 to 10 episodes, the 7-episode order for Creature Commandos seems incredibly limited given what the show is. At around 23 minutes for each episode, the show only allowed us to spend around 160 minutes with the characters and tell its story.

This was certainly not enough. The show could have benefited from at least an eighth episode to space out some of the reveals and backstories. The confluence of events and schemes presented in Pokolistan are laid out pretty succinctly by the end of this seventh episode, but to tap into another James Gunn project, It feels very Scooby-Doo.

Further, the runtime did affect character development quite a bit. It is impressive that we ended up getting enough time with each monster to get a sense of who they are and their unique circumstances. However, relationships ended up lacking. As nice as the beginnings of a real friendship between The Bride and Nina were, we don’t get enough of it for the loss of Nina to truly land. We get that The Bride is hurt by this, and why she opts to kill the Princess herself. Yet, the friendship should have been developed further to make the horror of everything more effective.

And while the show has done a lot of interesting work with Eric Frankenstein, the finale leaves very little development on that front, which feels like an issue.

The Monstrous – Nina Mazursky

Of the various members of Task Force M depicted in the show, Nina Mazursky is among the most changed. Created by Jeff Lemire and Ibraim Roberson in the Flashpoint era (2010s), her most recent incarnation begins in Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E. by Jeff Lemire and Alberto Ponticelli. Nina is absolutely a newer character among those who make up the team on the show.

Her comic counterpart is a scientist and former mother who loses their child. In trying to find some purpose, she ends up forming the Creature Commandos and willingly subjecting herself to amphibious mutation.

All in all, she ends up being a somewhat noble mad scientist, which is quite a departure from what people will experience with the show’s take on her.

Continuity Notes

Some notes on this week’s episode.

• We get a glimpse of the season two lineup of Task Force M – Bride, Weasel, and Phosphorus to start. However, we also see Nosferata, Khalis, King Shark, and a rebuilt G.I. Robot.
• It appears the Commandos will be given a little more autonomy going forward. At least based on the way Economos treats the Bride in the lead-up to the reveal.
• Flag, Sr. is probably going to be less in the field for a while, which might explain his role going into the upcoming Superman film.
• Our final tracks for the ongoing playlist include The Dead Brothers’ “I Am All I Got,” Johnny Hollow’s “People Are Strange,” and Juke Baritone’s “Hey God.” I hope this weekly playlist is something that continues into season 2.
• King Shark showing up means Polka Dot Man is probably dead, but we’ll see what happens.
• I laughed when Phosphorus called Weasel “Fruit Brute” as I love my monster cereals.

Mission Rating

As a singular episode, a lot of “A Very Funny Monster” works well. The backstory of Nina is among the most tragic in the series, and the revelation of Princess Ilana’s scheme mostly works. The loss of Nina is a cruel, but pointed commentary about monstrosity and how others are punished for imagined slights. But, it should do a lot to develop The Bride as we go forward. But as a season finale, the show suffers the pacing issues that were present in the first episode. With luck, maybe season 2 will have an extra episode.

Creature Commandos – “A Very Funny Monster” gets three ghost emoji. A solid story, and a decent job of tying together loose threads, but ultimately harmed by pacing issues.

Creature Commandos is currently streaming on MAX.

Thanks for reading Revenge of Graphic Content. Let me know what you thought of the episode or the review. I want to find a balance between writing just enough and too much.

In the meantime, if you enjoyed the review or any of the other writing on my site, please consider supporting what I do on Ko-Fi.

The post Revenge of Graphic Content #11: Creature Commandos – S1E7 –  “A Very Funny Monster” appeared first on hpkomics.com.

Revenge of Graphic Content #10: Creature Commandos – S1E6 –  “Priyatel Skelet”

This episode continues what has been an entertaining and often shocking season of television, though some cracks have shown. Between a backstory that isn’t as compelling as prior characters, and too many loose threads, one can’t help be be concerned about the season finale to a degree.

With that said, however, “Priyatel Skelet” is still a wonderfully episode with a massive cameo regarding a central DCU character.

The Good – Phosphorous Doing His Thing and the Convergence of Plotlines

What a fun, violent episode that gave us a little more time with the remaining Creature Commandos before we’re sure to lose another one. Much like prior episodes, we get a backstory focus this week. This time we get into the history of Doctor Phosphorus, who has become a highlight of the show, partially due to the wonderful performance put in by Alan Tudyk week to week. Boy did this episode give him a lot to do .

Phosphorus’ backstory is suitably tragic and helps contextualize his turn to villainy. A scientist, Alex Sartorius, researching a cancer cure, ends up bankrolled by Gotham gangster Rupert Thorne. Inevitably, the scientist is punished by the gangster, resulting in the murder of his wife and child, and the scientist being framed for their murder. These scenes are disturbing and traumatic, especially due to the primal howls and whimpers of Tudyk.

Inevitably, as these things go, Phosphorus is thrown into his experiment and melted down by the gangsters, only to survive and go on a gruesome, but often funny revenge montage, resulting in the new villain in Gotham wiping Thorne and taking over his criminal empire.

Except throw in a stereotypical pimp suit, synchronized dancing, and the hype-generating cameo of a rooftop Batman busting up Phosphorus’ criminal empire. None of this is particularly new or innovative, but it is fun. That is all we need sometimes.

In the present, while on the run from the Amethyst Knights of Pokolistan, he ends up bonding with a little girl, who calls him “Priyatel Skelet,” or “friendly skeleton,” giving us the title of this week’s episode.

Two Monsters Enter a Brothel

The second biggest storyline of the week again pairs the Bride and Nina Mazursky as the pair escape patrols by hiding in a brothel. Any chance to have the characters interact is welcome. With that said, this was a relatively simple b-plot that doesn’t do much beyond presenting an opportunity for Nina to step up before the big episode, which also happens to be the season finale.

With that said, it is always a good time to see some terrible men (the real monsters, here) get their asses kicked by strong women, as Nina comes to the aid of a sex worker, only for the Bride to come in and finish the job. What was most interesting was the fact that two of the patrons were metahumans, and the Madam (played by the iconic Shohreh Aghdashloo) was well aware of metahuman abilities. Gunn is establishing a DCU where superpowers are not exactly rare, which should have a real effect on the day-to-day lives of civilians. We’ll see if that is a thread that carries through further productions.

Doctor Phosphorus and Task Force M on a Collision Course

As for the rest of the episode, we get the various threads begin to converge, but we’re still left with many, many questions, which is concerning given this is the penultimate episode of the season. Flag, Sr. is in a coma, Frankenstein is coming to stop the assassination of the Princess, and Weasel may turn against his fellow creature given the Princess’ visual similarity to the little girl he once knew. All the while, we still don’t know what the Circe and Clayface angles are here. But at least we get a sweet scene of Weasel bonding with wolves, and a kick-ass walk toward the castle to close out the episode.

The Bad – Doctor Phosphorus, Aside, Are We Gonna Stick the Landing, Here?

This is a good episode, no doubt. If anything we can trust that Creature Commandos will entertain us. With that said, I do think this was a weaker episode to a degree for a couple of reasons. And no, not even the reveal of The Batman is enough to temper some concerns, however minor they are.

While I find Doctor Phosphorous’ origins interesting, entertaining, and tragic, he lacks the complexity of some of the other members of Task Force M. This doesn’t necessarily make him a weak character because of this. If anything, phosphorus has become a highlight of the show. The issue is that his origins are extremely typical of super villainy and offer little in surprise. The zeal in which he leaned into the madness and took to wholesale murder and crime isn’t necessarily any different than any other villainous origin I have read. Any surprise that comes from his flashback storyline emerges entirely from the quick Batman cameo. I wouldn’t say I was shocked that Rupert Thorne is gone, maybe a little surprised, but that doesn’t necessarily add anything to my take on Phosphorus here, either.

His decision not to kill the little girl in Pokolistan is undercut by his flashback; yes, we are concerned about his menace in the present day. Yet the minute we saw he had a kid, there was no doubt he’d spare the little girl. This isn’t a weakness, but also, it isn’t exactly novel either.

Loose Threads Everywhere

My second concern is that the season finale is up next and we don’t have a lot of answers yet. Much like Amanda Waller as she watches over a comatose Flag, Sr., we have far too many questions given the short runtime of the show we have left. While the show has been given the green light for a second season, we still need a lot of answers and that second season was never a guarantee. How will all this shake out?

I am optimistic, but even then, there are many threads to follow up on for what was likely to be a single season of television with less than six hours of runtime.

The Monstrous – Doctor Phosphorus

Doctor Phosphorus is one of those Batman rogues who is cool, but not quite iconic enough to really stand out compared to Gotham’s heaviest hitters. First hitting comics in 1977, Phosphorus was the creation of Steve Englehart and Walt Simonson.

His origins presented in this episode of Creature Commandos are a riff off his comic origins, but far more altruistic, hoping to cure cancer through radiology science in this show.

Ironically, Phosphorus may be most notable as being a character that influenced an animated series character, rather than being known for his own Batman comic appearances. The Batman Beyond villain, Blight, was very much based on the visuals of Doctor Phosphorus.

Continuity Notes

Some notes for this week’s episode.

• Everyone is rightly losing their minds over the first appearance of a (living) DCU Batman, but I am just as pumped for a mention of Biyaliya – home of Queen Bee.
• Phosphorous’ revenge spree was equally satisfying and horrifying. Well done.
• The first season of the first “new” show of the DCU and Rupert Thorn is already dead. Wowza.
• Metahuman pornography must exist. We don’t even have metahumans in our reality and it is still present.
• Shoutout to *that* voice this week, belonging to one Shohreh Aghdashloo, who is unmistakable.
• This week’s tunes include another Gogol Bordello tracks, “Wonderlust King” and Firewater’s “Hey Clown.”

Mission Rating

Creature Commandos continues to be a very fine show with a lot to praise. However, this episode, as fun as it was, ends up being one of the weaker ones because a great deal of it is setting up pieces for the finale, in addition to leaning on one of the less interesting backstories presents so far. If I were reviewing the show after seeing the season come together maybe things would be interpreted differently, but as it stands, this episode is heaping a lot onto the shoulders of the next.

Given the concerning narrative issues and the overall weaker backstory presented in comparison to other monsters in the series, I would say “Priyatel Skelet” is four out of five ghost emojis, but a low four, given I can’t just cut a ghost in half now, can I?

Creature Commandos is currently streaming on MAX.

Thanks for reading Revenge of Graphic Content. Let me know what you thought of the episode or the review. I want to find a balance between writing just enough and too much.

In the meantime, if you enjoyed the review or any of the other writing on my site, please consider supporting what I do on Ko-Fi.

The post Revenge of Graphic Content #10: Creature Commandos – S1E6 –  “Priyatel Skelet” appeared first on hpkomics.com.

Revenge of Graphic Content #9: Creature Commandos – S1E5 –  “The Iron Pot”

The fifth episode of Creature Commandos does not play it safe at all regarding the character of Eric Frankenstein, doubling down on elements that have proven the character controversial among audiences, but really building on themes the series is exploring. Meanwhile, the presence of a significant Gotham City rogue has made the overarching plot all the more complicated. The fallout of this episode will be substantial.

The Good – The Twisting Climax

It’s getting hard to make sense of what is going on with Creature Commandos‘ Pokolistan situation, and as a viewer, I am absolutely excited about where the series is going in these final episodes of the season. We are introduced to several new wrinkles in the overall story while simultaneously exploring the troubling, complex psychology of Eric Frankenstein.

So, regarding the Pokolistan situation, Flag and Frankenstein investigate the mysterious Themiscyra expert Aisla McPherson (Stephanie Beatriz). Their investigation presents a solid mystery that runs through the episode, with one of the best elements being their back-and-forth. David Harbour’s take on Frankenstein works very well, here, when his eccentricities have someone to bounce off of, such as the case with Franke Grillo’s Flag, Sr. Frankenstein’s impatient, childish behavior adds a lot of great comedy to what is a very grim and disturbing revelation.

The question of whether Aisla MacPherson was Clayface in disguise prior to this episode hangs in the air, but more than likely, as much as a creep this Clayface appears to be, he can likely put in the work acting as the professor more professionally. We know little about what incarnation of the character this Clayface is, However, the reveal of the dead MacPherson, and Clayface having moved into her home, is incredibly dark – certainly in tone with one of Gotham’s worst rogues.

The ramifications of this subplot are exciting. Flag, Sr. looks very much dead and Frankenstein scores an exciting victory through quick thinking in a well-animated fight sequence. But the Clayface question is a lingering mystery; what is his role? Is he part of a scheme on behalf of Circe, or might he be involved with the Princess? There has been a specific emphasis on mud and clay present in Pokolistan – on vehicles, and on the salves used to treat Eric in the flashback.

The Pokolistan Situation

Meanwhile, in Pokolistan, the Commandos are made and must scatter throughout the city as the army hunts them down. The highlight here is Doctor Phosphorus, who flips the double bird through a tank and several soldiers in what is likely to be the most iconic visual in the first season. It was truly spectacular.

The apparent heel-turn of Princess Illana is also of note. The series has gone to great lengths so far to suggest she may have a role as a serious antagonist, but her reaction to learning the Commandos want to eliminate her is entirely practical. We’re getting a lot of claims and few answers, and the chaos is wonderful.

The Frankenstein Backstory

Our monster flashback this week focuses on Eric Frankenstein. As fun as everything was regarding the present timeline of the story, Eric was due some significant character development, and this episode delivered on that. However, whether this backstory helps to settle the controversy around him is another question entirely.

Having Eric be rescued by an older Romani woman tended to evoke elements of Shelley’s Frankenstein text. It’s all very much in the spirit of the character. Having him develop a familial bond with her and her dog is also fascinating.

Eric’s childish worldview and obsession with the Bride cause him to murder the closest person he has to his family with a big iron pot. That’s wonderfully dark and says a lot about him; he sees it as a mercy as he can’t stand to see her alone as he continues his mission in pursuit of “his” Bride.

I loved it. It made sense given what we know of him, the tone of the series, and the themes Gunn has been dealing with for four episodes. But I also see that this episode is going to divide audiences as well, and that falls squarely on the massive shoulders of Frankenstein.

The Bad – Eric Frankenstein: An Unfairly Divisive Character

The issue of Eric Frankenstein as a character comes down to media literacy and whether audiences can understand what Creature Commandos is doing with the character. A sizable portion of the audience will, while the grim reality is that a majority will not. This episode does a great job of really honing in on the worldview of Eric and his backstory presents his understanding of reality. And that reality is not ideal.

Eric Frankenstein, much like the Creature of Mary Shelley’s novel, is a scorned and confused child who lashes out violently at the world. Being that Creature Commandos is simultaneously a comic book adaptation and a James Gunn project, these elements are amplified greatly and heightened for comedy. The root of the comedy, however, is still derived from the tragedy of Shelley’s novel.

Frankenstein’s decision to end the life of his friend with the titular iron pot in the episode is darkly comic and tragic; he believes it to be a mercy, a good thing to do. He can’t see it any other way, because, like a child, he sees the world as revolving around him so he can make sense of it. Killing his Romani friend is an act of love.

For the audience aware of what is going on here, it is a very powerful scene that adds a lot to the character. For the less aware among the total audience, it comes off as cruel and weird (which it certainly is) but they may be unlikely to see beyond that. The metatext of Eric Frankenstein and the larger archetype that informs how Gunn writes the character may end up lost.

I’ve seen many folks in discussion spaces call Eric annoying and weird, and he is, but not understand the purpose that serves. The thematic resonance of Eric Frankenstein is becoming lost on some audiences, and I do not know how that might be fixed. I think what we see in this episode helps him to become one of the most interesting characters on the show, but with a character as polarizing as he is, this episode can’t help but be controversial.

The Monstrous – Eric Frankenstein

As with most characters we talk about in the DC Universe, you have different takes given the Crises that dictate their interpretation. As of now in the comics, we appear to have four different versions, of which, given some major differences, Creature Commandos’ take most aligns with the Frankenstein which was developed by Grant Morrison and Doug Mahnke around 2005 as part of the Seven Soldiers of Victory series.

Continuity Notes

Some notes from this week’s episode.

• Princess Ilana is looking a lot like Princess Amethyst of Gemworld, right? Is it just a reference here, or are we going somewhere with this? My captions read something along the lines of “Amethyst Knights” at some point.
• So Princess Ilana was not revealed to be Clayface in disguise… yet. However, we still have a couple of episodes to go and we know that Clayface can create multiple, distinct bodies.
• Mortal Kombat makes an appearance, as does an X-Box Series X.
• Clayface hitting on a student disguised as Aisla may be the most horrific element of the episode for me, as someone who works at a college.
• Phosphorus may be my favorite of the Commandos at this point for how unabashedly bad he appears to be.
• As always, Gunn has added new tracks from the episode to the Spotify playlist. it’s been fun catching up with the playlist week to week. I hope he does the same for Peacemaker season 2.

Mission Rating

Looking for the bottom line of this review? The rapid developments of the modern mystery will ultimately need to come together within the next couple of episodes. How Clayface emerges as part of the overall scheme will affect how successful this episode is.

However, the real highlight here is the focus on Eric Frankenstein, who emerges as a deeper character with an understandable, if simplistic worldview. Again, like the central mystery, the success of this episode is going to rely greatly on what comes after.

As it stands, the episode comes in at four out of five ghost emojis, but that could always change. Can Creature Commandos stick the landing based on the sudden upheaval of everything we’ve seen so far?

Creature Commandos is currently streaming on MAX.

Thanks for reading Revenge of Graphic Content. Let me know what you thought of the episode or the review. I want to find a balance between writing just enough and too much.

In the meantime, if you enjoyed the review or any of the other writing on my site, please consider supporting what I do on Ko-Fi.

The post Revenge of Graphic Content #9: Creature Commandos – S1E5 –  “The Iron Pot” appeared first on hpkomics.com.

It is the Weasel’s time to shine in the latest episode of Creature Commandos, following the last episode’s tragic backstory of G.I. Robot, who is still MIA this week. The show continues to build on a strong foundation and format, but with a format comes predictability, which unfortunately affects my overall impression of “Chasing Squirrels.”

Creature Commandos – S1E4 –  “Chasing Squirrels”

While this week’s adventure with the Creature Commandos doesn’t live up to the heights of G.I. Robot’s putting last time, it is still a strong episode that introduces a particularly tragic background for the team’s wildcard, Weasel.

We also get an update on Eric Frankenstein while Rick Flag, Sr. questions his orders with a revelation that Circe may be telling the truth about the potential danger lurking in Pokolistan.

The Good – The Weasel Backstory and Plot Progression

First, let’s look at the development in the season’s big overarching story regarding Cerse, Pokolistan, and Princess Ilana. Amanda Waller takes on the typically Walleresque decision to explore Circe’s claims and receives a vision of a potential future showing worldwide devastation and leagues of dead superheroes, supposedly all at the hand of Pokolistan courtesy of Princess Ilana and Gorilla Grodd. We are also introduced to Isla MacPherson (Stephanie Beatriz) who proceeds to add some weight and context to what is going on regarding Circe and her relationship with Themiscyra.

As a result, Waller switches gears and sends Flag to Pokolistan to eliminate the Princess. Flag does not take that well, and the mission is instead passed on to The Bride. It’s a good twist midway through the season that reframes character relationships and what we know.

Speaking of relationships, though, Eric Frankenstein returns in the episode, convinced Flag and The Bride are a thing. Eric’s petty childishness is violent and comedic. Hilariously, we also learn that he is a huge fan of romance movies after he and Flag start actually talking following Frankenstein ambushing him.

The big hook of this episode ends up being John Doe – The Weasel – meeting with his public defender, Elizabeth Bates (Linda Cardellini), who is trying to piece together the real incident that resulted in Weasel being thrown into Belle Reve. We find that Weasel had bonded with some children and was targeted by a passerby who believed he was out to harm the children, one thing leads to another, a boiler explodes, and children die. Weasel is the scapegoat. It’s a sad story for sure and fits in well with what Gunn has been doing with the monsters of Task Force M as a whole.

The Bad – The Predictability of the Weasel Backstory

Making Weasel sympathetic makes sense and the episode does a wonderful job of establishing tragedy that allows us to connect to the monster. it also follows the formula the season has run with so far. The issue lies in that the formula should be the base and something more should be done with it, and in this situation, I feel Weasel’s spotlight falls a bit flat. Given the show so far, it becomes immediately clear that Weasel is a victim of circumstance. The minute the sketchy-looking man shows up, you create a few possible outcomes to arrange the tragedy of Weasel.

But I also expected something a little more. Given the theme of monstrosity here, I expected something a little more tragic along the lines of Weasel accidentally killing a kid in an attempt to save them. Almost a variation of Frankenstein’s Monster accidentally killing a child he was playing with. Weasel being heroic is fine, but it also feels a little flat to me. I ended up thinking to myself “That’s it?”

I generally try not to hold predictability against a story as I tend to see the underlying structure and see where a story is going. However, setting “Chasing Squirrels” against the preceding “Cheers to the Tin Man” I can’t help but feel the lack of surprise in Weasel’s backstory hurts the reveal a bit. There is a dark tragedy in Weasel being incapable of advocating for himself, and the addition of his public defender is a nice idea, but it still feels a bit unsatisfying. I hope that we’ll get some further exploration of this angle of the story at some point.

The Monstrous – Weasel

The Weasel is one of the members of Task Force M I am least familiar with in the comics, so I don’t have as much to say here as I have for previous monsters. The DCU’s Weasel looks largely divorced from the John Monroe version that tangled with Firestorm back in the 80s created by Gerry Conway and Rafael Kayanan. Otherwise, we’d have ended up with a fairly standard villain. The alien, animalistic version of the character presented in this series is much more interesting.

With that said, while I was a bit critical of how the backstory was handled and the lack of twist, I do think the inherent tragedy is a good note. I also find the idea of this monster lacking the ability to advocate for himself particularly devastating and I would be curious to see how this thread develops across the show.

Is there redemption for Weasel? We shall see.

Continuity Notes

Here are some notes from this week’s episode:

• Steve Agee is back as John Economos, returning from Suicide Squad and Peacemaker. I appreciate Gunn is fleshing out the projects with smaller characters such as Enonomos, who can easily drift in and out of stories because of his A.R.G.U.S. affiliation.
• Explaining that Circe’s powers require the use of her hands was a nice touch, as was the note about clairvoyance as well.
• Jahanapur was mentioned, which should be an element of Superman, next year. Is Creature Commandos setting up plot points for Superman?
• A lot of bodies piled up in Circe’s shared vision with Amanda Waller. I managed to spy Superman, Booster Gold, Batman, Wonder Woman, Peacemaker, and Hawkgirl. There were others, but I am less confident in that. We’ve seen Starfire in an earlier version from a prior episode.
• GORILLA GRODD (in Grodd We Trust)
• Already quite pleased to see how much Themiscyra is being built up in this new canon.
• This week’s needle drops include “Hjerteknuser” by Kaizers Orchestra and two Gogol Bordello tracks “I Would Never Wanna Be Young Again” and “Not A Crime.”

Mission Rating

Creature Commandos sticks the landing, but a lack of surprise drags down the episode a bit. Tragedy for tragedy’s sake, as systematically applied as it is, loses some of its appeal. Perhaps something may come of Weasel’s backstory as his public defender works to piece together the mystery, but until then, predictability hurts the overall episode in my review.

This episode is four out of five ghost emojis.

Creature Commandos is currently streaming on MAX.

Thanks for reading Revenge of Graphic Content. Let me know what you thought of the episode or the review. I want to find a balance between writing just enough and too much.

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