I don't remember the appearance of this duo in Sandman so perhaps I'm missing something, but the introductory story was terrible. It was short, minimally plotted, gratuitously violent (I'm not particularly squeamish, but I don't *enjoy* violence, especially not graphic violence perpetrated on children and animals), and neither explained or connected with any larger story. The girls who are introduced are cliched (girls like cleaning, and pink, and hearts and flower) and disappear from the narrative quite soon. The story is resolved by someone else, with no actual mystery or investigation. In fact, if it hadn't been over before I expected it I might not have gotten to the end.

Luckily, it got much better after that. I don't know why that first bit was even there. The rest of the book is two longer stories with a larger plot arc. Crystal Palace is a cool, albeit unfortunately named, kid and her interaction with the two boys really added a dimension. Their relationship was also better developed as it went on. I particularly liked the distinction between their narration. The creepy boarding school was a neat twist on a classic setting: unlike the unrelated book by that name, this school really did have a Demon Headmaster! I wonder if the plot line(s) concerning Crystal's roommate (view spoiler) will get resolved. I'd like to see the adventurous Victorian girls again, too.



So many cats...

The second volume of Dead Boy Detectives (Litt & Buckingham's version anyway) has Edwin and Charles continuing their search for Edwin's family, with the help of Crystal Palace.

In previous reviews I mentioned how fond I was of the two boys when they were introduced in issue #25 of Sandman (Season of Mists).  I obviously wasn't the only one who was interested in the further adventures of the two ghosts as they wandered off into the world.

The first spin-off (which I never read) was a 7 issue series called the Children's Crusade which featured the two boys spending their time watching noir films I guess and deciding to start their own detective agency.  I guess that everyone else figured that was a pretty good idea, because now there have been at least two further series started with Charles and Edwin setting up as detectives, both under the title, "Dead Boy Detectives."  One by Ed Brubaker and one by Jill Thompson.  Now we have yet another Dead Boy Detective series.

Although I've enjoyed continuing my adventures with the pair...the detective agency angle has been less interesting for me.  For one the pair are always represented the same way, even though their personalities were hardly set by their appearance in Sandman.

Charles thinks like the stereotypical hard boiled detective.  He's always got a dame on his case, for whom he heads into dangerous and occasionally stupid territory, dragging Edwin with him.

Edwin is timid, innocent and well...side-kicky.  While Charles leaps into action, Edwin is sent out to do the errands.

The first volume in this series has a familiar feel to it.  Charles and Edwin return to St. Hilarion (the school where they were both originally killed and where they met).  There they meet the teenaged hacker daughter of a famous couple.  Crystal Palace recently had a near death experience when one of her parents art projects went awry.  Charles and Edwin had a hand in saving her and perhaps because of that connection she decides to start a new school, St.Hilarion.

Soon she notices weird things going down at the school.  Of course there's still that pesky hellsmouth in the school...

The second volume takes up the action right after the end of the first, Charles has decided to allow Crystal help him solve the mystery of his family, find his half-sister and solve his mother's murder.  Crystal must also help her friends Hana, who she lost in the attack on St.Hilarion and her best childhood friend, Rosa, who she watched being pulled through some sort of portal when they were children.

Again, Edwin stays as a bit of a sidenote through this series (as he has in all the others) as Charles pursues the mystery of his family and his growing relationship with Crystal Palace (yeah, that'll work I'm sure).  It's definitely an interesting story and a good mystery, however, I found Crystal Palace annoying at best.

Overall, probably the most polished of any Dead Boy Detective series, but still I liked the Brubaker version better, with it's gritty art and darker plot.

An old article "Has plot driven out other kinds of story?" http://www.theguardian.com/books/2011/jul/14/plot-driven-out-other-kinds-story has asked this question. 

As readers we all worry that the biggest money making for book writer is to have their books sold as potential movies. And if the book really turned into movies that did not suck, it would in turn drive sales of their books.

For very literary work, this might not translate as well onto screen.  There might not be any plot that drive the story.

For me, it is more difficult to read work that is not plot driven, but that's probably where the skill of writing that turned into art form, for appreciation of the beauty of words joined together instead of having likable central characters and things that happen to them.

In order to support these form of literature, the publishing has to think not only of sales and markets, but on the values of books as a form of art. 

Not your average sci-fi book. It is not about space, it is about those who are on board.

There is a lot of lacking in the book. No science stuff.

So what it is about.

This is about the third generation human who grandparents decided it is a good idea to live the rest of their lives on a space ship and let their children stuck there as well.

Third generation, no memory of Earth except images of Earth. Bored out of their mind. Cousins fall in love and have a baby.

And he is mentally handicapped. It is implied. There is a chance of abnormality but not a must.

The two cousins were punished by not able to see each other. 

Are human that cruel?

The Orphan became captain. And he have three wives.

People are free to do what they want, and incest happened. 

Really?

I think the writer want to do a mental exercise to see how far we could go on space exploration. Knowing that there would be human implication beside technological ones.

For that, it is fine.

But it is a bit too simplistic. The two cousins didn't fall in love again. Why not? How long people are going to hold a grudge in so close a space?

Did I mentioned that the Earth was destroyed? OK. That's happened.

A few disappointing points beside the human didn't act human enough. There is a mention of god in the book. Fuck that. If human are building long range space craft to colonizing other planet, human would have gotten rid of that nonsense long ago. Morality is a balance between interest and individual rights.

Not really great. But a good try. 

I judged this a bit too soon before finishing the last chapter.

OK. Something major changed.

Three, the daughter of Orphan, was raped by her admirer Chang, raped by Chang and later, stabbed by Chang in his creepy pursue. Chang is like all other stalker who turned violent without getting what he want. Yup. Jerk.

Then there is a second rape by Three nephew, who found her to be a god. 

Hate that. When stupid yet popular people had a stupid idea and turned it into a religion, it attracted other stupid people. Most people who are into religion are really fucking stupid, but they are seems to be in the majority among the population of this book.

So, they found a religion that don't allow sex and the last remaining human are going to go extinct because of that.

Did I mention religion is fucking stupid? Yes it is. And it is well illustrated in this book. 

OK. Someone else found this religion stupid and stayed away. 

Add a half star just for making that point. 

Another point is added to allow religion leader behave close to reality when they have power. Nephew allow non believer to choose ejection into space, starvation or conversation, just like the religious fuckheads in real life who have power. 

 Oh.

A surprised and not so surprised ending. Religious fuckhead would only destroy lives. That's seems right.

OK.