Dead Boy Detectives is a hell of a good time.
The series, adapted from the Neil Gaiman comic series of the same name, follows two – you guessed it – dead boy detectives, Edwin Payne (George Rexshaw, Findhorn Case 31.08.18) and Charles Rowland (Jayden Revri, Fate: The Winx Saga), as they solve mysteries through the world of the undead, occult and supernatural.
Their latest case finds them involved with a living, human psychic Crystal Palace (Kassius Nelson, Hollyoaks), who has been possessed by a demon. Charles takes a liking to Crystal and feels bad for her; he invites her to be a part of the team, much to Edwin’s bile-filled approval. The first episode takes the trio to the Pacific Northwest, where they must solve the disappearance of a living girl – which is not their usual brand of job. This of course lands all of them in hot water with the dark forces that lie in the sleepy port town they’ve ended up in. Whether it be witches addicted to their youth, a very horny The Cat King (Lukas Gage, Roadhouse), a former walrus turned shop owner, or a legion of wise-cracking cats, the Dead Boy Detectives take their audience on a wildly designed, big-laughed filled world of magic, mystery and heartbreaking tragedy.
Dead Boy Detectives has two massive things going for it. First, the undeniable chemistry between Edwin and Charles just makes the series so enjoyable. Their relationship follows the tried and true Odd Couple formula. We have the fastidious Edwin who is always sighing in disgust or rolling his eyes, but running headlong into danger with his laid back, devil-may-care BFF Charles. While this archetype has been done to death, there is a reason it’s employed so often – because when it works, it works so well. Rexshaw and Revri are performing like they’ve been in these roles for decades and it just adds to the charm of the series, making it as much of a hangout series as it is a supernatural thriller.
The second major thing going for this series is the world that’s built in the series. Whether it’s traveling through mirrors, talking to cats for information, the underworld of evil the trio stumble into, or just the fact no one can see the boys except for Crystal (thus making her seem crazy to everyone else), everything feels so fantastical that you find yourself swept up into it immediately. Like the chemistry of our lead actors, the world built here adds to this hangout vibe for the series. You want to see what lurks around every corner, discover all the weird locals, and see how our heroes are going to get themselves out of the jams they’ve created for themselves.
Dead Boy Detectives is a fun binge watch piled high with fun characters, an intoxicatingly spooky aura and engrossing storylines. To those who might be hesitant to jump into the series because it’s “yet another comic book adaptation” or maybe because you didn’t love Netflix’s Sandman series – don’t be. This series stands on its own two legs and escapes the dour and graphic nature of Sandman, nor does it require any sort of prior comic book knowledge for it to resonate with you. This is just a plain old fun series to enjoy.
