Dead Boy Detectives

‘For fans of Gaiman’s work, it’s a must watch’

^{Review by Sunday Simmons}

If creepy and kookie (mysterious and spooky) is your thing, then Neil Gaiman’s Dead Boy Detectives will be right up your street. Making their debut in The Sandman comic way back in 1991, Dead Boy Detectives is exactly what it says on the tin – detectives, who happen to be dead teenage boys! Moving from HBO, this thrilling fantasy series received a positive reception when Season 1 aired on Netflix in April 2024, and fans of the show are already calling for a second season.

When Edwyn Payne died and went to hell in 1916, he decided the afterlife wasn’t for him, and returned to help Charles Rowland in all manner of scrapes – resulting in his death. The pair joined forces to remain in the corporeal realm here on earth and solve supernatural crimes with the help of Crystal Palace (Kassius Nelson), a psychic medium who can see and communicate with ghosts. Macabre? Yes, but also massively chaotic fun, and the titular characters have all the flair and inherent British-ness of Doctor Who despite the series being set in America for the most part.

Deftly combining English boarding school chaps with a healthy dash of the paranormal and a whole host of creepy crimes, Dead Boy Detectives brings to mind a crossover of modern day Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) and The Hardy Boys. All wrapped up in an inimitably Gaiman shaped fantasy parcel. It would have been nice to see this series set in England, but it’s a small bugbear and not something that detracts from the enjoyment of what has to be said is a solid new fantasy show.

This isn’t the ghostly duos first outing on the small screen, however. The characters appeared in an episode of US superhero series Doom Patrol, notably with Ty Tennant (son of Dr Who’s David Tennant), in the role of Edwyn. It would’ve been interesting to see where he went with the role had he carried on into the Netflix series. But as it is, young actors George Rexstraw (Edwyn) and Jaydn Revri (Charles) seem to be doing a fine job in their first major acting roles, and the on screen camaraderie is tangible.

All in all, Dead Boy Detectives is lovable mayhem, an easy watch with likeable characters. Whilst there have been characters added specifically for the series – Esther (Jenn Lyon) is hilarious and Cat King (Lukas Gage) is a standout fan favourite – the writers have worked hard to weave the storyline back into The Sandman universe.  The ‘boys’ have also been aged up somewhat compared to their comic book counterparts, but thankfully for fans of the comics, much of the storytelling sticks to the source material.

For fans of Gaiman’s work, it’s a must watch – even if you’re not fully on board with the setting switch from England to America – simply because the spirit (sorry) of these ghostly investigators has been lovingly retained. It’s sweet, it’s whacky, it’s unapologetically camp, and its streaming now on Netflix. If you enjoyed The Irregulars and their Victorian London supernatural crime solving, then you’re sure to enjoy Dead Boy Detectives. Also a perfect binge watch at just 8 episodes long, for fans of comic book to tv crossovers such as Umbrella Academy and Locke and Key.