What if the legendary science fiction author Philip K. Dick were revived in the 21st century? That's the core premise of 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 debuts a fresh preview of Benjamin #1. See more in the slideshow gallery below, but please note that some language ahead is NSFW:
Benjamin #1: Exclusive Comic Book Preview Gallery
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Benjamin is the full-length comic debut of Ben H. Winters, writer of the Last Policeman Trilogy and creator of the CBS series Tracker. The series is illustrated by Leomacs (EC’s Epitaphs from the Abyss, Basketful of Heads), with covers by Leomacs, Christian Ward, and Malachi Ward.
Here is Oni Press's official description of Benjamin:
More than just a writer or a sci-fi icon, Benjamin J. Carp was a cultural revolutionary. Through 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 science fiction and challenged his readers’ perception of reality itself... until years of amphetamine abuse and California excess ended a dazzling career that narrowly missed mainstream success. 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 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 L.A., he must unravel his greatest mystery: himself.
"First off, just because this comic is about a guy named Benjamin and written by a guy named Benjamin doesn’t mean it’s autobiographical!" says Winters. "Sure, the hero is a cranky middle-aged sci-fi writer wandering around L.A. trying to figure out life’s purpose, and I’m—well, wait. S***," he jokes. "The joy of writing Benjamin was taking a deeply serious theme—mortality, the inevitability of death—and turning it into a fun, quirky adventure. It’s about a middle-aged guy who died, came back, and is trying to understand why, how, and what to do next."
Winters adds, "I’ve always loved stories with a playful twist. So here we have a sci-fi writer possibly stuck inside one of his own tales—written by another sci-fi writer, no less—trying to escape. It’s a clever, entertaining story that also tackles life’s big questions. Oh, and there’s a dog! A sweet, loyal companion 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 crossing over for the first time (in a manner of speaking), and the 2025 Eisner Award nominees have been announced.
