Multiple characters Dead Boy Detectives DC comics are gay, but does that mean the Netflix series?
Neil Gaiman’s comic Book story is now a streaming epic that tells the story of a supernatural detective duo.
After the death of their two young sons, Edwin Paine and Charles Rowland, the couple decided to become supernatural investigators on earth rather than enter the afterlife.
(Dead Boy Detectives actor Michael Beach explains why he was ‘afraid’ to join Netflix show (Exclusive))
Are the Dead Boy Detectives gay in the comics?
Meanwhile Dead Boy Detectives has been labeled as a queer story that veers into LGBTQIA+ territory (especially in the 2022/2023 comic revival), fans have long wondered if the show’s central characters shared any kind of romance with each other.
In the comics, Edwin Paine (played by George Rexstrew on the Netflix show) is a closeted gay man.
Before his death, it is revealed that Edwin was a student at a strict Catholic private school where attendees were pressured to conform to strict religious doctrine. This made the character believe that he could not be himself and express his sexuality openly.
In the DC comics, Edwin’s partner in Dead Boy Detective Charles Rowland (played by Jayden Revri on Netflix) is prominently bisexual; however, the couple never shared any kind of romantic mess on the page.
The closest Charles and Edwin ever got to a gay relationship in the comics came in 2022 issue #7. Dead Boy Detectives DC Comics revival.
After working together for a while, Edwin confronts Charles, comes out to his partner and reveals who he is. While doing this, she also confesses her feelings for Charles.
Despite telling Charles she loves him, a relationship never materializes between the pair. Instead, Edwin’s coming out lifts a weight off his shoulders and allows him to be himself around his partner in a supernatural undercover job.
Will Charles and Edwin fall in love in Netflix’s Dead Boy Detectives?
on Netflix Dead Boy Detectives in the series, things between Edwin Paine and Charles Rowland work the same way as in the comics.
Both Edwin and Charles are queer on the show, and representation of the LGBTQIA+ community was something the show’s creators wanted to address in this comic book adaptation.
However – at least in Season 1 – the detective duo never became romantically involved.
Things develop almost identically between the two when Edwin comes out to Charles in episode 7. Edwin reveals that he is gay, and again admits that he has feelings for his fellow paranormal investigator.
But as revealed Dead Boy Detectives star Kassius Nelson in an interview with Netflix, they see this moment as one of them “friendship and acceptance” instead of gay love:
“(the scene where) Charles and Edwin are on the stairs escaping from Hell… there’s a moment of rawness and vulnerability that was beautifully acted and felt so real. I thought it was a beautiful message of friendship, acceptance and honesty, which I love. .”
Even if Edwin and Charles aren’t together by the end of Season 1, who’s to say where the show could go in a possible Season 2 (if it’s greenlit)?
Dead Boy Detectives Season 1 is now streaming on Netflix.
