Creature Commandos is proving to be a supremely satisfying exploration of similar territory as James Gunn has in The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker. If anything, I actually think the creatures are more interesting than some of those other characters, but that’s neither here nor there. But maybe the most fun thing is that this show sets the stage for the overall canon of the DCU going forward. Not just for more Peacemaker or Commandos seasons, but for big stuff. We’ve already seen a possible future in which many of our big heroes die horribly. But that’s hypothetical. Episode six shows us something—and someone—major already exists.
Episode six gives us our Doctor Phosphorus flashback episode giving us his tragic origins. In the comics, Doctor Phosphorus is a Batman villain. He first appeared in Detective Comics #469 from powerhouse writer-artist team Steve Englehart and Walt Simonson. This episode shows that to be the case within the DCU. After Alexander Sartorius becomes a burning green skeleton crime lord, he hits the dancefloor at a Gotham nightclub, the Ice Lounge specifically. (That’s, of course, the Penguin’s club.) After dancing to some—go figure—Gogol Bordello, a flash of lightning reveals Batman himself standing outside the club’s skylight.
It’s an exceedingly brief moment, but its implications are pretty massive. It tells us Batman not only already exists in the DCU but is established well before the events of Creature Commandos. This makes a lot of sense given what Gunn has already told us about the proposed first Batman-centric film in the new universe. The Brave and the Bold, he told us in that announcement video, will be about Batman and his son Damien as Robin. For that to realistically make sense, Batman will need to be somewhat older, and likely operating for a while. To properly adapt the Grant Morrison run, the Bat-Family will need to exist.
We also already know a Teen Titans movie is on the way. Robin and Starfire are among the dead bodies we see in Circe’s vision. This all points to what appears to be Batman as the oldest, or at least earliest established, member of the DC Trinity. Superman will come into an existing superhero world. Wonder Woman, again as far as we know, isn’t at all around yet.
Of course we don’t know who the DCU’s Batman will be in terms of actor. But we’ve certainly seen enough Batman origin to last us a lifetime. Let’s meet up with Bruce when he’s older, but hopefully not as jaded as Batfleck.
Creature Commandos drops weekly on Max.
Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.
