Comic book adaptations nowadays often feel like a last-ditch attempt to save the spoils of a once-flourishing dynasty. As studios constantly churn out carbon copies of last summer’s cash grab, it leaves many wondering whether the age of comic books is over. Enter Bodies, Netflix’s adaption of the late Si Spencer’s unique time-warped whodunit that redefines what graphic-novel adaptions can be.

When the same body is discovered on London’s Longharvest Lane in 1890, 1941, 2023 and 2053, one detective from each period must investigate the mysterious John Doe. Switching rapidly from decadent mysticism at the 19th century’s end, all the way to the not-so-distant dystopian future, this show shouldn’t work tonally. But writers Paul Tomalin and Danusia Samal carefully layer each piece of the puzzle, culminating in an intricate mini-series that is as seamless as it is smart.

Coming off his high-intensity performance in Boiling Point, Stephen Graham once again proves that anything he touches is gold. His role as the mysterious political leader Mannix sets him at the centre of this tale and highlights his underrated star power. Starring alongside him are our four detectives played by Amaka Okafor, Jacob Fortune-Lloyd, Kyle Soller and Shira Haas. This quartet are adept at finding the person behind the badge, whether it's Okafor as DS Hasan, protecting the very protestors that look at her hijab in disgust, or Fortune-Lloyd as DS Whiteman, a copper that’s found a way to scam the antisemitic system he is part of.

Core to its intelligence is how the show lulls you into a false sense of security with Bodies steeped in dramatic irony as we follow each detective on their journey. We hear the same post-mortems, run into the same brick walls, and come up with the same empty theories in each century. So, when we’re suddenly left scrambling around in the dark for answers, nothing feels safe anymore. Bodies is not what you think it should be as it moves from your average police procedural to a mind-bending conspiracy thriller, dead-set on luring you in with shocking twists.

Bodies is available now on Netflix.