dead boy detectives reading list
with the show finally out i figured it was a great time to share my reading list again! check it out below the cut 👻☠️🔎
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⏳ the sandman #25 (1991)
this is their first appearance!
🐇 the children's crusade (1993)/free country: a tale of the children's crusade (2015)
1. the children's crusade #1
(2. black orchid annual #1
4. animal man annual #1
5. swamp thing annual #7
6. doom patrol annual #2
7. arcana annual #1)
8. the children's crusade #2
alternatively you can just read free country. whether or not you read the annuals i recommend reading free country's middle chapter
!!! in place of the annuals there is an additional middle chapter that was created for the book "free country: a tale of the children's crusade" where it is placed between the two children's crusade issues. the boys don't actually appear in most of the annuals (they are in two panels of swamp thing and appear in doom patrol) and reading them isn't necessary but i figured i would include them as they are part of the story.
❄️ winter's edge #3 (2000)
this is an anthology. their part is the 'books of magic: waiting for good dough' story starting on page 19
🐦⬛ the sandman presents: the dead boy detectives (2001, 4 issues)
i believe the tv show's esther finch was partially based on this run's villain.
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(they do have a part in 'death: at death's door' from 2003. it's short and really just a retelling of events from sandman #25 with some minor changes. the entirety of their appearance in death: at death's door is included at the end of the next comic im listing so i am not really adding the death: at death's door book to the list)
☠️ the dead boy detectives (2005, one-shot)
this book was made by jill thompson in a very cute manga-esque style
👻 ghosts (2012), time warp (2013), the witching hour (2013)
these three are anthologies. the story 'the dead boy detectives in: run ragged' runs through all of them. 'run ragged' kicks off the next run.
🔮 from the pages of the sandman: dead boy detectives (2013, 12 issues)
this is the comic where crystal is introduced! a book collecting all 12 issues titled 'dead boy detectives by toby litt & mark buckingham' was released in 2023
🔎the sandman universe: dead boy detectives (2022, 6 issues)
the most recent run, centered around some really interesting thai mythology and featuring multiple edwin moments that i am sure you will love
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and that's everything! i also recommend buying the omnibus if you can. it includes everything minus the 2022 run plus some additional bonus content!
i hope this is helpful! feel free to ask me any questions you may have about the comics. dead boy detectives is my number one interest so i should be able to answer
have fun reading! 👻
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I absolutely adore that Niko Sasaki's contribution to the Dead Boy Detective Agency isn't any kind of special powers she could've gotten from being possessed by parasitic little gods, but rather it's just her— with her innate curiosity and kindness, her love of love, and the earnestness and sincerity in which she says or does something.... ooooh I love her so much my best girl !!!!
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Herb Ritts for Valentino, 1995
Joelle Jones, variant cover for The Sandman Universe Nightmare Country The Glass House #2
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I really hope Charles and Crystal DON'T get together in the Netflix show. It would kill me to see Charles go through the same pain he suffered through in the comics.
"When you're dead, you can't grow up. Even when everyone else does."
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Dream of the Endless • Tom Sturridge
(digital realistic portrait, fanart)
As a portraitist, I just couldn't leave this charming face without a full-fledged portrait 🖤 In addition to the general image of Lord Morpheus as a character, I'm really in love with his appearance in the film adaptation ❤️🔥 Tom Sturridge is a very handsome man with expressive features and a penetrating look. I think, he is perfect in the role of Dream of the Endless.
PRINT-SHOP
@sandmanverse @staroftheendless @tomsturridge-blog
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