How is Netflix's upcoming Dead Boy Detectives linked to The Sandman? Explained
Netflix’s upcoming adaptation of Dead Boy Detectives will see the likes of Edwin Payne and Charles Rowland make their way to TV screens. The two characters see their comic origin in the DC Universe in The Sandman series, which sees Dream return to his realm, The Dreaming, after 106 years in a bid to restore calm and order to it.
Dead Boy Detectives, notably the two major characters from Dead Boy Detectives, were first introduced in an issue of The Sandman back in 1991. The two characters were among a host of souls that returned to the Waking World after Lucifer was seen abandoning Hell.
In the comics, even when given the option of leaving the living plane and becoming part of the underworld, the two boys are seen choosing to stay back and instead decide to investigate crimes that include elements of the supernatural.
The series is set to be released on April 25, 2024.
Dead Boy Detectives is directly linked to The Sandman: Here is how!
The two main characters Edwin Payne and Charles Rowland first appeared in The Sandman universe in The Sandman #25 back in April 1991. While they were part of a plethora of characters whose souls were lost when Lucifer left Hell, their detailed stories have not been touched upon by the comics yet.
However, the DC bosses believe that their story is suitable for a TV representation, which has resulted in Dead Boy Detectives. The rumors had been afloat ever since Dead Boy Detectives was announced as a separate DC series. Fans of the Sandman universe are well versed with the characters of Charles Rowland and Edwin Paine, who also resulted in a separate spinoff via the comics written by Neil Gaiman and Matt Wagner.
The screenplay for the upcoming release has been developed by Steve Yockey based on the source material and the series itself will include a range of characters from The Sandman universe. Most of them, apart from the two protagonists, have not been delved into via the comics, which means that Dead Boy Detectives might take the narrative a few steps beyond the source material as well.
In the story, an obvious connection between the two series is that Death ends up granting Charles and Edwin the freedom to stay back on the living plane in their bid to solve crimes. Additionally, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, who took up the role of Death in the original The Sandman series, reprising her role in the new series as well is another connection between the two.
Regardless, Death is not expected to be a major recurring character and can be expected to have a minimal role in the upcoming series. Still, the source material suggests that the two protagonists have some obvious connections with The Sandman universe.
The series itself has seen a range of speculation. It was initially presented as a collaboration between DC and HBO Max, after which it was snapped up by Netflix. This led to a transition in the storyline, although it is unclear what kind of ideas were initially associated with Dead Boy Detectives.
However, one thing is clear, the original concept still revolves around The Sandman universe. With George Rexstrew featuring Edwin Payne and Jayden Revri as Charles Rowland, fans can expect an entertaining series that will continue to stay true to the source material while delving into an exciting new narrative.
The series is set to hit Netflix on April 25, 2024.