The concept of legendary sci-fi author Philip K. Dick being resurrected in the modern era comes to life in Oni Press's new series, Benjamin. This intriguing three-issue comic follows the journey of Benjamin J. Carp, a prolific writer who dies in 1982 and mysteriously awakens in 2025, grappling with his unexpected return to life.
IGN offers an exclusive preview of Benjamin #1. Be sure to check out the gallery below, but note that it contains some mature language:
Benjamin #1: Exclusive Comic Book Preview Gallery
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Benjamin marks the full-length comic writing debut of Ben H. Winters, renowned for his Last Policeman Trilogy and as the creator of the CBS series Tracker. The series is brought to life by the artwork of Leomacs, known for EC’s Epitaphs from the Abyss and Basketful of Heads, with stunning cover art contributed by Leomacs, Christian Ward, and Malachi Ward.
Here is Oni Press's official synopsis of Benjamin:
More than just a writer, more than just a science-fiction icon, Benjamin J. Carp was a cultural revolutionary. Over the course of 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 his readers’ perception of reality itself... until decades of amphetamine abuse and Southern California excess finally ended a mind-bending career that always just escaped mainstream success. He died in 1982.
Until 2025... when 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 pondered all of these scenarios through his fiction—and, now, as he treks from Studio City to Venice Beach and onward into the paranoid sprawl of 21st-century Los Angeles, he will be called to investigate his greatest mystery yet: himself.
Ben H. Winters shares his thoughts on *Benjamin* with IGN: "So, first of all, just because Benjamin is about a guy named Benjamin and it's written by a guy named Benjamin, does not mean it's autobiographical! Just because the hero is a cranky middle-aged science-fiction writer trying desperately to figure out life's purpose while he wanders around Los Angeles, and I'm—oh, wait. S\*\*\*," Winters says. "The joy of writing Benjamin was in finding ways to take the most serious possible subject—you know, death and the fact that we all die and all that fun stuff—and make it into a joyous, goofy adventure, about a middle-aged dude who died and now is back, and is trying to figure out why. And how. And what to do now."Winters further elaborates, "I've always loved stories that have a bit of a wink to them, a bit of top spin. So a story about a sci-fi writer who may or may not be trapped inside one of his own stories—and by the way written by ANOTHER sci-fi writer—and trying to figure out how to get out...it's a very fun and crafty story that at the same time is pushing at the big questions that define our lives. Also there's a dog in it! A cute, loving dog named Strawman. Honestly, I don't know what else you could want."
Benjamin #1 is set to hit the shelves on June 18, 2025. An animated trailer for the series is also available for viewing.
In other comic book news, DC Comics and Ghost Machine are collaborating on their first crossover, and the nominees for the 2025 Eisner Awards have been announced.
