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An updated rundown of the DC show that is now headed to Netflix.
In an unexpected move announced in February 2023, the upcoming HBO Max series Dead Boy Detectives is no longer set to be released by that platform and will instead be distributed globally by Netflix instead. Here’s everything we know about the upcoming series.
The Flight Attendant creator Steve Yockey adapted Dead Boy Detectives from the comics and serves as showrunner alongside Beth Schwartz (Arrow) on the series that stems from Warners and Berlanti Productions.
Yockey commented at the time of the original series announcement back in April 2022:
“I’ve been obsessed with this comic for a long time, so it’s a true passion project. And Jeremy, Berlanti Productions, DC, WBTV, HBO Max — they’re all encouraging me to run with every wild, bizarre, and unsettling choice. The result is going to be really dark fun.”
Dead Boy Detectives is produced by Greg Berlanti and will join YOU, another series of his at Netflix that didn’t perform well on its original network and had to be acquired by Netflix.
This is another Netflix series involving Neil Gaiman after the mega-hit The Sandman from 2022, which was renewed for a second season.
The series comes at a strange time for Warner Bros. Discovery (the parent company of DC Comics), which is trying to slash costs while keeping its streaming service competitive. It also comes at a time when DC is implementing a brand new plan with its DC Studios division. The series notably doesn’t fit into James Gunn’s new vision for the DCU, and that opened the possibility for Netflix to pick it up instead.
What’s the plot of Dead Boy Detectives?
The detective duo of the dead boys Edwin and Charles first appeared in Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman #25 issue. Later on, they got their own “spinoff” comics. In 2022, Netflix released our first-look teaser of the new season. Take a look:
Here’s a description of their story in the comics:
“Edwin Payne and Charles Rowland are no different than most boys. They love adventure, games and spending time outdoors. They’re curious about girls, curious about life and particularly curious when it comes to mysteries. You see, Edwin Paine and Charles Rowland happen to be two of the best detectives in England. Note that we didn’t say living in England. That’s because Edwin and Charles aren’t living in England. In fact, they’re not living at all. Edwin (died 1916) and Charles (died 1990) met their ends early in life. And that’s when things started getting interesting.
Since their deaths, the young detectives have solved some of the most harrowing mysteries to hit the hallowed halls of St. Hilarion’s School for Boys. However, there’s one great mystery they haven’t yet cracked—the mystery of their own deaths. Now, in a gripping new series full of secrets and surprises, Edwin and Charles will begin unraveling the truth of their demise. But they won’t find it on their own. They’ll be helped by Crystal, a young girl with a gift for technology and a strange link to the undead. Together, this unlikely group of gumshoes will journey from the bustling streets of contemporary London to the virtual world of Japanese-influenced videogames to dangerous worlds perched somewhere between now and nevermore, all in a search for answers about life, death and all that comes after.”
Is the show connected to The Sandman? Yes, according to Neil Gaiman the show resides in the same universe, as confirmed in a Tweet on April 20th. What’s on Netflix contributor Ashley Hurst went into detail for us on how exactly the two shows connect.
Sandman Universe, I think it’s safe to say now.
— Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) April 20, 2023
Here’s the logline for the Dead Boy Detectives series:
“Dead Boy Detectives is a fresh take on a ghost story that explores loss, grief, and death through the lens of Edwin Payne and Charles Rowland…and their very alive friend, Crystal Palace. It’s a lot like a vintage detective series — only darker and on acid.”
Will Dead Boy Detectives crossover with The Sandman?
Given that both The Sandman and Dead Boy Detectives are set within the same continuity, it seems inevitable that we may see crossovers. The ‘Dead Boy Detectives’ comic has its origins within The Sandman’s Season of Mists story arc, which will be covered in season 2.
Neil Gaiman has previously revealed that one of the Endless — the seven cosmic siblings that embody aspects of life — will make an appearance in the show. However, we don’t know who could show up. Since the plot of Dead Boy Detectives involves the titular characters trying to escape death, it could well be Death (Kirby Howell-Baptiste) who shows up. Or the show could drop a curveball and debut one of the new Endless characters, like Delirium, Destiny or Destruction — although this is unlikely. Or, of course, it could simply be Tom Sturridge’s Morpheus.
“We’ve got some more surprises beyond what’s in the first episode,” co-showrunner Steve Yockey teased in a Los Angeles interview, per UPI, adding that there’s “a fun amount” of crossovers.
Neil Gaiman is involved in the new series, offering some direction and personally contributing to two episodes. While we don’t know which episodes these are, Yockey assures fans that they’ll instantly know them. “People will see those when they come up,” he said. “I think they’ll get it.”
Do you need to watch Sandman to understand Dead Boy Detectives?
Despite very much being set in the same universe, viewers don’t need to worry about seeing The Sandman before watching Dead Boy Detectives. It very much tells its own story. In fact, she even thinks it works just as well as a precursor to Sandman.
“Well, I think that you don’t need to do any homework for the show, and I feel like it’s more fun,” co-showrunner Beth Schwartz told ComicBook. “I don’t know, everyone’s different, but I think it’s more fun not to do anything before you see it. So you can be surprised and then you can go back and watch Sandman and read the comics after.”
Of course, the viewing experienced may be enhanced by wider knowledge of the Sandman Universe, but it’s purely optional. “For people that have watched The Sandman on Netflix, it will pay off. And for people who haven’t, you’ll just get to see some stuff that might surprise you a little bit,” Yockey further explained.