Summary

• Dead Boy Detectives is a breath of fresh air to The Sandman universe.
• The series balances trauma and comedy in the best way possible.
• The show's main trio has great chemistry, and every member shines throughout the season.

DC series Doom Patrol. In that irreverent superhero show, Ty Tennant, Sebastian Croft, and Madalyn Horcher played the roles of Edwin Payne, Charles Rowland, and Crystal Palace, respectively. The series ended up shifting from the DC universe to the Sandman universe along the way, which paired well with the series' new cast.

Netflix's Dead Boy Detectives stars George Rexstrew as Edwin, Jayden Revri as Charles, and Kassius Nelson as Crystal. The series centers on the detective agency led by Edwin and Charles, two ghosts who have decided not to move on to their uncertain afterlives, instead continuing to act in the mortal world as a detective duo that helps lost souls move on. Their lives get turned upside down after Crystal enters the scene, with the powerful psychic providing both new questions and answers that further the plot as the Dead Boy Detectives investigate a series of supernatural mysteries.

While there are a couple of players from The Sandman who return in key moments, Kirby Howell-Baptiste's role as Death is the most exciting one.

Dead Boy Detectives Adds Fun To The Sandman Universe

The Netflix series does intimate moments and action well

Kirby Howell-Baptiste's role as Death is the most exciting one. As Edwin and Charles are running from Death throughout the series, Howell-Baptiste's appearance serves to bring a sense of urgency to the story.

Dead Boy Detectives is fun. While the series does have more than enough instances of characters going through horrific situations, existential crises, and deadly scenarios, the show does not forget to play around with the concept that a human psychic teaming up with a pair of teenage ghost detectives brings. There are plenty of fantastical magic items that help the boys get out of dangerous situations, and each one of them helps add a different dynamic to the series.

With a detective agency at its center, the show's eight episodes follow more or less a case-of-the-week approach, with overarching storylines that play throughout the season. This helps keep things at a fast pace, with each episode following the detectives as they choose what client to help — based on a few different factors — and has them face some heartbreaking revelations and formidable adversaries, including a witch that makes things very difficult for the series' lead trio. Dead Boy Detectives has a nice mix of dynamic action and slower character-building moments.

Dead Boy Detectives' Lead Trio Has Great Chemistry

Rexstrew, Revri, and Nelson shine throughout the season. Each character's backstory gets focus at different times. As they are ghosts, the ways Edwin and Charles died are explored, and their deaths, as well as how they led their lives, explain why they act the way they do when they meet Crystal in the present. Having her own questions about her past and her place in the world, Crystal is not left behind in of the tragic conditions of her life, with the three characters bonding over trauma and camaraderie.

While Charles is the physical one of the detective agency, picking locks and engaging in hand-to-hand fights whenever needed, Edwin is the brains of the operation, being able to handle cases and interactions with more subtlety.

The series' lead trio is fantastic. The boys' dynamic as best friends who have been helping other ghosts for a long time while escaping Death is endearing to watch, with each character playing a specific role within the duo. While Charles is the physical one of the detective agency, picking locks and engaging in hand-to-hand fights whenever needed, Edwin is the brains of the operation, handling cases and interactions with more subtlety. The contrast between both makes the duo compelling and entertaining to watch.

Crystal makes the agency whole, adding a new element with her psychic powers. How she comes in with the boys and her personal story drive the season, and Nelson delivers both comedic and dramatic moments. While the main characters are exciting to watch, the series boasts an all-around great cast, with characters like Lukas Gage's eccentric Cat King, Briana Cuoco's intense Jenny, Yuyu Kitamura's charismatic Niko, and Supernatural's Ruth Connell as the Night Nurse enriching the series' world. All told, Dead Boy Detectives is a worthy addition to The Sandman universe, with compelling characters and an intriguing story.

All 8 episodes of Dead Boy Detectives are now streaming on Netflix.