How does ‘Dead Boy Detectives’ crossover with ‘The Sandman?’

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Dead Boy Detectives season 1.

The Sandman season 2 might be taking its sweet time in getting here, but at least Netflix has gifted subscribers a dream substitute in the form of Dead Boy Detectives, another supernatural series based on a Neil Gaiman comic that’s set in the same shared universe.

Although it was originally developed as a Doom Patrol spinoff headed for Max, the YA-flavored series pivoted lanes when it switched to Netflix and was redeveloped as a Sandman spinoff instead, with Gaiman’s blessing. Although the show — starring newcomers George Rexstrew and Jayden Revri as a pair of ghost private eyes — is mostly standalone it does contain at least a couple of major ties to its parent series, which should delight those missing Dream of the Endless and his curious family.

Dead Boy Detectives season 1 —The Sandman universe cameos, explained

If you saw the trailers, you knew to expect one big Sandman universe cameo from Dead Boy Detectives — that’s right, Kirby Howell-Baptiste reprises her role as Dream’s sister Death in the first episode.

In fact, the show wastes as little time as possible in bringing Death on-screen. In an action-packed opening sequence, Edwin (Rexstrew) and Charles (Revri) successfully defeat the ghost of a WW1 soldier who has been driven mad by a cursed gasmask. The boys then hide as a special visitor comes to escort the soldier to the afterlife — Death herself. Edwin and Charles make clear that they are hiding from Death as the two best friends don’t want to be forced to part and go their separate ways in the spirit world. Cue opening credits.

As in The Sandman, Death is portrayed as much warmer and kinder than you would expect, with her poetic dialogue being so spot-on you would think Gaiman had written it himself. The character is definitely not a big presence this season, however, and does not appear again after this opening sequence.

That said, another of the Endless family also makes an appearance much later in the season. In episode 7, Edwin is trapped in hell, seeming destined to be tortured for all eternity, when he notices someone spying on him in a reflective surface. As ghosts cal travel through mirrors in DBB lore, Edwin follows the reflection and finds himself in a location DC fans may recognize as the Gray Realm and facing Despair, as played by Donna Preston, returning from Sandman season 1.

Although she’s not explicitly named on screen, when Edwin inquires as to what kind of creature she is Despair says that the possibilities are “endless.” Despite being depicted as quiet and depressed on Sandman, here Despair is a little more pro-active, comics-accurate, and creepy. We learn that she feeds on the despair of others, so peeping on Edwin as he endures the cruelty of hell is a particularly delicious treat for her. “Isn’t it beautiful?’ she asks Edwin. “Can’t you just taste it?”

Edwin’s freaked out by her behavior, but Despair tells him, “Don’t worry, we’re friends now. I’ll call if I ever need you.” Unfortunately, she then yeets him back to hell. Again, this is Despair’s only appearance in the season, but her line about potentially giving the Dead Boys a call indicates she could return in season 2, assuming that we get one. And if she can bring her big brother Dream with her next time the fans would really appreciate it.