It feels like the ghostly youngsters, Charles Rowland and Edwin Payne, have been around forever. They first appeared in "The Sandman" back in 1991 and have been part of the DC Comics universe ever since, getting involved in everything from mangas to crossovers, and more. The last role they got in a spinoff of "Doom Patrol" with a different cast was a special case for them and gave them good fame.
Dead Boy Detectives spins a captivating web of mysteries and the supernatural, where our protagonists, Edwin and Charles, navigate the afterlife with a detective's keen eye. They’re not typical teen detectives; they’re ghosts themselves, which gives them a unique perspective (and access) when it comes to helping other spirits resolve their unfinished earthly business. The show throws us right into their ghostly journey and adds a twist of whimsical horror into the mix. It's genuinely fun and full of interesting moments—like dealing with a polite demon or a wacky, anime-style tree monster called Teeth Face, which is as bizarre as it sounds.
The show doesn't waste time with long backstories or slow builds; instead, it plunges viewers directly into the action and supernatural shenanigans from the get-go. And honestly? It's a refreshing approach. Things get even more interesting when they cross paths with Crystal Palace (Kassius Nelson), a psychic with a touch of amnesia and her own issues. Her arrival shakes things up, challenging the detectives with new types of spectral mysteries and adding a fresh dynamic to the team.
The trio ends up in a small town in the Pacific Northwest—filmed in Canada, thanks to it being a Greg Berlanti production. Here, they keep on solving different mysteries while dealing with some pretty colorful characters like Esther, a witch played by Jenn Lyon, who brings a deliciously wicked energy to her role, and Ruth Connell's Night Nurse, a strict enforcer of the afterlife’s rules who's not too happy with our detective duo breaking them. It's a series that blends humor with a bit of spook, set against the moody backdrop of the Pacific Northwest, making Dead Boy Detectives a supernatural treat with plenty of laughs and thrills.
The series also doesn’t shy away from quirky side characters who add a rich layer of humor and eccentricity. The Cat King voiced and occasionally portrayed by Lukas Gage, is a scene-stealer with his grumpy-mouthed commentary. While his repetitive antics might wear thin for some, there’s no denying Gage’s commitment to making each appearance memorable. Lastly, the supporting roles like Yuyu Kitamura's Niko, Crystal’s neighbor, who brings a lightness and wit to the screen every time she appears. Though her involvement in the main plot is limited, her character provides a refreshing break from the heavier themes and reminds us of the ongoing life outside the ghostly investigations.
Rexstrew and Revri, who play Edwin and Charles, bring the odd couple vibe to life, creating a fun dynamic at the core of the show. They even spice things up with a bit of a love triangle involving Nelson’s character, Crystal. Charles only knows how to flirt, and Edwin has hidden his deep feelings as we see in some love triangle scenarios mostly in Chinese or Korean dramas. Nelson blends into this mix pretty well, but her storyline about being haunted by a past demon, played by David Iacono, kind of drags at times, slowing down the excitement.
One quirky aspect of the show is the casting. In the series where so many actors (around twenty) play teenagers, the lead actors here don’t exactly scream "high school." But since they're playing ghosts who don’t age, it kind of makes sense in a weird way. Nevertheless, it's entertaining and a little annoying how frequently they bring up the fact that these individuals are meant to be in their junior study term. Throughout the season, you will find Jenny calling Crystal "Kid," you feel the age mismatch.
Ruth Connell, who played Night Nurse, offers an insight into how the show changed. It was kind of a spin-off thing from Doom Patrol and got shuffled over to Netflix and mixed in with The Sandman. With The Sandman cast, comparisons will also easily be made and therefore drawn between both shows. Sadly, Dead Boy Detectives does not get to those dramatic heights. The show tries, at times way too hard, managing to hit the mark with its lovably quirky weirdness one moment but falling flat the very next. On the whole, the performances in DBD Season 1 are such a huge part of the series' engaging nature. The cast manages to balance the comedic and darker aspects of the script, making their supernatural encounters feel both thrilling and amusingly bizarre.
By the halfway point in the season, the show starts to find its groove, wherein the practical investigations take precedence over the serial narrative. The only standout moment—verging on sheer terror—is the 3rd episode, featuring a family that continues to re-live their tragedy over and over again. The final episode is just okay, but the one before really grabs you. It further explores the personal storylines of the two individuals: Edwin and Charles. A very intense, almost trippy quest in which one partner really goes all out for his buddy. In fairness, though, while a few moments arise that are budget-tight special effects, this season does still manage to wow with some seriously nice eye candy.
Briefly put, the corpse garden is "a garden of horror"—there are some really neat monster graphics, like the creepy Teeth Face, and several backstories come to life in different animation styles, providing some unique flair to their storytelling. On the praise side, the show is commended for its unique blend of horror and humor. The series strikes such a perfect note that the supernatural elements of the story remain accessible and fun without ever losing an air of creepiness. It is precisely this slightly off-kilter tenor that really makes "Dead Boy Detectives" stand out from what could be a rather pedestrian ghost story. The relationships of the characters—Edwin, Charles, and Crystal—remain splendid. Their interplays are the basis of some of the best parts of the show.
The fanciful villains Ester and Night Nurse both add that extra flavor of mischief and stakes that force the viewer to stay engaged with the episodes. Many episodes are very creative and deep, especially the third episode where we go very deep into what we call "horror," exploring the tragic loop of a family reliving their killers. The show really comes to life in moments like this, where it's doing the best job it can of proving to be a genuinely creepy supernatural detective story.
However, it's not without its faults; some of the humor can come off a bit hit-and-miss. Many of the same jokes, particularly those related to the Cat King and his grumpy nature, are really good but wear thin after several episodes. That goes for the sprites, snarky as they are, with their first hilarious taunts beginning to wear thin over time. Some criticism, though, could be in order for the pacing and some narrative choices. Certain sub-plots seem to meander without contributing much to the main storyline or character development. For instance, Crystal's history with the demon, which could sometimes bog the show down, is not as interesting or tense as other storylines.
Verdict
Dead Boy Detectives generally does a good job of being a solid mix of mystery and the supernatural, keeping the viewer's interest. The show works best when it's operating in its procedural roots, secret-case-of-the-week, and not overly bogged down by serialized storytelling. If there's anything Dead Boy Detectives doesn't squarely hit in the bullseye, it's at least to be commended for trying a fresh take on ghostly adventuring and boasting strong leads. While most of the effects do their job quite well, it is here that, as if to fall slightly short in some respects of achieving that mission as set by the script, they almost feel undercooked compared with the visual success of the rest of the show. In other words, the creative team of Dead Boy Detectives does push what can be done on a TV series budget.
