So there's a friend of mine who've I've been trying to get into comics for a while now - he's a big reader, but doesn't really understand the appeal of comics.

However, I just got back from seeing the new Captain America film with him, and he loved it! He even loved it to the extent that he's asked me to recommend him some Captain America comics to read. Embarrassingly, I admitted to him that I'd barely had any experiences with the Cap, but I told him not to worry, because I know just the people to ask... hint hint... nudge nudge ;)

I'd like to emphasise that specifically he liked the politically themed elements. He squealed with glee at the Freedom isn't Fear and Punishment should come after the Crime dialogue. So yeah, I'm looking for recommendations of Captain America comics that feature a substantial political element (with a three dimensional Cap) and that are collected in cheap trades. Thanks in advance guys!

Well, since he enjoyed the movie so much, I guess the best place to start would be the original comic. The Winter Soldier is a 13-issue arc collected in the Captain America Winter Soldier: Ultimate Collection. It's fairly well-priced, for the amount of issues you're getting. There's also a Director's Cut edition coming out in time for the movie, which has bonus behind-the-scenes content.

The story continues in the Red Menace and Death of Captain America Ultimate Collections. I should stress that, as a whole, the 'political elements' aren't as prevalent in the comic as they are in the movie. The major theme of the movie was about 'America in the NSA Age', but the comic focused more on 'Cap's relationship with his wartime partner, Bucky'. There are still aspects of political subterfuge present (mostly with the evil villain plots), but it's less so than in the film.

Still, these are generally considered some of the best Cap comics of the modern age, so they're definitely worth a read. Hope this helps.

@veshark:

Thanks for the response. I'll ask him if he's interested, but I think he really wanted a comic for the political themes, rather than the Cap - do you know any comics in general that have political themes?

@veshark:

Do you think Civil War might be a good choice? I haven't read it but just from reading the blurp is sounds like it involves a good chunk of Cap going against the Government policies for what he thinks is right, which seems to be right down my friend's alley.

Also, if you haven't read any of the Winter Soldier comics (but know the character from the film) will you be able to jump into Death of Captain America?

Hmm...superheroes with political themes. Well, these are the obvious choices:

• V for Vendetta (Probably the definitive 'political' comic, it deals with an anarchist revolutionary named V who plans to bring down the fascists who have made the UK into a police state)
• Watchmen (Widely considered the best superhero comic ever written; it also deals with the concept of power and the nature of superheroes. It's grounded quite heavily in key real-world political events as well)
• The Dark Knight Returns (A tale about an ageing Batman who has returned from retirement to bring order to Gotham. Lots of strong political themes of authoritarianism and freedom. Highly-recommended)
• Civil War (The Superhero Registration Act divided the superhero community into two sides; one who are for registering themselves and revealing their identities for public accountability. The other side believes the act violates their civil liberties. This one's a little less cerebral than the above suggestions, and more face-punchy)

@kalibooostew Oh whoops, didn't catch your second post there. I think Civil War's a good choice if your friend's not looking for something too 'deep'. Civil War does come across as an allegory for things like the Patriot Act, but it also has a strong summer-blockbuster feel to it. If your friend wants something like the Cap movie, which is basically action sprinkled with some political drama, then it might be his thing.

Oh and another one I really have to mention: The Ultimates & the Ultimates 2.

Your friend has to read these two books. I can't believe I left them out. The second one especially is viewed as a fantastic allegory of the Bush administration and America's foreign policy. Great reads.

As for Death of Cap, it's highly recommended that you read the Winter Soldier & Red Menace Ultimate Collections first before delving into that.

Thanks @veshark, you've been really helpful.

I was thinking of recommending Watchmen (it is after all probably my favourite comic ever), but I feel as though he should read other superhero comics first so that he can appreciate all the ways in which it plays around with superhero tropes and just how ground-breaking it is.

One last bit of advice please, would it be suitable for my friend to read The Ultimates 2 before reading The Ultimates (just on the basis that the second one has stronger political commentary?

No problem, glad I could help.

On the Ultimates: Um, I think that Ultimates 1 is mandatory to really understand Ultimates 2, to be honest. And either way, it's still an easy read at 13 issues before going on to Ultimates 2. It's basically just one long extended story. And at any rate your friend might find some enjoyment from the first half, because though the political themes aren't as present yet, there's still some solid work reimagining superheroes as federalized deputies for the government (which might be of interest).

@veshark: Ok thanks. That sounds like a good plan