At ease, Cap Fans! The Shark has compiled a definitive reading guide for every major Captain America run in the character's history; listing the creative team involved, the year of publication, the issues per run, as well as the most comprehensive way of reading these stories in trade paperbacks/collected editions.

Hopefully, this guide will help current Cap fans who are interested in delving into more of the Star-Spangled Avenger's adventures, as well as any new readers looking to get into Ol' Winghead.

This reading guide only lists Cap's most noteworthy runs from his solo title, so if you're looking for team books like The Avengers or event books like The Infinity Gauntlet, I'm afraid they won't be included here (with the exception of some supplementary reading for various runs). That said, I have also included an additional section for miniseries that I consider essential reading for Steve Rogers.

If you have any questions, corrections, or suggestions for the guide--feel free to leave a comment below!

Joe Simon & Jack Kirby (1941-1942)

Captain America Comics v1 #1-10

The original wartime Captain America comic-book by the Living Legend's very own creators. Simon & Kirby worked on the first ten issues of the series, before the book was taken over by various creative teams in its later stories (including a young Stan Lee himself!). Read the very first adventures of Cap and his sidekick Bucky Barnes, as they go up against evil Axis villains like the Red Skull, Fifth Column spies, and....um, Orientals! It was a different time. A fun romp into Captain America's earliest days during the Golden Age.

• Marvel Masterworks Golden Age Captain America Vol. 1 (HC/TPB)
• Marvel Masterworks Golden Age Captain America Vol. 2 (HC)
• Marvel Masterworks Golden Age Captain America Vol. 3 (HC)

This run is also available in Omnibus format (preferred, and cheaper):

• Golden Age Captain America Omnibus Vol. 1 (HC)

Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, & Jim Steranko (1964-1969)

Tales of Suspense v1 #59-99

Captain America v1 #100-113

After Cap is reintroduced in the Silver Age with The Avengers v1 #4, he begins starring in a co-feature with Iron Man titled "Tales of Suspense." The two Avengers would co-headline the book until its 99th issue, when both characters would split into their respective solo titles. These tales of Cap & Bucky, set in their WW2 days, were Lee & Kirby at their creative peak in the 1960s.

Kirby would eventually leave with #109, but Jim Steranko would follow with a classic stint that, despite being only four issues long (#110-113), would prove to be one of the most memorable arcs for our favorite Super-Soldier. Lee would continue working on the book until #141 (renaming it Captain America and the Falcon), but it's these select ones that are the real gems. These issues were also the debuts of several iconic elements of Cap's history including the Cosmic Cube, M.O.D.O.K., and Batroc the Leaper.

• Captain America Epic Collection Vol. 1 Captain America Lives Again (TPB)
• Captain America Epic Collection Vol. 2 The Coming of...The Falcon (TPB)

This run is also available in Masterworks format:

• Marvel Masterworks Captain America Vol. 1 (HC/TPB)
• Marvel Masterworks Captain America Vol. 2 (HC/TPB)
• Marvel Masterworks Captain America Vol. 3 (HC/TPB)

This run is also available in Omnibus format:

• Captain America Omnibus Vol. 1 (HC)

Stan Lee & Gene Colan (1969-1971)

Captain America v1 #115-137

While certainly not as renowned as the runs that preceded it, Lee's subsequent arcs with Gene Colan are still worth mentioning, due to their historical significance in the Sentinel of Liberty's mythology. It was in the Colan issues that the Falcon was first introduced as Cap's partner, in a classic story-arc involving the Red Skull, the Cosmic Cube, and the Exiles!

With the introduction of the first major African-American superhero in mainstream comics, the book was retitled to Captain America and the Falcon, as the two heroes tackled more socially-relevant issues, Hard-Traveling-Heroes-style. Also, Colan was one of the finest Marvel artists of his day, and his work on Cap remains some of the man's best, matching the likes of his acclaimed work on Daredevil.

Note: The start of Colan's run (#115-119) is collected in Captain America Epic Collection Vol. 2.

• Captain America Epic Collection Vol. 2 The Coming of...The Falcon (TPB)
• Captain America Epic Collection Vol. 3 Bucky Reborn (TPB)

This run is also available in Masterworks format (Note: #137 is the first issue of Vol. 6):

• Marvel Masterworks Captain America Vol. 4 (HC)
• Marvel Masterworks Captain America Vol. 5 (HC)
• Marvel Masterworks Captain America Vol. 6 (HC)

This run is also available in Omnibus format:

• Captain America Omnibus Vol. 2 (HC)

Steve Englehart & Sal Buscema et al. (1972-1975)

Captain America v1 #153-186

In the early 70s, when America was faced with the weighty dilemmas of war and racial inequality, the comics of Captain America followed suit. Cap's adventures have always reflected the social era they were written in; but Englehart's run was arguably the first serious attempt to tackle real-world issues, and the American public's growing distrust of a post-Vietnam government.

With his partner Falcon, Cap would take on classic villains like William Burnside and the Red Skull, but also challenge more serious threats--like the Secret Empire, an analog for Nixon's infamous Watergate scandal. Cap's subsequent disillusionment with the government would eventually lead him to abandon the uniform (the first time of many times), and assume the identity of Nomad. Englehart's run was an important milestone in the growth of Captain America and his stories, and many of the concepts introduced here would serve as the blueprint for future Cap comics.

• Captain America Epic Collection Vol. 4 Hero or Hoax? (TPB)
• Uncollected (#160-186)

This run is also available in Masterworks format:

• Marvel Masterworks Captain America Vol. 8 (HC)
• Marvel Masterworks Captain America Vol. 9 (HC)

Jack Kirby (1976-1977)

Captain America v1 #193-214, Annual #3-4

Captain America's Bicentennial Battles

After leaving Marvel to work for the Distinguished Competition in the early 70s, the King would eventually return to the House of Ideas in 1976, and to one of his finest creations. Kirby was given free rein on the title, and produced one of the kookiest and funnest (yes, that's a word) runs in Captain Rogers' history.

Gone were the heavier themes and ideas of Englehart's work; replaced instead by killer roller-derbies, a tiny mutant who lived inside a wristwatch, Cap fighting on the Moon, and the insidious Arnim Zola! No, none of that makes any sense without context, but that was the fun of Kirby's run. He even had Cap travel through the different eras of American history in the action-packed Bicentennial Battles one-shot.

An over-the-top, energetic, and entertaining Captain America run from the King of Comics himself.

• Captain America by Jack Kirby Vol. 1 Madbomb (TPB)
• Captain America by Jack Kirby Vol. 2 Bicentennial Battles (TPB)
• Captain America by Jack Kirby Vol. 3 The Swine (TPB)

This run is also available in Masterworks format:

• Marvel Masterworks Captain America Vol. 10 (HC)
• Marvel Masterworks Captain America Vol. 11 (HC)

This run is also available in Omnibus format:

• Captain America by Jack Kirby Omnibus (HC)

Sal Buscema et al. (1978-1979)

Captain America v1 #218-223, 224-237

Sal Buscema's second artistic tenure on the title of Captain America isn't really a "run" per se--as his art is the only unifying aspect of three short runs by writers Don Glut, Steve Gerber, and Roger McKenzie--but I've included his work here for posterity's sake.

Aside from Buscema himself being one of Cap's most iconic artists, this run includes several of Ol' Winghead's most notable arcs including the introduction of Ameridroid, the Red Skull's Helicarrier hijacking, and most importantly, Dr. Faustus and the Grand Director's brainwashing of Sharon Carter, and their attempts to spark a race war. That last storyline in particular would be used by Ed Brubaker to great effect during his seminal Death of Captain America arc. Historically speaking, Buscema's work on the title is definitely important reading.

Note: While these issues remain uncollected in Masterworks or Omnibus formats, they are available in the black-and-white Essential trades as Essential Captain America Vol. 6 and Vol. 7 (which collect Captain America v1 #206-230 and #231-257 respectively).

• Uncollected (#218-223, 224-237)

Roger Stern & John Byrne (1980-1981)

Captain America v1 #247-255

It was a short-lived but beloved run. Stern would eventually leave Marvel over creative disputes, but his nine-issue tenure with John Byrne stands as some of the man's best Marvel work--right up there with his Spider-Man and Avengers catalogs. It was one of those special runs; a great writer and artist with superb chemistry, telling fantastic Captain America stories.

Stern's brief run was packed with various character-defining moments for Steve, including: Cap running for President, the greatest Batroc the Leaper story ever told, the introduction of one of Cap's most compelling love-interests in lawyer Bernie Rosenthal, and the infamous issue where Steve was forced to kill the Nazi vampire Baron Blood. Stern and Byrne finished their run with a heartwarming #255, a modern retelling of Cap's origin and history that served as an important touchstone for the Sentinel of Liberty.

• Captain America Epic Collection Vol. 9 Dawn's Early Light (TPB)

J.M. DeMatteis & Mike Zeck et al. (1981-1984)

Captain America v1 #261-264, 267-270, 272, 275-290, 292-300, Annual #6

DeMatteis' run is perhaps the most underrated era for the character of Captain America, as it was unfairly interrupted by various other writers, but this a hidden gem in Steve's illustrious history. DeMatteis was responsible for building on Cap's supporting cast: 50s Bucky aka Jack Monroe was brought back as Nomad, Sam Wilson was more prominently featured, and DeMatteis also introduced Steve's childhood friend Arnie Roth--who was quite possibly the first recurring gay character in Marvel Comics history.

Plus, DeMatteis capped his run off with an epic final struggle between Captain America and the Red Skull--as the two lifelong foes fought to the death in Cap's 300th issue. Most of the run remains sadly uncollected, but portions of it have been released in trade paperbacks, though many of these are pretty dated and may be expensive to obtain.

Note: DeMatteis' first four issues (#261-264) are collected in the Dawn's Early Light Epic Collection, along with Stern's run.

• Captain America Epic Collection Vol. 9 Dawn's Early Light (TPB)
• Uncollected (#267-270, 272, 275-285)
• Captain America Deathlok Lives (TPB)
• Uncollected (#289, Annual #6)
• Captain America Death of the Red Skull (TPB)

Mark Gruenwald & Ron Lim et al. (1985-1995)

Captain America v1 #307-443, Annual #8

This is it folks, the big one. The longest run on Captain America is surprisingly not Brubaker's, and that enviable award goes to the late veteran Marvel editor/writer Mark Gruenwald. Gruenwald wrote Cap for over a decade, and I don't even know where to begin when it comes to his influence on Steve Rogers.

Look at the roster of characters he introduced to the Cap mythos alone: Crossbones, U.S. Agent, D-Man, Diamondback (and most of the Serpent Society), Scourge of the Underworld, Flag-Smasher, and the always-awesome Armadillo. Or the classic stories he penned like The Bloodstone Hunt, the iconic Cap/Wolverine team-up Annual, and Captain America No More--the latter being the highlight of Gruenwald's run, when Cap took on the identity of "The Captain," a prescient precursor to the events of Civil War.

Sure, there were some stinkers towards the end of the run (think Superia Stratagem, Man and Wolf, or the ridiculous Cap-armor), and Gruenwald's insistence that Cap didn't kill anyone in WWII is a little silly, but you can't deny the man's influence. Gruenwald's work on Cap was straight-up superheroics mixed with a solid message of heroism. In an era of Punisher and Venom, Gruenwald's Captain America proved that honorable and compassionate heroes could still make for great comic-books.

Rest in peace, Mr. Gruenwald: thank you for all the Cap stories you penned, and for all the future Cap stories you'll inspire.

• Captain America Epic Collection Vol. 12 Society of Serpents (TPB)
• Captain America Epic Collection Vol. 13 Justice Is Served (TPB)
• Captain America The Captain (TPB)
• Captain America Epic Collection Vol. 15 The Bloodstone Hunt (TPB)
• Captain America Epic Collection Vol. 16 Streets of Poison (TPB)
• Captain America Epic Collection Vol. 17 The Superia Stratagem (TPB)
  
• Captain America Man and Wolf (TPB)
• Uncollected (#409-424)
• Captain America Fighting Chance Denial (TPB)
• Captain America Fighting Chance Acceptance (TPB)
• Uncollected (#438-443, Annual #8)

Mark Waid & Ron Garney et al. (1995-1999)

Captain America v1 #444-454

Captain America v3 #1-23

Captain America The Legend

Captain America Sentinel of Liberty v1 #1-12

And here begins Cap's adventures in the modern era of comic-books. Ignoring the fuckery that was Jeph Loeb and Rob Liefeld's Captain America vol. 2 during Heroes Reborn, Waid and Garney brought Cap back to his former glory with the fantastic Operation Rebirth story-arc. While "extreme" titles dominated Marvel in the 90s, Mark Waid's work on Captain America was a gem of quality and old-school superheroics in a sea of gritty mediocrity. Waid essentially did what Waid does best: he proved to us that you don't need to reimagine or rework Cap to make him relevant and engaging for the 21st-century reader.

• Captain America Epic Collection Vol. 22 Man Without a Country (TPB)
• Captain America To Serve and Protect (HC)
• Captain America American Nightmare (HC)
• Captain America Red Glare (HC)
• Captain America Land of the Free (TPB)
• Captain America Sentinel of Liberty (HC)

This run is also available in Omnibus format:

• Captain America by Mark Waid & Ron Garney Omnibus (HC)
  

Dan Jurgens (2000-2002)

Captain America v3 #25-50, Annual 2000, Annual 2001

Another lesser-known gem in the Captain America canon--Jurgens took over after Waid's departure for a two-year stint, and perhaps the reason why it's not as renowned as other Cap tales is because it really doesn't offer anything too new. It's just fun Jurgens action with straightforward superheroics. Jurgens' Cap work is an all-around solid if unremarkable comic-book, with it's most memorable storyline likely being the introduction of the Super-Soldier-gone-wrong, Protocide. The entire run has recently been collected by Marvel in three trade paperbacks:

• Captain America by Dan Jurgens Vol. 1 (TPB)
• Captain America by Dan Jurgens Vol. 2 (TPB)
• Captain America by Dan Jurgens Vol. 3 (TPB)

John Ney Rieber & John Cassaday et al. (2002-2004)

Spoiler alert: This volume isn't great. This was the Marvel Knights relaunch for Captain America; an attempt to write a serious, grounded reinvention of the character for a post-9/11 United States. It's not even a "run" per se, but more of a collection of arcs by writers John Ney Rieber, Chuck Austen (yup), Dave Gibbons, and Robert Morales. The volume ends with Robert Kirkman of Invincible fame saying "screw it" to any attempt at any political commentary, and just having Cap fight powered armor Red Skull. Anyway, I've included this here just for completion's sake, and if nothing else, at least we get some glorious John Cassaday art.

• Captain America Marvel Knights Vol. 1 (TPB)
• Captain America Marvel Knights Vol. 2 (TPB)

Christopher Priest & Joe Bennett et al. (2004-2005)

Captain America and the Falcon v1 #1-14

This is arguably not the most exemplary run in Steve Rogers' colorful history, but I've included it here because it's a personal favorite, and also because Priest is the most criminally-underrated writer in the industry today. The run was severely hampered by editorial and behind-the-scenes issues, but I still think it's a solid attempt to create a Cap story for a post-9/11 America. Priest crafted a political thriller that revolved around a Navy SEAL-turned-Super-Sailor named Anti-Cap, and also wrote arguably the best and most interesting take on the character of Sam Wilson. While not quite as sublime as his work on Black Panther or The Crew, I still think Captain America and the Falcon is worth checking out, especially since it has been recently reprinted in a nice trade paperback:

• Captain America and the Falcon The Complete Collection (TPB)

Ed Brubaker & Steve Epting et al. (2005-2013)

Captain America v5 #1-50, 65th Anniversary Special

Winter Soldier Winter Kills

Young Avengers Presents Patriot #1

Captain America v1 #600-619

Captain America Reborn v1 #1-6, Reborn Digital Prologue

The Marvels Project v1 #1-8

Captain America Who Will Wield the Shield?

Steve Rogers Super-Soldier v1 #1-4

Secret Avengers v1 #1-12

Captain America Book of the Skull

Fear Itself 7.1 Captain America

Captain America v6 #1-19

Captain America and Bucky v1 #620-628

Winter Soldier v1 #1-14

Don't lie, you probably just skipped ahead and scrolled straight to this run, didn't you?

I don't think I need to say anything more about this particular run that hasn't already been said. This is arguably the most celebrated and critically-acclaimed run in the history of the character of Captain America--I mean Ed Brubaker got three freaking Eisners for Best Writer off his work on this title alone.

Brubaker's time on Cap may not have been the longest, but it's certainly the most well-known, and served as the entry point for many readers to the character of Steve, myself included. I've said enough praise about Brubaker's run already. I even wrote a whole blog on the first story-arc alone, after all, so go read that if you're interested.

All I'll add is that Ed Brubaker's story was revolutionary for reintroducing the long-dead sidekick of Bucky--and making him into one of the finest characters in Marvel's roster. In the long history of crappy resurrection/retcon/replacement hero storylines, Bucky's eventual assumption of the Captain America mantle after Steve Rogers' assassination is what makes this run so iconic in my mind. I've already posted an extremely detailed reading guide for collecting all of Brubaker's trades, but I'll repost it here too for completion's sake:

• Captain America Winter Soldier Ultimate Collection (TPB)
• Captain America Red Menace Ultimate Collection (TPB)
• The Death of Captain America The Complete Collection (TPB)
• Captain America The Man with No Face (HC/TPB)
• Captain America Road to Reborn (HC/TPB)
• Captain America Reborn (HC/TPB)
• Captain America Two Americas (HC/TPB)
• Captain America No Escape (HC/TPB)
• Captain America The Trial of Captain America (HC/TPB)
• Captain America Prisoner of War (HC/TPB)
• Steve Rogers Super-Soldier The Complete Collection (TPB)
• Captain America Vol. 1 (HC/TPB)
• Captain America Vol. 2 (HC/TPB)
• Captain America Vol. 3 (HC/TPB)
• Captain America Vol. 4 (HC/TPB)
• Captain America & Bucky The Life Story of Bucky Barnes (HC/TPB)
• Captain America & Bucky Old Wounds (HC/TPB)
• Winter Soldier The Complete Collection (TPB)

Optional content (All material is written by Brubaker, it's not necessary but it is recommended):

• Young Avengers Presents (HC/TPB)
• Secret Avengers by Ed Brubaker The Complete Collection (TPB)
  
• Fear Itself (HC/TPB)
• The Marvels Project Birth of the Super Heroes (HC/TPB)

This run is also available in Omnibus format:

• Captain America Omnibus Vol. 1 (HC)
• The Death of Captain America Omnibus (HC)
• Captain America Lives Omnibus (HC)
• Captain America The Trial of Captain America Omnibus (HC)
• Captain America Return of the Winter Soldier Omnibus (HC)

Rick Remender & John Romita Jr. et al. (2013-2015)

Captain America v7 #1-25

Uncanny Avengers v1 #1-25, 8AU, Annual #1

Winter Soldier The Bitter March v1 #1-5

AXIS v1 #1-9

All-New Captain America v1 #1-6

Uncanny Avengers v2 #1-5

Hail HYDRA v1 #1-4

Avengers Rage of Ultron

I don't think there's been a greater 180-degree flip in the history of Captain America's comics than in Rick Remender's run. Trading in the realistic espionage of Brubaker's Cap for the kooky science-fiction of the Kirby era, Remender has Cap going up against the hordes of Dimension Z, the children of Arnim Zola, and the madness of Dr. Mindbubble and the Iron Nail. But what makes this run so memorable comes later...when Sam Wilson aka Falcon, adopts the mantle of Captain America. While your mileage may vary on this run's quality, it's no denying that Remender definitely left his own unique mark on the character of Steve Rogers.

• Captain America Vol. 1 Castaway in Dimension Z Book One (HC/TPB)
• Captain America Vol. 2 Castaway in Dimension Z Book Two (HC/TPB)
• Captain America Vol. 3 Loose Nuke (HC/TPB)
• Captain America Vol. 4 The Iron Nail (HC/TPB)
• Captain America Vol. 5 The Tomorrow Soldier (HC/TPB)
• All-New Captain America Vol. 1 Hydra Ascendant (HC/TPB)
• Uncanny Avengers Vol. 5 AXIS Prelude (HC/TPB)
• Avengers & X-Men AXIS (HC/TPB)

Optional content (All material is written by Remender, it's not necessary but it is recommended):

• Uncanny Avengers Vol. 1 The Red Shadow (HC/TPB)
• Uncanny Avengers Vol. 2 The Apocalypse Twins (HC/TPB)
• Uncanny Avengers Vol. 3 Ragnarok Now (HC/TPB)
• Uncanny Avengers Vol. 4 Avenge the Earth (HC/TPB)
• Winter Soldier The Bitter March (TPB)
• Uncanny Avengers Vol. 1 Counter-Evolutionary (TPB)
• Hail HYDRA (TPB)
• Avengers Rage of Ultron (HC)

Nick Spencer & Daniel Acuña et al. (2015-2017)

Captain America Sam Wilson v1 #1-24

Avengers Standoff Welcome to Pleasant Hill #1

Avengers Standoff Assault on Pleasant Hill Alpha #1

Avengers Standoff Assault on Pleasant Hill Omega #1

Civil War II The Oath #1

Captain America Steve Rogers v1 #1-19

FCBD 2016 Captain America #1

Captain America v8 #25

Secret Empire #0-10

Secret Empire Omega #1

Generations Sam Wilson Captain America/Steve Rogers Captain America #1

I think it's fair to say that this was arguably the most divisive/controversial run in the modern history of the character, but Cap comics have always reflected the American society of its time, and Spencer's politically-charged run is no exception.

Only time will tell if this run stands as a defining one in the Man out of Time's colorful history, but one thing's for certain: it's definitely a memorable one. Spencer's run will always be remembered for its heavy political tone and hot-button topics ripped from the headlines (e.g. immigration, police brutality, race-relations), its focus on Sam Wilson's character and the significance of a black Captain America, as well as the contentious decision to alter Steve Rogers' history and reinvent him as the leader of Hydra. Like it or hate it, Spencer's run is definitely one for the history books.

Note: The Generations tie-in is collected in the Generations (HC), but the rest of the collection was not written by Spencer.

• Captain America Sam Wilson Vol. 1 Not My Captain America (TPB)
• Avengers Standoff (HC/TPB)
• Captain America Sam Wilson Vol. 2 Standoff (TPB)
• Captain America Steve Rogers Vol. 1 Hail Hydra (TPB)
• Captain America Sam Wilson Vol. 3 Civil War II (TPB)
• Captain America Steve Rogers Vol. 2 The Trial of Maria Hill (TPB)
• Captain America Sam Wilson Vol. 4 #TakeBackTheShield (TPB)
• Captain America Sam Wilson Vol. 5 End of the Line (TPB)
• Captain America Steve Rogers Vol. 3 Empire Building (TPB)
• Secret Empire (HC/TPB)
• Captain America Secret Empire (TPB)
• Generations (HC)

Mark Waid & Chris Samnee et al. (2017-2018)

Captain America v1 #695-704

Mark Waid returns for a second victory lap with the Captain, bringing Steve back to his Silver Age heroics after the whole Secret-Empire-evil-HYDRA-Cap kerfuffle from Spencer's run. While this run was slightly truncated, it's still a solid display of what Captain America ultimately stands for: helping your fellow man and doing the right thing, even when the world is falling apart. It's an interesting look into how Cap goes on in a new America, and it does the whole "superhero travels America to reconnect with the common man" premise far better than some other comics (*cough* Grounded *cough*). Plus, awesome Chris Samnee art!

• Captain America Home of the Brave (TPB)
• Captain America Promised Land (TPB)

Ta-Nehisi Coates & Leinil Francis Yu (2017-present)

Captain America v9 #1-ongoing

WORK IN PROGRESS.

• Captain America Vol. 1 Winter in America (TPB)
• Captain America Vol. 2 (TPB)

Appendix: Miniseries

The following are limited series that are not part of a greater Captain America run but are, nevertheless, essential and/or entertaining reading for fans of Steve Rogers. These books are all highly-recommended by yours truly, and are presented in order of publication:

• Captain America The Adventures of Captain America (TPB)- Fabian Nicieza & Karl Kesel (1991)
• Fallen Son The Death of Captain America (HC/TPB)- Jeph Loeb et al. (2007)
• Captain America Man Out of Time (HC/TPB)- Mark Waid & Jorge Molina (2011)
• Red Skull Incarnate (TPB)- Greg Pak & Mirko Colak (2012)
• Captain America White (HC/TPB)- Jeph Loeb & Tim Sale (2015)

@sc @saren Mods, is it possible to get this thread moved and pinned in the Captain America forum? I think it'll be helpful for interested readers.

This is a great blog.

I will definitely use it as reference when I try to find classic Captain America stories.

Nice dude. I will be sure to check some of these out.

This is so amazing.

I will be using this as a reference when I tackle Captain America for the first time.

FANTASTIC job, Veshark.

This. Seems very comprehensive.

@squalleon@theincrediblesuperhulk8642@legendary_starhero@thetruebarryallen@darthmummy

Thanks for reading, folks! I hope this blog offers an easy and straightforward guide to the different eras of Cap. I'll update this guide as new trades are released and newer editions issued.

Also: just updated the guide with a section for Stan Lee and Gene Colan's run. Knew I forgot someone!

@veshark:

got tired of repeating your list everytime a User is directed to you for a comprehensive reading list? (I know I did, and I know I've seen it happen a few times)

Great stuff here, love it. very well put together.

@bierschneeman

Ha, well partly that, but partly because I also thought a general guide might help current readers too.

Thanks for reading!

@veshark: I just want to thank you personally for taking the time to make this reading guide. Just when I was looking into purchasing a few Cap books to get a better understanding of the character, you come along and break everything down for me. Your timing couldn't be more perfect.

I've been thinking it over, and I decided that Brubaker's Winter Soldier stuff is probably the best place to start. After all, I know how much of a Cap fan you are, and apparently that's where you started, so it seems my best bet.

@nickzambuto

You're very welcome Nick, I'm glad you found this blog useful. The whole reason for me writing this guide was to help anyone interested in reading Cap, after all.

Ed Brubaker's Winter Soldier is definitely the place to start. I'd recommend collecting this run by trades rather than the Omnibuses, because a) Many of the omnibuses are out-of-print and are very pricey and b) Picking up the first trade will let you test the waters, and see if you enjoy it. I've also wrote a more detailed guide just for Brubaker's run (with links!), so that should be helpful too.

I'd also recommend you pick up Man out of Time. It's a miniseries written by Mark Waid, and deals with Steve's earliest days in the 21st century with the Avengers. It's a fantastic primer for new readers on the character - think of it as Cap's Year One or Birthright.

And as always, if you have any questions, feel free to PM me.

Yup, I went ahead and ordered The Winter Soldier Ultimate Collection (used of course, that two dollars can take me places) and I have very high hopes. Brubaker's run on Captain America is regarded as one of the best comic book runs in general, and as big a fan as I am of the MCU Cap, his portrayal in Age of Ultron was by far the best, and also the closest to the comic book version. Ergo, I should very much enjoy this story.

I also know already that Bucky is a badass, so I can't see anything going wrong. If I end up enjoying Brubaker's work, Man Out of Time will be my next purchase. Thanks a lot again, I'll let you know my thoughts once the book is delivered here.

Thank you! This is so helpful in the list I'm trying to form for the next time I buy in print. I'm relatively new to reading comics so the sheer amount of Cap comics was kind of intimidating at first. Cheers.

@peggycarter No problem, glad I could help. Let me know if you have any questions or need some recommendations ;)

Updated with general edits and the addition of a new run.

I hate that they keep replacing him.I hated when they replaced him with Bucky and I hate that they replaced him with Falcon.

@daredevil21134: I share you're feelings as well.

I responded to our pm.:)

@daredevil21134: Alright thanks for telling me, my dude.

Wow, this is really handy since I'm not all that familiar with Cap's comic run that well. I'm only familiar with his MCU version. When I have more time, I might take a look at this.

@veshark: I hadn't seen your blog before doing mine. I was curious and started digging to find a proper reading list with the essential from every run. I was looking for TPB less than Omnibus or full runs.

here is what I came up with:

1. Marvel Visionaries: Jack Kirby vol.1
   
   1. Meet Captain America (Joe Simon & Jack Kirby) - Captain America Comics #1 - 1941
   2. Captain America Joins the Avengers (Stan Lee & Jack Kirby) - Avengers #4 - 1964
   3. America Will Die (Jack Kirby) - Captain America #200 - 1976
2. Captain America: White (Jeff Loeb & Tim Sale) - Captain America: White #0-5 - 2016
3. Captain America: Man Out of Time (Mark Waid & Jorge Molina) - 2011
4. Tomorrow You Live, Tonight I Die (Stan Lee & Jim Steranko) - Captain America #111-113 - 1969 - collected in Captain America Masterwork: Vol. 3 or The Coming Of... The Falcon
5. Captain America & The Falcon: Secret Empire (Steve Englehart & Sal Buscema) - Captain America #169-176 - 1974-1976
6. Captain America and the Falcon: Madbomb (Jack Kirby) - Captain America #193-200 - 1976
7. Captain America: War and Remembrance (Roger Stern & John Byrne) - Captain America #247-255 - 1980-1981
8. Captain America: Death of the Red Skull (J.M. DeMatteis & John Byrnes) - Captain America #290-301 - 1984-1985
9. Avengers: Under Siege (Roger Stern & Steve Buscema) - Avengers #270-277 - 1986-1987
10. Captain America: The Captain (Mark Gruenwald & Tom Morgan) - Captain America #332-350 + Iron Man #228 - 1987
11. Captain America: Streets Of Poison (Mark Gruenwald & Ron Lim) - Captain America #372-378 - 1990
12. Captain America: Operation Rebirth (Mark Waid & Ron Garney) - Captain America ##444-448, 450-454 - 1995-1996
13. Marvel Knights' Captain America vol.1-2 (Chuck Austen/John Ney Rieber & John Cassaday/Trevor Hairsine) - Captain America (2002) #1-16 + Captain America (2002) #17-32 + Captain America: Red, White and Blue - 2002-2004 - Also available in 6 smaller trades
14. Winter Soldier By Brubaker: The Complete Collection (Ed Brubaker & Steve McNiven) - Captain America (2005) #1-14 + Fear Itself #7.1 - 2005-2006
15. Civil War (Mark Millar & Steve McNiven) - Civil War #1-7 - 2006-2007
16. The Death of Captain America: Complete Collection (Ed Brubaker & Steve McNiven) - Captain America (2005) #22-42 - 2007-2008
17. Fallen Son: The Death of Captain America (Jeph Loeb & David Finch) - Fallen Son #1-5 - 2007
18. Captain America: Castaway in Dimension Z vol.1-2 (Rick Remember & John Rominata Jr.) - Captain America (2013) #1-5 + Captain America (2013) #6-10 - 2013

I see that we both have comon and missing suggestions from our lists.

What would you consider essential reads ? If you had to narrow each runs down ?

I saw that The Ultimates are also a good suggestion, what do you think ?

@jb681131

Hey bud, sorry I was inactive for a long time so I never saw your comment. First off, thanks for checking out my reading guide!

As for your own list, all of your trades are included in my guide with the exception of Under Siege. I didn't include that as it is technically an Avengers story, but I do agree that it's got plenty of Cap moments worth reading. The scene when Cap finds all his cherished mementos that Zemo destroyed? Heartbreaking.

If I had to narrow down to the absolute essentials Cap trades it would probably look like this:

1. Captain America Epic Collection Vol. 1-2 (Lee-Kirby, Steranko, and Avengers #4)
2. Captain America Man Out of Time (Cap's "Year One", in my opinion)
3. Captain America & the Falcon Secret Empire (Englehart and Buscema)
4. Captain America & the Falcon Madbomb (Kirby, obviously)
5. Captain America Epic Collection Vol. 9 (Stern and Byrne)
6. Captain America Death of the Red Skull (DeMatteis)
7. Captain America The Captain (Gruenwald)
8. Captain America Epic Collection Vol. 22 (Waid)
9. Captain America Winter Soldier/Death of Cap Ultimate Collections (Brubaker)
10. Captain America Castaway in Dimension Z Vol. 1-2 (Remender)
11. Captain America Sam Wilson/Steve Rogers Vol. 1 (Spencer)

It's not overwhelmingly comprehensive, but I believe it's a decent "sample platter" of the most iconic runs and memorable moments in Cap's illustrious career. I've chosen to stay away from non-Cap books, but if you're interested in those, I have a few ideas: Event books (Civil War is the obvious choice), Team books (Avengers #15-16, 56, 273-277 which is Under Siege), and other characters' books (Amazing Spider-Man #537, Daredevil #233, Uncanny X-Men #268 etc.) among them.

Hope this answers your question.

As for The Ultimates, the first two volumes by Mark Millar are some of my favorite comics of all-time. I absolutely recommend reading them. Just be forewarned that Ultimate Captain America is a more grounded, cynical take on the Steve Rogers character.

@veshark:Thanks for taking the time.

What do you think of the Marvel Platinum books:

• Marvel Platinum: The Definitive Captain America
  • Meet Captain America - Captain America Comics #1
  • Captain America Joins the Avengers - Avengers volume 1 #4
  • Captain vs. Red Skull - Tales of Suspense #80-81 + Captain America volume 1 #143
  • Captain vs. Baron Blood - Captain America volume 1 253-255
  • Home Fires! - Marvel Fanfare volume 1 #18
  • Civil War Epilogue - Captain America volume 5 #25
  • Red, White and Blue-Blood - Captain America volume 1 #601
• Marvel Platinum: The Definitive Captain America Reloaded
  • Batlle begins ... in 1781 - Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #7
  • Various - Captain America Comics #3-4
  • Captain America/Batroc - Tales of Suspense #75-76
  • Origin of the Falcon - Captain America volume 1 #186
  • Captain vs Crossbone - Captain America volume 1 #363-364
  • Hope and Glory - Captain America volume 1 #444
  • The Trial of Captain America - Captain America volume 1 #615.1
  • Kang War - Avengers volume 3 #52-54
  • Captain America: Who Will Wield the Shield?
• Marvel Platinum: The Definitive Captain America Redux (I don't know the exact issue numbers)
  • Cap for President
  • Civil War
  • Armour Wars
  • Drums of War
  • Drums
  • Casualties of War
  • Super-Soldier No More!
  • The Hollow Men

@jb681131 I'm not too familiar with the Platinum editions, those are only available in the UK via Panini, I believe. That said, based on a cursory glance of the contents, those are all very solid choices for Cap stories. Some of them are a little odd (Trial of Captain America, Armor Wars), but for the most part, they're all good picks.

Thanks, Maybe you know some good omnibus or compilation book in which I could find a good overview of the Captain ? I found some on Spider-Man and X-Men but can't seem to find any on the Captain other than the Panini books.

Not to my knowledge, most of Cap's runs are collected separately. Sorry I couldn't be of more help, bud.

requested bump