Over thirty years since they first haunted the pages of The Sandman and three years after their live-action introduction on Doom Patrol, the Dead Boy Detectives, created by Neil Gaiman and Matt Wagner, finally have their own show. While the series was previously set to be a Max Original, showrunners Steve Yockey (The Flight Attendant, Supernatural) and Beth Schwartz (Sweet Tooth, Arrow) now bring Dead Boy Detectives to Netflix where it exists within The Sandman universe.
Yockey, who developed the series, wrote Doom Patrol’s Dead Boy-centric Season 3 episode “Dead Patrol,” which starred different actors as the main trio: Ty Tennant (House of the Dragon) as Edwin, Sebastian Croft (Heartstopper) as Charles, and Madalyn Horcher (Big Sky) as Crystal. The episode offered glimpses into their traumatic backstories of how they died and got into the business of mystery-solving beyond the grave. But now we get to dive deeper into their past and meet more tragic, hilarious weirdos along the way.
The pilot episode wastes no time dropping us into London where Edwin Paine (George Rexstrew) and Charles Rowland (Jayden Revri) are actively working on a case. No one can see them unless they’ve had a near-death experience, meaning these supernatural sleuths operate freely among the living via their primary mode of transport — mirror-hopping.
We quickly learn that Edwin is “the brains,” a sharply dressed, highly intelligent lad who perished in 1916, while Charles is “the brawn,” an upbeat, friendly punk who expired in 1989. Edwin has his meticulous notes and a vast library of occult literature. Charles is always armed with a backpack full of just about everything including his signature cricket bat.
The unlikely pair are bonded by their similar deaths at the hands of British boarding school bullies and a desire to help wandering ghosts solve their unfinished business and move on. Yockey and Schwartz mostly stayed true to their comic origins including how they’re always dodging Death (Kirby Howell-Baptiste, reprising her role from The Sandman).
Edwin and Charles are tasked with excising a demon from an American girl, Crystal Palace (Kassius Nelson), who happens to also be a medium. Post-possession, Crystal is left with no memories of who she is, thanks to her ex, comically referred to as David the Demon (David Iacono). Putting her gift to good use, Crystal joins the paranormal investigators, to the delight of Charles and the chagrin of Edwin (because after decades of having a friend to yourself, the addition of someone new is bound to spark jealousy).
The decades-long friendship between Edwin and Charles is truly the heart of the series. Rexstrew and Revri have such amazing chemistry that you believe they’ve been bickering like an old married couple for thirty-plus years. Yockey said he was especially proud of the LGBTQ+ representation which extends beyond Edwin’s canonically secret crush on his best friend.
Their first case together takes them from London to Port Townsend, a seaside town in Washington with a similarly foggy atmosphere. Crystal rents a room above a bespoke butcher shop Tongue & Tail owned by Jenny Green (Briana Cuoco) and becomes fast friends with Niko (Yuyu Kitamura), her manga-obsessed neighbor across the hall who has her own supernatural infestation that needs tending to. The unlikely pair-turned-trio expands to an odd quartet.
During their short stay, they manage to piss off two of the town’s most threatening residents: Esther Finch (Jenn Lyon), a deliciously wicked witch with a fabulous wardrobe, as well as the seductive, shapeshifting Cat King (Lukas Gage). Both are campy villains who can’t help but be just as gorgeous as they are menacing.
Ruth Connell, who first appeared in the Doom Patrol episode, reprises her role as the evil Night Nurse. While the character is still one of the multiple antagonists the boys face, she’s noticeably different in this series. Instead of being the demon who guards the Tunnel of Souls and can spew acid, Night Nurse works in an afterlife department that looks like a mix between the otherworldly waiting room in Beetlejuice and the TVA.
The distinctly punk rock aesthetic of Dead Boy Detectives feels very Tim Burton, particularly the opening credit sequence of animated skeletons dancing in neon lighting. Blake Neely’s (Riverdale, All American) and Murat Selçuk’s (All American) synthesizer-heavy tunes also have the recognizable Burton-esque theremin sound of classic sci-fi movies. Honestly, I’m surprised the show isn’t releasing closer to Halloween.
Port Townsend’s moody atmosphere has Supernatural, Grimm, and ’90s-era Goosebumps vibes with a dash of Riverdale. Spooky season enthusiasts will love the gloomy weather of the town, where it’s almost always overcast and filled with fog. Production designer Tony Wohlgemuth (Riverdale, Bates Motel) and set designer David Hadaway (The Fall of the House of Usher) nailed the eccentric settings of Esther’s home and Tragic Mick’s (Michael Beach) magic shop.
The clever writing and talented actors make the characters unique, but their eccentric wardrobes add so much personality. Costume designer Kelli Dunsmore (The Magicians) crafted the perfect looks for each character, keeping Edwin and Charles in their era-inspired clothes. Crystal and Niko’s wardrobes are thrifty and chill with lots of overalls, sweaters, and graphic tees. But it’s Crystal’s beautiful curly hair that really held my attention.
Yockey told IndieWire that the goal was “the Hardy Boys on acid,” and he definitely succeeded. The first episode feels somewhat rushed, and the dialogue is a little too expository. However, it effectively establishes their chaotic world. Overall, the tone is closer to Doom Patrol than The Sandman, but there’s also some Misfits energy.
Dead Boy Detectives is a darkly comedic, supernatural horror mystery that blends the fantastical and surreal with the grounded and emotional, exploring the trauma you’d expect from a show about ghosts, bullying, death, curses, and demons. The series thrives on its balance of fun and tragedy along with its strong leads and quirky supporting characters.
With Netflix’s tendency to unceremoniously cancel shows after one season, many people don’t even want to bother getting invested in a new series. However, this is Neil Gaiman we’re talking about, and Dead Boys Detectives still deserves a watch. Hopefully, the series can fill the Lockwood & Co.-sized hole.
Dead Boy Detectives hits Netflix on April 25, 2024.
