This supernatural Netflix series deserves a deep dive. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re investigating the origins of the Dead Boy Detectives.
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00:00 "Allow me to welcome you to the Dead Boy Detective Agency."
00:04 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're investigating the origins of the Dead Boy Detectives.
00:09 Since we'll be diving into the lore, expect some spoilers ahead.
00:13 "She is absolutely not joining the agency."
00:15 "You know I can totally hear you guys."
00:17 Creation
00:20 The Dead Boy Detectives are characters sprung from the minds of legendary writer Neil Gaiman
00:24 and artist Matt Wagner.
00:26 Gaiman introduced them in a 1991 issue of his acclaimed graphic novel series The Sandman.
00:31 A decade later, and they'd be headlining comics of their own.
00:34 Their stories were published under the Vertigo banner, a publishing imprint of DC Comics.
00:39 While many of Vertigo's stories technically shared the same world with superheroes like
00:43 Superman and Batman, Vertigo wasn't just another superhero brand.
00:47 Created to feature more adult-oriented content, it gave creators a chance to color outside of
00:52 the lines, and it was this ability to tell darker, more out-there stories that led to
00:57 the birth of the Dead Boy Detectives.
00:59 History
01:01 These crime-solving ghosts consist of Edwin Payne and Charles Rowland.
01:05 Edwin was the first to kick the bucket, when over a century ago, bullies at St. Hilarion's
01:10 boarding school murdered him as part of a dark ritual.
01:12 Upon his death, Edwin's soul descended into hell.
01:15 If this sounds like a bummer, trust us, it totally is.
01:18 He would eventually escape along with countless others, and find his way back to the boarding
01:22 school, where he'd witness Charles being tormented by the souls of the very same bullies.
01:27 Despite Edwin's help, Charles died of his wounds.
01:30 When death came to take Charles to the afterlife, he refused to leave Edwin, who had already
01:35 been taken to the afterlife once and couldn't be taken again.
01:38 So the two boys went on the lam, running from death and founding the Dead Boy Detective
01:42 Agency.
01:43 For some time, they operated just fine as a dynamic duo, but eventually, they were joined
01:47 by Crystal Pallas, a girl who can speak and interact with dead souls.
01:51 Connection to Sandman
01:54 As we mentioned earlier, the boys first appeared in Gaiman's seminal Sandman comic, specifically
01:59 issue 25 in the storyline Season of Mists.
02:02 That arc has Lucifer expelling the souls in hell and abdicating his position.
02:06 Thus, Edwin's escape and return to the boarding school where he meets Charles.
02:10 The detectives would pop up again in Vertigo's first imprint-wide crossover, The Children's
02:15 Crusade.
02:15 And when they did, the boys and the official debut of their agency took center stage.
02:20 It's also worth emphasizing that when we say the boys "run from death," we mean that
02:25 literally.
02:25 The same death from Sandman, who's the sister of Morpheus and part of the Endless.
02:29 Though the detectives have fostered a famed following of their own, it's undeniable that
02:33 Sandman is where they first cut their teeth.
02:35 Powers and abilities
02:38 Due to being ghosts, the Dead Boy detectives possess a range of paranormal abilities that
02:43 often prove very valuable.
02:45 They can make themselves invisible, fly, go through walls, and more.
02:49 Basically, they can do anything that ghosts are typically known for.
02:52 But while they could very easily get their kicks by haunting people, they instead decide
02:57 to use their powers for good.
02:58 And while it's not exactly a superpower, both boys possess strong investigative skills.
03:04 Sure, they might not be on the level of Sherlock Holmes, but they've been able to crack plenty
03:08 of spooky cases in their day.
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03:24 Live-action portrayals
03:27 Along with Crystal, the boys made their first-ever foray into live-action in the third season
03:33 of the acclaimed show Doom Patrol in late 2021.
03:43 Their starring role in the episode, which was fittingly called "Dead Patrol," saw them
03:47 rescuing the slain members of the Doom Patrol from the underworld.
03:51 All signs seemed to suggest that their appearance was meant to serve as a backdoor pilot.
03:55 Sure enough, Max, then still known as HBO Max, ordered a Dead Boy Detective series,
04:09 although with completely new actors taking on the roles.
04:12 But those plans seemed up in the air for a while,
04:15 especially when Max began putting shows up on the chopping block.
04:18 Of course, if Edwin and Charles are anything to go by, Dead doesn't mean the end.
04:25 The show eventually saw new life over at Netflix.
04:28 This switch has seen the show repositioned to align with Netflix's Sandman adaptation.
04:35 In fact, Kirby Howell-Baptiste reprises her role as Death.
04:39 "Pretty bang on, detectives, when we're not hiding from death."
04:42 While fans of the Doom Patrol iterations may have been left disappointed,
04:46 the development of a whole Sandman universe over at Netflix is pretty exciting.
04:51 At the end of the day, what fans of the characters really want to see
04:54 are the Dead Boys solving crimes and taking names.
04:57 "I'm not going back to hell."
04:58 Are you looking forward to the new Dead Boy Detective show?
05:01 Make sure to let us know by haunting the comment section.
05:04 Do you agree with our picks?
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05:12 [MUSIC]
05:22 (upbeat music)