Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Has Marvel officially run out of ideas? The iconic "What If…?" gimmick is falling apart — and this week's Uncanny X-Men issue is Exhibit A.
Big thanks to The 616 Comics — the #1 producer-retailer in the comic book industry. Use code THINKINGCRITICAL at checkout for 10% OFF their exclusive variant covers on their site or app: 🔗 the616comics.com
🎧 Want More No-BS Comic Talk?
The latest Hot or Not Podcast is live right now, covering even more weekly releases and deeper discussion.
Marvel's once-great storytelling gimmick has devolved into an edge-lord, bland mess, and their latest X-Men release proves it's time to end the concept for good. In a week cluttered with high-volume, low-quality filler that feels like a throwaway fifth week of releases, finding great books takes some real digging. But we've separated the gold from the slop to bring you four absolute standouts that are genuinely worth your hard-earned money. From stunning indie masterpieces to superhero stories that actually respect who these characters are, these are the real picks of the week.
This week's recommendations also include major wins for Rook: Exodus, X-Men of Apocalypse, Adventures of Superman: Book of El, and JSA—making this a definitive guide to the books saving an otherwise subpar week.
Then it’s time for the week’s must-read comics:
Corpse Knight #2 — Image Comics
Writer: Brian Azzarello
Artist: Vanesa Del Rey
A fantastic follow-up that confirms this is a series worth investing in after its banger debut.
Rook: Exodus #10 — Ghost Machine / Image Comics
Writer: Geoff Johns
Artist: Jason Fabok
The return of one of comics' most visually stunning series delivers emotional character work, incredible artwork, and the strongest issue of the week.
X-Men of Apocalypse #4 — Marvel Comics
Writer: Jeff Loeb
Artist: Simone Di Meo
A surprisingly heartfelt and character-driven X-Men story that captures the spirit of classic mutant comics better than most modern X-books.
Adventures of Superman: Book of El #9 — DC Comics
Writer: Philip Kennedy Johnson
Artist: Scott Godlewski
The future of the Superman mythos grows bigger, more dangerous, and more exciting as the series barrels toward its finale.
JSA #20 — DC Comics
Writer: Jeff Lemire
Artist: Diego Olortegui
The Spectre takes center stage in a wild supernatural adventure that finally gives JSA the momentum many fans have been waiting for.
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
Chapters
00:00 Intro
00:46 What If…? Uncanny X-Men #1
04:24 Rook: Exodus #10
06:38 X-Men of Apocalypse #4
08:42 Adventures of Superman: Book of El #9
10:09 JSA #20
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.
Has Marvel officially run out of ideas? The iconic "What If…?" gimmick is falling apart — and this week's Uncanny X-Men issue is Exhibit A.
Big thanks to The 616 Comics — the #1 producer-retailer in the comic book industry. Use code THINKINGCRITICAL at checkout for 10% OFF their exclusive variant covers on their site or app: 🔗 the616comics.com
🎧 Want More No-BS Comic Talk?
The latest Hot or Not Podcast is live right now, covering even more weekly releases and deeper discussion.
Marvel's once-great storytelling gimmick has devolved into an edge-lord, bland mess, and their latest X-Men release proves it's time to end the concept for good. In a week cluttered with high-volume, low-quality filler that feels like a throwaway fifth week of releases, finding great books takes some real digging. But we've separated the gold from the slop to bring you four absolute standouts that are genuinely worth your hard-earned money. From stunning indie masterpieces to superhero stories that actually respect who these characters are, these are the real picks of the week.
This week's recommendations also include major wins for Rook: Exodus, X-Men of Apocalypse, Adventures of Superman: Book of El, and JSA—making this a definitive guide to the books saving an otherwise subpar week.
Then it’s time for the week’s must-read comics:
Corpse Knight #2 — Image Comics
Writer: Brian Azzarello
Artist: Vanesa Del Rey
A fantastic follow-up that confirms this is a series worth investing in after its banger debut.
Rook: Exodus #10 — Ghost Machine / Image Comics
Writer: Geoff Johns
Artist: Jason Fabok
The return of one of comics' most visually stunning series delivers emotional character work, incredible artwork, and the strongest issue of the week.
X-Men of Apocalypse #4 — Marvel Comics
Writer: Jeff Loeb
Artist: Simone Di Meo
A surprisingly heartfelt and character-driven X-Men story that captures the spirit of classic mutant comics better than most modern X-books.
Adventures of Superman: Book of El #9 — DC Comics
Writer: Philip Kennedy Johnson
Artist: Scott Godlewski
The future of the Superman mythos grows bigger, more dangerous, and more exciting as the series barrels toward its finale.
JSA #20 — DC Comics
Writer: Jeff Lemire
Artist: Diego Olortegui
The Spectre takes center stage in a wild supernatural adventure that finally gives JSA the momentum many fans have been waiting for.
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
Chapters
00:00 Intro
00:46 What If…? Uncanny X-Men #1
04:24 Rook: Exodus #10
06:38 X-Men of Apocalypse #4
08:42 Adventures of Superman: Book of El #9
10:09 JSA #20
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.
