I truly didn’t know what to expect when I cracked open a DC Horror Presents comic. Would it dive deep into horror, ride similar to DC Black Label or just be horror tales of the main storylines. With DC Horror Presents: Creature Commandos we get bit more violence and leans towards the dark in such a perfect way.

A vampire, a werewolf, a gorgon, and an undead soldier walk into a grocery store…and all hell breaks loose! This is the Creature Unit, a team of misfits assembled by a mad…ly talented scientist for a dangerous military mission. The claws are out, fangs are bared, and blood is spilled–lots of it!

Something that shouldn’t surprise most is having David Dastmalchian‘s craftsmanship on full display in handling the debut of this unusual team. The horror legend brings each creature to the table with their own burdens and stories. Dastmalchian takes just the right amount of time to introduce us to each character joining the team without rushing into the story. Some of these origin story style comics can feel rushed and the creative team behind this new series does a wonderful job allowing us to get to know each character without feeling pushed to get the story going.

While I am almost as equally here for the writing of Dastmalchian, I showed up to the part for the outstanding illustrations by Jesús Hervás. Hervás breathes life into these characters both literally and figuratively, masterfully capturing not only elements of horror but the raw emotion. Jesús’ line work combined with Alex Guimarães’ colors truly capture the horrors within while giving us captivating artwork that pairs with Dastmalchian’s tale.

Dastmalchian and Hervás sets themselves apart from other Creature Commandos tales of the past (and future) by taking a fresh approach to the team while also staying true to the origins of the Creature Commandos. First introduced in 1980 by J.M. DeMatteis and Pat Broderick and soon to be adapted into an animated series by James Gunn, DC Horror Presents: Creature Commandos was able to blaze it’s own trail while staying true to the origins.

Having the monster team being crafted for comics by Dastmalchian and for television by Gunn is such a treat, seeing as they are both great friends. While the projects are different, the comic gives those unfamiliar with the creatures a glimpse into what the team is like prior to tuning into the DCU series on Max on December 5, 2024.

DC Horror Presents: Creature Commandos #1 marks a great day for DC Comics as it allows these stories to have a home while blending elements of horror, action and superheroes into an unforgettable reading experience. Horror is a genre that, when done right, fits comics like a glove and having these tales enter the DC Universe more is such a great thing…especially during this Halloween season.

DC Horror Presents Creature Commandos #1 hit comic shops on October 2, 2024 from DC Comics.