Dead Boy Detectives review: "Delightfully dark, deeply moving, and the perfect companion to The Sandman"

GamesRadar+ VerdictA deeply moving exploration of loss, grief, sexuality, and love that will break your heart and mend it over and over again. GamesRadar+ Verdict GamesRadar+ Verdict A deeply moving exploration of loss, grief, sexuality, and love that will break your heart and mend it over and over again. A deeply moving exploration of loss, grief, sexuality, and love that will break your heart and mend it over and over again. Why you can trust GamesRadar+Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about our reviews policy. Why you can trust GamesRadar+Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about our reviews policy. Warning: Minor spoilers for Dead Boy Detectives! Hollywood is at the peak of TV and film adaptations, and I’m a little burnt out. When a TV series based on Dead Boy Detectives was announced some two years ago, I was nervous. Neil Gaiman’s work has a delightfully dark whimsy that has to be handled delicately, and beautifully complex characters that need to be treated with care. Netflix’s The Sandman, which had Gaiman at the helm, was nearly perfect. Some of us spent our whole lives waiting to see the Endless on screen – and it was more than worth it. It thrills me to say that Steve Yockey’s Dead Boy Detectives not only captures the delightfully dark spirit of its comic book counterpart, but is a deeply moving exploration of loss, grief, sexuality, and love that will break your heart and mend it over and over again. (Image credit: Netflix) To quote Sebastian from The Little Mermaid, “The human world is a mess.” So why stay? When the boys died, Edwin in 1916 and Charles in 1989, no one investigated. No one cared. Rather than go back to their eternal resting places (which, for Edwin, is anything but restful), the two best friends decide to use their time on earth for good. It’s here that they make two human friends, Crystal Palace (Kassius Nelson) and Niko (Yuyu Kitamura). Although, technically they make three human friends if you count Jenny (Briana Cuoco), the cynical tattooed butcher shop owner turned reluctant landlord who comes around to liking them at the very end. Rexstrew and Revri have an unmistakable chemistry, and it’s easy to, not just see, butfeelthe love they have for each other. Nelson’s Crystal enters the show as the antidote to Edwin’s more uptight and stubborn nature, but quickly becomes her own strong and special character – with her storyline almost becoming more interesting and exciting than the boys'. It’s impossible not to fall in love with these characters, to shriek at the screen when something goes wrong, to wait on the edge of your seat until the next episode. But it’s not just about the protagonists, one of the most compelling parts of the series is its complex and ruthless villains. (Image credit: Netflix) Mark my words, Dead Boy Detectives will be the next TV show to sweep the internet and garner an immensely dedicated fanbase, and this will be partly because of how many young people will see themselves in Edwin Payne. I said that the show is delightfully dark, but it’s also delightfully queer. Rexstrew’s Edwin doesn’t quite have the words to verbalize his own sexuality, to admit his feelings to the person he truly loves, and we spend the season watching him develop this incredible strength, this sense of pride. The season does wrap up with a neat little bow, as if it’d be perfectly fine and good if Netflix decided not to renew the series for a second season – but I need at least three, or five. Gaiman goths, we won. Dead Boy Detectives is streaming now on Netflix. For more, check out our list of thebest Netflix showsto stream right now. 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