What if legendary science fiction writer Philip K. Dick were somehow resurrected in the 21st century? That's the core idea behind *Benjamin*, a mind-bending new sci-fi mystery series from Oni Press. This limited three-issue prestige comic follows an author named Benjamin J. Carp, who died in 1982 only to inexplicably awaken in 2025 with no memory of how he returned.
IGN has an exclusive first look at new pages from *Benjamin* #1. Browse the slideshow gallery below for a closer look, but please be advised: the preview contains some NSFW language.
Exclusive Comic Preview: *Benjamin* #1 Gallery
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*Benjamin* marks the full-length comic writing debut of Ben H. Winters, author of The Last Policeman Trilogy and co-creator of the CBS series *Tracker*. The series is illustrated by Leomacs (EC’s *Epitaphs from the Abyss*, *Basketful of Heads*) with cover art by Leomacs, Christian Ward, and Malachi Ward.
Here is the official series description from Oni Press:
More than just a writer or a science fiction icon, Benjamin J. Carp was a cultural revolutionary. Across 44 novels and hundreds of short stories—including the counterculture classic *The Man They Couldn’t Erase*—Carp pushed the boundaries of literary respectability for the sci-fi genre and challenged his readers' perception of reality itself... until decades of amphetamine abuse and Southern California excess finally ended a mind-bending career that always narrowly avoided mainstream success. He died in 1982.
Then, in 2025... Benjamin J. Carp awakens, alive, in a burned-out motel on the fringes of Los Angeles. He remembers dying. He knows he shouldn't exist. Is he a dream? A robot? A ghost? A clone? A simulation? In his own time, Carp explored all these possibilities in his fiction. Now, as he journeys from Studio City to Venice Beach and into the paranoid sprawl of 21st-century Los Angeles, he must investigate his greatest mystery yet: the truth of his own existence.
"First off, just because the comic is called *Benjamin*, it's about a guy named Benjamin, and it's written by a guy named Benjamin, does not make it autobiographical!" Winters told IGN. "Just because the hero is a cranky, middle-aged science fiction writer desperately searching for life's purpose while wandering around Los Angeles, and I'm—oh, wait. Shoot," he joked. "The joy of writing *Benjamin* was finding a way to take the most serious subject—death and the inevitable end we all face—and turn it into a joyous, quirky adventure about a middle-aged man who died, came back, and is now trying to figure out why, how, and what to do next."
Winters continued, "I've always loved stories with a bit of a wink, a playful twist. So a tale about a sci-fi writer who might be trapped inside one of his own stories—and is, by the way, written by another sci-fi writer—struggling to find a way out... it's a very fun and clever narrative that also grapples with the big questions defining our lives. Plus, there's a dog in it! A cute, loving dog named Strawman. Honestly, what more could you want?"
*Benjamin* #1 goes on sale June 18, 2025. You can also watch an animated trailer for the series.
In other comic book news, DC Comics and Ghost Machine are staging their first-ever crossover event (of sorts), and the nominees for the 2025 Eisner Awards have been announced.
