Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
John Byrne’s X-Men comeback crushed the boycott, sold out before release, and exposed just how weak the cancel mob really is.
Heather Antos tried to rally comic fans against John Byrne’s X-Men: Elsewhen, but the boycott failed almost immediately. Instead of killing interest, the backlash helped turn Byrne’s return to X-Men into one of the biggest comic book stories of the week. X-Men: Elsewhen sold out its initial pre-sale print run, Abrams is already going back for a second printing, and two more volumes are reportedly planned.
Meanwhile, the hypocrisy angle is impossible to ignore. Antos publicly attacked Byrne’s Abrams/Marvel project while IDW, where she works as a Senior Editor, is also publishing Byrne-related material, including John Byrne’s X-Men Artist’s Edition and collected editions of Star Trek featuring his work. Even longtime supporter Rich Johnston called out the inconsistency.
Join Wes, Dok, Josh, Dylan, Aaron, and Eric for Comics Aficionados #343 as they break down how John Byrne and X-Men fans destroyed the boycott, what this says about cancel culture in comics, and why the industry gatekeepers no longer have the power they once pretended to have.
Plus, Marvel Comics created a major controversy around the Amazing Spider-Man #1000 cover, Warner Bros. announced a new Absolute Batman animated series and released the first trailer for Batman: Knightfall Part 1, and Marvel somehow killed off the Ultimate Universe while also announcing it will continue.
Special thanks to Unholy Nightmare 3 and Omega Comics Coalition for sponsoring today’s stream.
Back Unholy Nightmare #3 on Kickstarter today:
🔗 kickstarter.com/projects/mutantfarm/unholy-nightmare-3
Comics Aficionados Live Topics
• Heather Antos’ John Byrne X-Men Boycott Fails
• Amazing Spider-Man #1000 Cover Controversy
• Absolute Batman Animated Series / Knightfall Trailer
• Marvel’s Ultimate Universe 2.0 Isn’t Over?
🎙️ Panel Members
📚Josh McDonald - Popped By Culture
🔗 YouTube: youtube.com/@PoppedByCulture
🎮 Dylan – TheRealComicBookGamer
🔗 YouTube: youtube.com/user/TheRealMacGamer
🖋️ Aaron Sparrow – Creator of Kneel Before Doomface
👨🍳 Eric O’Sullivan – The Grandmaster of Gratitude
🔗 YouTube: youtube.com/c/EricOSullivan
😠 Dok – Local Curmudgeon
Support the Channel / Join the Community
Support Thinking Critical on Patreon for Exclusive Content
🔗 patreon.com/thinkingcritical
Back Channel Memberships
🔗 youtube.com/@Wes_From_TC/join
🛒 Official Thinking Critical Merch
🔗 redbubble.com/people/T-Critical/shop?asc=u
Follow the Channel
📱 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thinking_critical
📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thinkingcrit
📘 Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/1368359010382132
💬 Discord: discord.gg/uHM3Z68
🎮 Twitch: twitch.tv/thinking_critical_yt
Contact Wes
🐦 Twitter: twitter.com/Wes_from_TC
📧 Email: wesdigscomic@gmail.com
🔊 Automatic Dubbing Disclaimer
This video includes YouTube’s automatic dubbing feature for non-English speakers. Translations may contain minor errors and do not always reflect tone or expression. You can switch back to the original English track in the settings if needed.
John Byrne’s X-Men comeback crushed the boycott, sold out before release, and exposed just how weak the cancel mob really is.
Heather Antos tried to rally comic fans against John Byrne’s X-Men: Elsewhen, but the boycott failed almost immediately. Instead of killing interest, the backlash helped turn Byrne’s return to X-Men into one of the biggest comic book stories of the week. X-Men: Elsewhen sold out its initial pre-sale print run, Abrams is already going back for a second printing, and two more volumes are reportedly planned.
Meanwhile, the hypocrisy angle is impossible to ignore. Antos publicly attacked Byrne’s Abrams/Marvel project while IDW, where she works as a Senior Editor, is also publishing Byrne-related material, including John Byrne’s X-Men Artist’s Edition and collected editions of Star Trek featuring his work. Even longtime supporter Rich Johnston called out the inconsistency.
Join Wes, Dok, Josh, Dylan, Aaron, and Eric for Comics Aficionados #343 as they break down how John Byrne and X-Men fans destroyed the boycott, what this says about cancel culture in comics, and why the industry gatekeepers no longer have the power they once pretended to have.
Plus, Marvel Comics created a major controversy around the Amazing Spider-Man #1000 cover, Warner Bros. announced a new Absolute Batman animated series and released the first trailer for Batman: Knightfall Part 1, and Marvel somehow killed off the Ultimate Universe while also announcing it will continue.
Special thanks to Unholy Nightmare 3 and Omega Comics Coalition for sponsoring today’s stream.
Back Unholy Nightmare #3 on Kickstarter today:
🔗 kickstarter.com/projects/mutantfarm/unholy-nightmare-3
Comics Aficionados Live Topics
• Heather Antos’ John Byrne X-Men Boycott Fails
• Amazing Spider-Man #1000 Cover Controversy
• Absolute Batman Animated Series / Knightfall Trailer
• Marvel’s Ultimate Universe 2.0 Isn’t Over?
🎙️ Panel Members
📚Josh McDonald - Popped By Culture
🔗 YouTube: youtube.com/@PoppedByCulture
🎮 Dylan – TheRealComicBookGamer
🔗 YouTube: youtube.com/user/TheRealMacGamer
🖋️ Aaron Sparrow – Creator of Kneel Before Doomface
👨🍳 Eric O’Sullivan – The Grandmaster of Gratitude
🔗 YouTube: youtube.com/c/EricOSullivan
😠 Dok – Local Curmudgeon
Support the Channel / Join the Community
Support Thinking Critical on Patreon for Exclusive Content
🔗 patreon.com/thinkingcritical
Back Channel Memberships
🔗 youtube.com/@Wes_From_TC/join
🛒 Official Thinking Critical Merch
🔗 redbubble.com/people/T-Critical/shop?asc=u
Follow the Channel
📱 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thinking_critical
📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thinkingcrit
📘 Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/1368359010382132
💬 Discord: discord.gg/uHM3Z68
🎮 Twitch: twitch.tv/thinking_critical_yt
Contact Wes
🐦 Twitter: twitter.com/Wes_from_TC
📧 Email: wesdigscomic@gmail.com
🔊 Automatic Dubbing Disclaimer
This video includes YouTube’s automatic dubbing feature for non-English speakers. Translations may contain minor errors and do not always reflect tone or expression. You can switch back to the original English track in the settings if needed.
