In Review: The Sandman Universe: Dead Boy Detectives (2022-) #1

Synopsis: Charles Rowland and Edwin Paine known as the Dead Boy Detectives have been detectives for decades-and dead best friends even longer. But their investigation into a Thai American girl’s disappearance from her Los Angeles home puts them on a collision course with new and terrifying ghosts that could give even a dead boy nightmares-including a bloodthirsty krasue. Even scarier than the ghosts? Though neither wants to admit it, the boys might be growing apart. And perilously close by to the boys’ adventure, Thessaly the witch finds herself held hostage by dangerous magics-both a threat to her life and an insult to her ego that simply will not go unanswered…

The Story

When Charles and Edwin are hired to find a missing girl called Jai they find themselves drawn into a mystery concerning a vengeful Thai Spirit that has been eviscerating its victims. As they find Jai they learn that she has died and is a Thai ghost and has hooked up with a small group of Thai Ghosts who are only able to roam the earth at night. Jai introduced Charles and Edwin to Dom a Ghost Doctor who tells them that there are all kinds of different Thai spirits and unlike Western spirits, they can only come out of the night. As the day draws in Jai and her friends vanish into thin air leaving Charles and Ewin with plenty of things to ponder as they learn more about this mystery from Dom who asks them to keep an eye on Jai and the others.

Elsewhere Thessaly who is the oldest living witch is being held hostage but has some big plans that are going to completely make all her other deeds seem like child’s play. But what’s she up to?

The Artwork

Jeff Stokely produces some artwork that looks kind of like a Saturday morning cartoon of old. But it somehow suits the story. I loved the few instances we see of Charles and Edwin as they appear and disappear. I.E. the translucence that happens when they walk through something is subtly shown on some of the pages. I also loved the drawing of the horrid Thai Spirit at the end of the book as it looks genuinely weird like a head with its vital organs trailing behind it. Aside from those two things the art wasn’t really my bag. Nothing wrong with it as such. It’s just not an art style that I’m particularly taken with.

Stokely’s art is helped along with some nice colorwork from Miquel Muerto.

Overall

Written by Pornsak Pichetshote who wrote the award-winning The Good Asian which finished its run last year. This new Dead Boy Detectives story gets off to a brilliant start. Pichetshote does a brilliant job of introducing the two main characters and does a brief recap of their origins in such a way that it does not dominate the rest of the story. So this is a great book for newcomers to be introduced to this world. I also enjoyed the way in which the writer explains the various different kinds of Thai ghosts through Ghost Doctor Dom.

Overall. I found this to be a really enjoyable book with some solid art, which while solid and good. Wasn’t really my cup of tea. However, the story and dialogue more than made up for my indifference to the art style.