Retailer Advisory: Oni Press’s Sold-Out BENJAMIN #1 Breaks Through – and Returns with Second Printing on July 9th!
From Philip K. Dick Award Winner Ben H. Winters & Acclaimed Artist Leomacs, New Printing for Sold-Out Critical Sensation to Hit Shelves Just in Time for Benjamin #2
BENJAMIN #1 SECOND PRINTING | COVER A BY CHRISTIAN WARD
PORTLAND, OR (June 18, 2025)– Oni Press, the multiple Eisner and Harvey Award-winning publisher of groundbreaking comics and graphic novels since 1997, is thrilled to announce that BENJAMIN #1 (of 3) has sold out at the distributor level and will return with a brand-new second printing on July 9th! The first issue of the breathtaking new series – featuring the full-length comics debut of writer Ben H. Winters (EC’s Cruel Universe, The Last Policeman Trilogy), creator of CBS’ acclaimed TV series Tracker and Edgar Award and Philip K. Dick Award-winning novelist with artwork by acclaimed illustrator Leomacs (EC’s Epitaphs from the Abyss, DC Black Label’s Rogues) – will return with a second printing variant cover by superstar artist Christian Ward (Batman: City of Madness) just in time for the must-read follow-up in BENJAMIN #2, both on sale July 16th!
In the tradition of Philip K. Dick’s A Scanner Darkly and Thomas Pynchon’s Inherent Vice comes a uniquely fascinating and hilariously deranged excursion into the metatextual nexus where existence and oblivion, past and future, genius and madness, and glitter and grim reality all meet just beyond Hollywood Boulevard in the first of three prestige-format, ad-free issues unlike anything you’ve ever experienced . . . in this timeline anyway . . .
Legendary science-fiction novelist Benjamin J. Carp has just been resurrected 40 years after his death . . . and that’s not even the strangest thing that’s going to happen to him today.
In an effort to unravel the mystery of author Benjamin J. Carp’s unexpected reappearance, Benjamin and his newfound companion, Marcus, travel to the arid Joshua Tree desert, where they discover the secret lair of a cabal of scientists eager to revive the minds of some of history’s greatest thinkers in an effort to save humanity from its greatest weakness: lack of imagination. Are they to be believed . . . or is this just more sci-fi hokum torn from a chapter in one of Carp’s beloved novels?
Edgar Award nominee and Philip K. Dick Award–winning novelist Ben H. Winters (EC’s Cruel Universe, The Last Policeman Trilogy) teams with rising star Leomacs (EC’s Epitaphs from the Abyss, Basketful of Heads) to recite the next haunting chapter of 2025’s mesmerizing science-fiction daydream with profound implications for the fate of the universe, as delivered in a prestige, ad-free format.
PRAISE FOR BENJAMIN #1
“BENJAMIN is cosmically brilliant. You have never been on a trip like this.”
—Lev Grossman (The Magicians, The Bright Sword)
“Refreshing …Special…. The dialogue is snappy, with a real humor to it, and the set up is elevated by questions of consciousness. ”
—THE BEAT
“A vivid, thought-provoking debut that explores identity, friendship, and sci-fi legacy with a surreal wink and stellar artwork… Leomacs is putting in his best work yet. It’s safe to say comics like this don’t come around very often, and publishers like Oni Press are the scant few who would publish it.”
—AIPT
“Buckle in for what is sure to be a one-of-a-kind experience.”
—NERD INITIATIVE
“BENJAMIN #1 is a debut that’ll get you coming back for more and one you don’t want to miss.”
—GRAPHIC POLICY
“Fascinating.”
—FANBASE PRESS
“As close to the label of ‘masterpiece’ as possible…”.”
—COMICON.COM
“Ben H. Winters’ words and Leomacs’ art look to be creating a perfect mix of the surreal and the grounded, the mundane and the urgent. Life is unsettlingly fantastic and inscrutable and Benjamin looks to understand that and embrace it unflinchingly.”
—FREAK SUGAR
Presented in a prestige, ad-free format with 30 pages of story content and premium cardstock covers on every issue, BENJAMIN #2 will rise and walk in comic shops everywhere on July 16th, 2025 with gorgeous covers by multiple Eisner Award winner Christian Ward (Batman: City of Madness, Spectregraph) and visionary artist Malachi Ward (Black Hammer Reborn).
For more updates on Oni Press, visit them on Bluesky, Facebook, and Instagram.
BENJAMIN # 1 SECOND PRINTING
WRITTEN BY BEN WINTERS
ART BY LEOMACS
COVER BY CHRISTIAN WARD
ON SALE JULY 9th 2025 | $5.99 | 32 PGS. | FC
PRESTIGE FORMAT | NO ADS
FOC: 6/23/2025
BENJAMIN #2
WRITTEN BY BEN WINTERS
ART BY LEOMACS
COVER BY CHRISTIAN WARD
COVER B BY OLIVER DOMINGUEZ
COVER C BY CHRISTIAN WARD
ON SALE JULY 16th 2025 | $5.99 | 32 PGS. | FC
PRESTIGE FORMAT | NO ADS
FOC: 6/23/2025
BENJAMIN #1 2nd PRINTING COVER BY CHRISTIAN WARD
BENJAMIN #2 COVER A BY CHRISTIAN WARD