Netflix catapulted its name into the history books with a groundbreaking crossover between recently released films Dead Boy Detectives and Streamer Sandman series.
Dead Boy Detectives adapts Neil Gaiman’s iconic DC Comics universe to the small screen, following dead teenagers who decide to stay in purgatory on Earth to help solve supernatural crimes.
On the side, Dead Boy Detectives has moved on to several other DC properties that appear as part of several Sandman stories as well as the famous Doom Patrol team.
Dead Boy Detectives’ Sandman Connections Explained
Dead Boy Detectives broke new ground on Netflix thanks to its connection to the streamer’s other super-hit series.
The latest DC streaming show featured a historic crossover with Netflix Sandman -series, where the characters Death and Despair appear as cameos.
This is the first time that two superhero series produced by Netflix will cross paths in the Netflix universe.
The Marvel series produced by Netflix similarly cruised with it Defenders series; however, it was part of a larger universe known as the MCU.
Kirby Howell-Baptiste (Death) and Donna Preston (Despair) appear in episodes 6 and 7. Sandmanwhich occurs Dead Boy Detectives premiered in a brief cameo.
According to co-showrunner Beth Schwartz, Death and Despair are “the basis of our entire show” since they’re the ones the show’s titular supernatural detectives are on the run from (via Tudum):
“Death is the basis of our whole show; our leads run from Death. So that was a very important character to cross over to really show what they’re afraid of, which is this great character that was created for The Sandman.”
Supernatural teen comedy hits back Sandman makes sense for fans of comic Book characters.
Dead Boy Detectives actually sprung from a single digit Sandman comics that first appeared in Sandman #25 from April 1991.
Sandman creator Neil Gaiman tied the characters into several Sandman-comic-verse stories before receiving their first full-length comic from writer Ed Brubaker in 2001.
They will be revived in 2022 and will appear as part of DC’s The Sandman Universe initiative, crossing over with various characters. Sandman the world of comics.
While Dead Boy Detectives The Netflix show is inspired by the characters’ storylines, and it was this Sandman Universe-initiated version of the team that was adapted almost one-by-one.
What’s next for Dead Boy Detectives?
Although season 2 / Dead Boy Detectives not handled by its creative team or the powers that be at Netflix, can be seen as building blocks towards more stories in this world.
With an additional explanation Dead Boy Detectives world, it would make sense to start seeing even more connections to Netflix Sandman the story too.
Some have speculated that the series will take place on Netflix Sandman Season 1. This theory centers around the abundance of ghosts in the land Dead Boy Detectives may be connected to Lucifer emptying Hell as he does within himself Sandman The season of fogs comic story.
In response to this, showrunner Steve Yockey revealed that all these spirits roaming the earth are not connected Sandmanbut that’s because of it “they don’t have to The season of fogs over (in the show)” (via Tudum), and the two work in the same continuity:
“In our show, they’re not, because that hasn’t happened yet in Sandman. And so, we’re in continuity with the show. In our version, Edwin was charting his way out of Hell instead of being freed in (comic collection) ‘Season of Mists,’ because they’re not yet entered the “Season of Mists” in another program.”
With Sandman getting a second season (subtitled “The Song of Orpheus”), is always a possibility for Charles Rowland and Edwin Payne Dead boy pops up in a cameo style similar to Death and Despair in Dead Boy Detective Season 1.
Perhaps on top of that, Netflix’s Neil Gaiman DC universe could become even more content for the streamer, potentially bringing characters like John Constantine into the fray.
Dead Boy Detectives now streaming on Netflix.
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