The following contains spoilers for Season 1 of Dead Boy Detectives, now streaming on Netflix.

When Dead Boy Detectives was announced on Netflix, many fans were relieved. The initial plan was for the series to be on HBO Max after a variation of the ghost sleuths, Charles and Edwin, appeared in Doom Patrol. But that idea was abandoned when HBO made massive changes to its operations. This allowed Netflix to pick up the series.

The new direction integrated Dead Boy Detectives into another equally popular comic book universe on Netflix: The Sandman Universe. Interestingly, Netflix doesn't follow the Marvel Cinematic Universe route, where it's left ambiguous if shows like Daredevil are tied to the movies. In fact, there are a few direct links that would even allow a Sandman crossover down the line.

Dead Boy Detectives Has The Sandman's Death

Dead Boy Detectives' opening episode has Kirby Howell-Baptiste's Death appearing. In The Sandman, she was seen as Dream's sibling and one of the Endless. She warned him about the balance of reality. They did a few reaping jobs where she talked about how their kind needed mankind as much as mankind needed them to keep order. In the process, she taught Dream to accept humanity again -- something he forgot after centuries of being imprisoned.

In Dead Boy Detectives, Death follows that kind of pattern. She is tasked with taking a World War I soldier to the afterlife after Charles and Edwin cure him of a demon. The boys have to hide, or she'll take them away, as they're ghosts. Even if they're benevolent and helping people, this is her job. Death shows empathy and compassion as she guides the soldier into the afterlife. Howell-Baptiste exudes the same charm and charisma, effectively confirming that this show is very much part of The Sandman Universe.

"Death is the basis of our entire show; our leads are running from Death," said Beth Schwartz in a Netflix press release. "So that was a very important character to cross over for us to actually show what they're scared of, which is this wonderful character created on Sandman." Schwartz's co-showrunner, Steve Yockey, admitted they were surprised how easy it was to get Sandman creator, Neil Gaiman, and that series' showrunner, Allan Heinberg, to lend them Death. There is a clear road map and synergy being established for something larger and more cohesive.

Dead Boy Detectives Has Sandman's Despair

The second direct connection comes with another member of the Endless family appearing. This is Despair (played by Donna Preston) -- the twin who was seen alongside Desire in The Sandman Season 1. She helped her sibling plot against Dream. Now, fans see how she derives pleasure from seeing people suffer in Dead Boy Detectives. When Edwin gets sent back to Hell, she watches the misery of Simon, the boy whose ritual backfired and killed Dead Boy Detectives' Edwin in the early 1900s at their British boarding school.

Simon is being punished for all eternity thanks to constant paper cuts. Despair is a sadist who enjoys using many mirrors, seeing her gallery in pain. She is a monstrous voyeur who also loves Edwin's plight. He died due to Simon being scared of their potential romance. Edwin kept his gay identity a secret, but Simon manifested anger when he realized he was also queer. This shattered Edwin, so Despair loves the fact that both of them are trapped in this prison with her.

"For Despair, we knew in the Hell episode, that's where we wanted to put [her], when Edwin was at his lowest possible moments, because that's where she, as a character, would enjoy watching him the most," said Yockey. "And the fact that she's also watching Simon be punished forever also speaks very much to her." This is very intriguing as it sets up a unique possibility in due time.

The Sandman's "Season of Mists" storyline where Lucifer releases the souls from Hell hasn't happened. Edwin initially got out by finding his own route out in 1989, and in this new scenario, Charles uses a door thanks to the Night Nurse to pull him out. But if The Sandman has Lucifer's purge later on, that could see Simon return to the real world. It could give Edwin quite a conundrum if he ever meets Simon again. Thanks to Dead Boy Detectives Season 1 ending, Edwin believes in love and light again, but seeing Simon could trigger hatred for all the pain and torment caused.

Dead Boy Detectives Has a Commonality With Sandman's Hell

Hell in The Sandman was a macabre pit. But the afterlife in Dead Boy Detectives is a business in a cave with administrators like the Night Nurse ensuring all ghosts that are brought in deserve to be banished there. It fits what Death told Dream about balance, and what The Sandman mapped out about the afterlife: some parts are fluid and take on different looks. There are also many cells, nodding to the one Dream's lost love, Nada, was stuck in. Notably, Dead Boy Detective's underworld is modeled after the Seven Sins.

As much as this Hell is different, it is very much part of a bigger Sandman landscape. It may well be that Lucifer or Death can access mirrors and monitor. Yockey, himself, admitted the creative team tweaked things to keep a distinct look and identity, while still matching The Sandman's continuity. Even the Night Nurse says there are levels of Hell above Lucifer's fiery realm. That is something that Dead Boy Detectives Season 2 can explore if the boys ever go down to Hell to work on cases with the Night Nurse.

Dead Boy Detectives Has Other Spiritual Sandman Links

In the bonus animated Sandman episode, "A Dream of a Thousand Cats," Dream appeared as a huge black cat to assist an alternate universe. Gaiman's comics loves playing on the idea of talking cats. Dead Boy Detectives does have talking cats, but they run afoul of the detectives. They're loyal to the Cat King, who develops a rivalry with Edwin. Rather than come off elegant, aristocratic or speaking philosophy, these cats are rough-edged, blue-collared felines who love to curse.

The Sandman also had Matthew the Raven, a former human who became a supernatural bird in the afterlife. Voiced by Patton Oswalt, he'd be loyal to Dream. In this case, the wicked witch, Esther, has a crow named Monty. She does the reverse by making him a human to bait Edwin into a romantic trap. Additionally, while The Sandman's Lucienne was a sage storing mystical knowledge, that role is now taken up by antiquities' dealer, Tragic Mick, in Port Townsend, Washington. It's proof that both properties have a magical commonality.

Lastly, The Sandman had a few Greek mythology references, just like Gaiman's lore. The bonus Episode 11 of the Netflix series revealed Orpheus as the son of Calliope (Melissanthi Mahut) and Dream. In Dead Boy Detectives, the ghost boys reference Orpheus, although it's the iconic tragedy between him and Eurydice. Edwin is scared that his escape will be ruined, which is what happened when Orpheus broke his rules and looked back, pushing Eurydice back to the underworld. But thankfully, Charles gets Edwin back safely and soundly. This is more coincidental than anything, but it's proof both franchises are treading a similar creative space.

Season 1 of Dead Boy Detectives is now streaming on Netflix.