For comics shipping 01.05.11 or The Week Birds Fell From The Sky. 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

Batman Beyond #1 – $2.99

Terry McGinnis goes monthly with his new regular series this week. I love the universe of Batman Beyond, and have missed these characters deeply since the animated series ended. While I did enjoy the mini-series that led to the once and future Batman getting his own book in the DCU, I hope that Beechen and Benjamin spend a bit more time bringing the original animated villains back before creating future versions of this era’s baddies.

IMAGE COMICS

The Walking Dead Weekly #1 – $2.99

Image starts shipping reprints of the whole of Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead this week. At least until the reprints catch up to the actual book, which ships issue #80 this week, one chapter of the series will ship every week. That’s a brilliant idea, and I hope everyone who loved the AMC television adaptation starts checking the actual book out. There’s no better place to start than the very beginning.

MARVEL COMICS

Avengers: The Children’s Crusade #4 – $3.99

While shipping on a bi-monthly basis teamed with an extremely complicated story does make this book a bit hard to follow, nobody does the Young Avengers better than Heinberg and Cheung. I mean, just look at that cover. It’s gorgeous. The interiors are just as brilliant. Plus, Doom is involved. You can’t go wrong with Doom.

Ultimate Comics Captain America #1 – $3.99

Jason Aaron and Ron Garney team once again to bring us a new chapter in the life of the Ultimate Universe’s Captain America. This time, Aaron goes to Vietnam to deal with the ramifications of what that time period’s Cap is going through. It’s going to be a great story, as Aaron has proven time and again he’s one of the best writers working in the medium today, and Garney’s artwork never ceases to impress. Do check this book out.

No trade this week. See you next time.