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Last week, a group called Black Comic Alliance announced a boycott against DC Comics in response to the publisher not having an ongoing series featuring a Black character in its mainline universe. But after significant backlash online, the group has ended the boycott and has released a statement regarding the matter. 

According to a press release from Black Comic Alliance and leader James Portis III, "This decision comes after a lot of reflection and conversations with members of the comic book community. While the boycott was launched to draw attention to an issue we believe remains important, it became clear that the conversation surrounding the boycott was often overshadowing the larger goal of the campaign." 

The statement responded to a line of criticism that emerged in the wake of the boycott's announcement, mainly that the lack of a Black character-led ongoing series in DC's mainline universe doesn't negate the other books featuring marginalized people both on the page and behind the page.

Related: The definitive guide to Black superheroes

"However, we also recognize that many fans and creators we care about felt the boycott unintentionally minimized books, characters, and creators whose work provides meaningful representation for women, LGBTQIA+ readers, people of color, and other marginalized communities. That was never our intention, and we apologize for that impact. We heard those concerns, and they played a major role in our decision to reevaluate the boycott," the statement continued. 

So what comes next? According to the statement, "DCSoWhite will continue as an awareness and advocacy campaign rather than a boycott effort," and that they will encourage fans to preorder comics before FOC (Final Order Cutoff date) at their local comic shops. "Pre-orders are one of the clearest indicators of reader interest and help publishers and retailers determine future investments in characters, titles, and creative teams. We encourage fans to support the books and creators they want to see succeed, particularly those from underrepresented communities."