Oni Press Launches New Series Inspired by Philip K. Dick

What if the iconic science fiction author Philip K. Dick were revived in the 21st century? That’s the central idea behind Benjamin, a mind-bending new sci-fi mystery series from Oni Press. This three-issue prestige comic follows an author named Benjamin J. Carp, who died in 1982 only to awaken in 2025 with no memory of how he returned.

IGN exclusively presents a new preview of Benjamin #1. Explore more in the gallery below, but please note that some NSFW language is included:

Benjamin #1: Exclusive Comic Book Preview Gallery

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Benjamin represents the full-length comic debut of Ben H. Winters, author of the Last Policeman Trilogy and co-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 contributions from Leomacs, Christian Ward, and Malachi Ward.

Here is Oni's official description of the series:

More than a writer, more than a sci-fi legend, Benjamin J. Carp was a cultural revolutionary. Over 44 novels and hundreds of short stories—including the counterculture classic The Man They Couldn’t Erase—Carp stretched the limits of literary acceptance and his audience’s grasp of reality… until his career, fueled by amphetamines and Southern California excess, ended just short of mainstream acclaim. He died in 1982.

Until 2025… when he awakens, alive, in a burned-out Los Angeles motel. He remembers dying. He knows he shouldn’t be here. Is he a dream? A robot? A ghost? A clone? A simulation? In his lifetime, Carp wrote about all these possibilities. Now, journeying from Studio City to Venice Beach and across the disorienting cityscape of modern LA, he sets out to solve the greatest mystery of all: himself.

"First off, just because Benjamin stars a guy named Benjamin and was written by a guy named Benjamin—don't assume it's autobiographical! Just because our hero is a cranky middle-aged sci-fi writer wandering Los Angeles searching for life's meaning, and I—actually, wait. Oh, s***," Winters tells IGN. "The fun in writing Benjamin was taking the heaviest of subjects—like mortality and the inevitability of death—and spinning it into a lighthearted, quirky adventure. It’s about a middle-aged guy who died, came back, and is trying to figure out why, how, and what comes next."

Winters adds, "I’ve always loved stories with a wink and a twist. So a tale about a sci-fi author who might be stuck inside his own story—and written by another sci-fi author—and trying to escape… it’s clever, fun, and still explores the big questions of existence. Plus, there’s a dog! A sweet, loyal pup named Strawman. Honestly, what more could you ask for?"

Benjamin #1 will be released on June 18, 2025. An animated trailer for the series is also available.

In other comic news, DC Comics and Ghost Machine are collaborating for the first time—sort of—and the nominees for the 2025 Eisner Awards have been announced.