For comics shipping 12.22.10 or The Week A Watcher Got His Wings. Every week I’ll check Diamond’s shipping list to see what you absolutely, positively need to spend all your hard earned cash on at the Local Comic Shop.

DC COMICS

American Vampire #10 – $3.99

Rafael Albuquerque takes a few issues off for this two-part story catching us up with Pearl and her beau Henry. Pearl was easily one of the most intriguing parts of the opening arc of the series, and I look forward to seeing her story progress. It’s a shame Rafael’s only doing the covers, but the man has earned his respite.

Batman, Inc. #2 – $3.99

The world-wide Batman experience continues this week, and I’m really looking forward to where the incorporation of the one-man war on crime is going. I’ve been a fan of Paquette’s for a while now, and though he’s worked on several fairly high-profile books before, let’s face it, none of them have been Batman. Teamed with Morrison, this is a can’t miss book that should continue to redefine the character for the new millennium.

MARVEL COMICS

Invincible Iron Man #33 – $3.99

It’s the conclusion of “Stark: Resilient,” and I’m sure Fraction isn’t going to pull any punches. The next year of Invincible Iron Man starts here. Don’t miss out.

ONI PRESS

The Sixth Gun #7 – $3.99

What else do you need to know, other than that there’s a new issue of the best horror-Western comic currently being published hitting shelves? Okay, so maybe there aren’t a whole lot of horror comics that also happen to be Westerns, but that doesn’t mean this book isn’t absolutely amazing. Brian Hurtt and Cullen Bunn have managed to create a book that not only bends genres, but happens to be one of the best-looking, best-written, and most entertaining on a monthly basis. You need this book in your buy pile.

TH3RD WORLD

The Stuff of Legend: The Jungle #3 – $4.25

I can’t believe I forgot to add this to the list this week, and I have to apologize to the creative team for that. This book has been one of my favorites since its inception, and getting a new chapter just a few days before Christmas is a gift unto itself. Mike Raicht and Brian Smith have done an amazing job bringing this world and these characters to life, but not enough can be said about Charles Paul Wilson’s artwork. As great as the writing has been, Wilson’s pages have been just as impressive, and with each issue the journey feels that much more real. I hope you’ve been reading this book since it started, but even if you haven’t, there’s no excuse you could give me that would be good enough. Read. This. Book.

Trade Paperback/Hardcover of the Week

Axe Cop, Vol. 1 – $14.99

Please tell me you’ve heard of Axe Cop. If you have, you know this trade is an absolute must-have, and could make the perfect gift for that friend you’ve forgotten to buy a present for. If you haven’t, boy are you missing out. Do me a favor, and check out the web comic. Go here. Did you go? Okay. Now you see why you have to buy this. Drawn by Ethan Nicolle, and based on the writing styles of his five year-old brother Malachi, Axe Cop is the most insane, hilarious, and just plain outstanding web comic you’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. Now you can have 120 pages of the shear madness and joy that is an axe-wielding cop to make your life a little better.

That’ll do nicely for this week. Have a nice holiday. See you next time.