Dead Boy Detectives’ Connection to The Sandman Explained

Created by the genius Neil Gaiman, Edwin and Charles have arrived from the DC universe to solve supernatural mysteries. Dead Boy Detectives is finally available on Netflix for streaming. After watching the first episode, I realized that it was going to be one of the best horror comedy TV shows I have ever watched this year.

The plot revolves around Edwin and Charles, who choose to trick death and remain on Earth so that they can investigate cases involving supernatural entities. They also meet a 22-year-old girl named Crystal, a psychic who joins their detective agency. Well, Dead Boy Detectives made some fans wonder if the TV show is somehow connected to The Sandman since it is also from Neil Gaiman, which arrived on Netflix in 2022. Well, if that’s the case, let’s find out how the new horror comedy connects to the world of The Sandman.

Is Dead Boy Detectives Related to The Sandman?

Firstly, it needs to be clear that The Sandman itself is the adaption of the comic of the same name, written by Neil Gaiman and running from January 1989 to March 1996. Charles and Edwin, the protagonists of DBD made their debut in the 1991 edition of The Sandman comic. Gaiman showcased Charles and Edwin running their own detective agency in The Children’s Crusade, a seven-issue crossover by Vertigo Comics. It means Dead Boy Detectives has always been a part of The Sandman comics.

In fact, the Dead Boy Detectives also made their live-action debut in HBO’s Dead Patrol, the third season of Doom Patrol.

Despite boasting an entirely different story, Dead Boy Detectives has a significant connection with The Sandman. We can’t say that the former is a direct spin-off series of the latter, but yes, they are related in terms of setting and characters. For instance, Death, whom we met in The Sandman in 2022, appeared in the first episode of Dead Boy Detectives.

She is seen arriving to take the first ghost, whom Edwin and Charles helped to move on. Interestingly, not only the character but also the actor who played that role in The Sandman, i.e., Kirby Howell-Baptiste, made a cameo appearance in the horror comedy. Even though she appeared for a few seconds, Neil Gaiman’s fans were satisfied.

Besides her, we also meet another member of the Endless from The Sandman, i.e. Despair, Desire’s twin. Like the first season of The Sandman, Dead Boy Detectives also see her for a brief time in Episode 7.

The way Neil Gaiman has set up The Sandman universe, there are chances that we might see Edwin and Charles in The Sandman Season 2, which is reportedly under development. Moreover, vice-versa could also happen where some characters of The Sandman might show up in subsequent seasons of Dead Boy Detectives if it happens.