Philip K. Dick-Inspired Oni Press Series Previews

What if the legendary science fiction author Philip K. Dick could be brought back to life in the 21st century? That’s the fascinating premise behind Benjamin, a mind-bending new sci-fi mystery series from Oni Press. This three-issue prestige comic follows author Benjamin J. Carp, who died in 1982 only to wake up in 2025 with no memory of how he returned.

IGN has an exclusive preview of Benjamin #1. Explore the slideshow gallery below, but please be aware that some images contain NSFW language:

Benjamin #1: Exclusive Comic Book Preview Gallery

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Benjamin marks the first full-length comic by Ben H. Winters, author of the Last Policeman Trilogy and creator of CBS’s Tracker. The series is illustrated by Leomacs (known for EC’s Epitaphs from the Abyss and Basketful of Heads), with cover art by Leomacs, Christian Ward, and Malachi Ward.

Here is Oni Press's official description for Benjamin:

More than a writer, more than a science-fiction icon, Benjamin J. Carp was a cultural revolutionary. Across 44 novels and hundreds of short stories—including the counterculture masterpiece The Man They Couldn’t Erase—Carp pushed the boundaries of literary respectability within the sci-fi genre and expanded readers' understanding of reality itself. That is, until decades of amphetamine use and Southern California excess cut short a brilliant career that always seemed just out of reach of mainstream recognition. He died in 1982.

Until 2025… when Benjamin J. Carp wakes up alive inside a charred motel on the outskirts of Los Angeles. He remembers dying. He knows he shouldn't exist. Is he a dream? A robot? A ghost? A clone? A simulation? During his time, Carp explored all of these possibilities through his writing. Now, as he journeys from Studio City to Venice Beach and into the sprawling, paranoid landscape of 21st-century Los Angeles, he must solve his greatest mystery yet: himself.

"First off, although Benjamin features a character named Benjamin and was written by a guy named Benjamin, it is not an autobiography! Just because the main character is a cranky middle-aged sci-fi writer traipsing through Los Angeles, trying to figure out his purpose—and, well, I’m… oh, wait. S***," Winters shares with IGN. "The joy of writing Benjamin came from taking the most serious subject matter—death, our mortality, and all that—and turning it into a lighthearted, quirky adventure about a middle-aged man who died only to come back and solve the puzzle of why, how, and what comes next."

Winters adds, "I’ve always been drawn to stories with a touch of playfulness, a twist of self-awareness. So, a tale about a sci-fi writer who might be trapped inside one of his own stories—written by, yes, another sci-fi writer—desperately searching for a way out… it’s a clever and entertaining narrative that also grapples with the big questions of existence. And there’s a dog! A sweet, affectionate pup named Strawman. Honestly, what more could you want?"

Benjamin #1 arrives on June 18, 2025. You can also watch an animated trailer for the series.

In other comic news, DC Comics and Ghost Machine are collaborating for their first crossover event (in a way), and the nominees for the 2025 Eisner Awards have been announced.