Oni Press Launches Philip K. Dick-Inspired Series

What if the iconic sci-fi writer Philip K. Dick was brought back to life in the 21st century? That’s the core idea behind Benjamin, a mind-bending new sci-fi mystery series from Oni Press. This three-issue comic in prestige format follows author Benjamin J. Carp, who died in 1982 and inexplicably awakens in 2025 with no memory of how he returned.

IGN is excited to exclusively share a new preview of Benjamin #1. Browse the slideshow gallery below for a closer look, but please note that some strong language appears ahead:

Benjamin #1: Exclusive Comic Book Preview Gallery

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

Below is Oni Press’s official description of the series:

More than a writer or even a science-fiction legend, Benjamin J. Carp was a cultural revolutionary. Across 44 novels and countless short stories—including the counterculture classic The Man They Couldn’t Erase—Carp pushed the limits of literary respectability within the sci-fi genre and challenged his readers’ view of reality itself… until decades of amphetamine use and Southern California excess cut short a career that narrowly missed mainstream recognition. He died in 1982.

Until 2025… when Benjamin J. Carp awakens, alive, in a burned-out motel on the outskirts of Los Angeles. He remembers dying. He knows he shouldn’t be here. Is he a dream? A robot? A ghost? A clone? A simulation? In his own time, Carp explored each of these ideas in his fiction. Now, as he travels across the city from Studio City to Venice Beach and into the sprawling paranoia of 21st-century Los Angeles, he must tackle his most bewildering mystery yet: himself.

"First of all, just because the book is about a guy named Benjamin and it’s written by someone named Benjamin, that doesn’t make it autobiographical! Even if the main character is a grumpy, middle-aged science-fiction writer searching for life’s meaning as he roams Los Angeles—and come to think of it, I'm—oh, wait. Whoops," Winters shared with IGN. "The fun of writing Benjamin was exploring heavy themes like death and mortality, but wrapping them in a lighthearted, quirky adventure about a middle-aged man who died and came back, trying to understand why, how, and what comes next."

Winters added, "I’ve always been drawn to stories that play with a little self-awareness and narrative wit. So a tale about a sci-fi writer possibly stuck inside his own story—written by yet another sci-fi writer—figuring out how to escape… it’s both a clever, entertaining read and a way to ask the big questions that shape our lives. Oh, and there’s a dog! A sweet, loyal 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 updates, DC Comics and Ghost Machine are crossing over for the first time (in a way), and the 2025 Eisner Award nominees have been announced.