I want to share our personal best Captain America comics that really shaped the Captain America that we know and love in modern times! Captain America has been an American Icon for over 80 years! That’s a very long time for a fictional character to be so well-known and highly regarded. Captain America sprung onto the comic scene during some perilous times in our Country. Since the release of the first Captain America comic in March of 1941, It was exciting to see the man, Steve Rogers, donning the red, white, and blue, punching Hitler right in the face! Captain America has always been the epitome of morality, honesty, and loyalty to his country. Two comics come to mind when I think about Cap! The infamous Winter Soldier saga, and Civil War! I know that Civil War isn’t a Captain America solo title, but he’s such an integral part of the story that you almost feel like it is. Heck, Marvel even made the Civil War film a Captain America film in the MCU. If you like this review, please be sure to sign up for our mailing list for future reviews.
No. 1: The Winter Soldier (issues 1-14)
Captain America: The Winter Soldier is probably the greatest Captain America saga written in modern times! It is my personal all-time favorite! Brubaker really defined the modern version of Captain America during his run. The Winter Soldier saga was actually an extended narrative drawn out over several story arcs, but it still remains as one of the most beloved Captain America tales of the 21st century.
The Winter Soldier saga defined the modern, 21st century Captain America – both in terms of his character, the stories told with him. Brubaker’s Cap kicked off with action-packed fights and mystery that left you both satisfied and hungry for more at the same time. The action showed Cap at his fullest potential, in my opinion, and it left us fans wanting more. The shocking twists, the mysterious political intrigue, and an amazing cast made Captain America a must-read title for the first time in years. I binge-read most of this story because I couldn’t stop reading it!
Brief History of Bucky Barnes
James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes now known as the Winter Soldier, has been in Captain America comics from the very beginning! Bucky was also designed to be a propaganda figure for much younger audiences. Avengers number 4, in March 1964, when the founding Avengers defrost Captain America from the ice, Cap explains the backstory of what happened to him and Bucky while trying to stop a drone plane created by Baron Zemo. The plane explodes and Cap has always thought that his friend died as a result.
The Winter Soldier Saga – The Hunt for the Assassin who stole the Cosmic Cube
Fast-forward to July 2005, Captain America issue #8, The Winter Soldier part 1 and we see that Captain America’s dreams and his memories have come to reality in the worst possible way when he realizes that the assassin who sniped the Red Skull and stole the cosmic cube is none other than his long lost friend Bucky Barnes. This really cuts to Cap’s emotions, because a man that he fought beside and would have given his life for, was now a killer working for the enemy. In the midst of this bombshell of a discovery, Cap begins his hunt for an enemy that was a step ahead of him the entire time, and who was able to get to Cap in a way not many enemies have by compromising Cap’s emotions.
As the Winter Soldier continues to plague Cap’s emotions, Cap learns who The Winter Soldier is and how he became an effective killing machine during the Cold War. Steve Rogers then comes face to face with his worst nightmare, having to fight for his life against his one-time partner in combat, Bucky Barnes.
Captain America Finally Encounters Bucky – Face to Face
Then the moment we all were waiting for. Captain America and Bucky fight 1 v 1 and they are evenly matched in strength, thanks to Bucky’s bionic left arm and his own enhancement with some super soldier-ish juices flowing through his veins. However, Cap is able to hold his own, eventually overpowers Bucky, and then tries to convince him that he isn’t a killer, that he was once a good man. This only seems to infuriate Bucky as the two continue to tussle, and then Cap decides to put his life on the line and says to Bucky, “FINE…Then GO AHEAD. SHOOT ME. IF YOU TRULY DON’T KNOW ME….THEN JUST DO IT”. Bucky goes to shoot Cap anyway, but then unexpectedly, Cap dodges the bullet, and then throws a hail mary with the shield, bounced off a couple of objects, and knocks Bucky down, making him drop the Cosmic Cube that he has in possession. Cap then picks up the cube and commands it to restore Bucky to his original state of mind. The cosmic cube does its thing and Bucky is seemingly restored. SHIELD is standing by anticipation, ready to attack, and then Bucky acknowledges that he now remembers Steve and alludes to the fact that he is very upset with himself for the heinous acts he’s done as the Winter Soldier. Bucky then grabs the cube and attempts to destroy it by crushing it with his bionic arm, and it transports him to Camp Lehigh, the camp that he and Cap trained at for the US Army during the war. After being transported to his old training camp, Bucky is contemplating his life and the things he’s endured for the decades past, the things he had done against his will. Then, Marvel wraps it up as it points us back to the villain, Dr. Lukin. It is then revealed that the Red Skull used the cosmic cube to transfer his own mind right before his death into Lukin’s body, stuck together “like rats in a cage” As Lukin says to Red Skull in his mind!
Runner-Up: Civil War (issues 1-7)
Civil War is one of those stories that was so good and well thought out, that I couldn’t stop reading it. It isn’t a Captain America solo comic story, but Captain America is one of the two main characters in this universe-wide story! Marvel captured its audience with this story, and as you read it, it’s easy to see why. For those of you who have seen the movie, Captain America: Civil War, but haven’t read the comic story, it’s more complicated than just choosing a side (Cap or Ironman). The Civil War comic story affected the entire Marvel universe; hero, villain, or mercenary.
Civil War: Started From a Reality TV Stunt Gone Bad!
It started out with some younger immature heroes, Speedball and the New Warriors, doing a reality tv show. The New Warriors for some good laughs, Speedball, and his gang thought it would be funny to sneak up on some villains with their cameras. Needless to say, they weren’t happy about it. A battle ensued, and then Nitro carelessly blew up an elementary school, leveling several city blocks, killing hundreds of American citizens: men, women, and children. It rocked the nation in the news and headlines, as you can imagine an event like that really would. This led to the greatest question in the Marvel universe. Are we at the point in society in which super-powered individuals out of control? Should there be more accountability? Additionally, what measures should be taken to ensure that this doesn’t happen again
The Superhuman Registration Act is Born
This led to the US Government coming up with the Superhuman Registration Act. This is where the division began because the bill would force any superhuman, hero, or villain to register their secret identities with the Federal Gov’t. The registered heroes would also be assigned to a designated area in which to serve and do their duty as a hero serving the Federal Gov’t! Those who failed to register would be subject to arrest and other punishment under the law. The Superhuman Registration Act caused so much division that the entire Marvel universe was split down the middle.
Enter Captain America! Steve was against the registration act because he believed that all heroes are good people who put their lives on the line every day. Captain America believed that if their identities were compromised, then the hero, their families, and friends would all be at risk and put in danger. Also, Captain America believed that it was a violation of their rights both as American citizens and as human beings. He was right on too, because not soon after Tony Stark signed the act and it went into effect, SHIELD and the heroes who registered began a superhuman round-up. Arresting every hero who did not comply with this new mandate. Captain America immediately disagreed and stood his ground. Every one that was against the registration act sided with him. Cap and the anti-registration went into hiding, providing refuge for heroes under attack who didn’t want to reveal themselves to the Federal Gov’t. It got so bad that super villains began registering so that they could lawfully attack heroes and seek to arrest them under the control of Ironman.
Turmoil On Both Sides
Additionally, Spider-man revealed his identity to the world under the influence of Tony Stark, and Peter Parker’s life fell to pieces by a cadre of super-villains who sought to hurt him and his family. After a fight with Ironman at Stark Industries after Parker refused to side with Ironman and disagreed with the registration act, Spider-man was brutally attacked after he barely escaped Ironman in the sewer. On the brink of death, Spidey was saved by the Punisher. Punisher brought spider-man to Cap’s anti-registration headquarters and after healing up from his wounds, Spider-man helped to lead the anti-registration charge with Captain America against Tony Stark.
The Final Battle in New York City
Many battles ensued and Cap’s squad always managed to escape. Things came to a head and Team Cap had to face the music and face Team Ironman head-on! The battle was fierce and raged on for a long time. Cap even got assistance from Namor and the Atlanteans, at the request of Sue Storm, Invisible Woman of the Fantastic Four (a writeup for another time). Captain America was winning the battle and was even getting the best of Ironman. Captain America had Ironman right where he wanted him and for a moment, when he saw the devastation their quarrel has caused the superhuman community, and the citizens of New York, Captain America surrendered and turned himself in. THE END…
As good as a read Civil War was, it isn’t our number 1 Captain America story for one reason and one reason only. That ending!!! As much as I hated the ending, I would still highly recommend reading it. There are so many things that happen that were unmentioned in this write-up. After Cap’s surrender, the battle soon ended the writer was implying that everyone had lost. We learn that there were no winners in this conflict… the fighting only caused division and chaos in the streets. Believe me, though, everything in Civil War up to that moment was amazing! Marvel in my opinon, seem to have hokey endings to amazing stories! But then I guess Captain America wouldn’t be so respected if he didn’t always stand up for righteousness, even when it meant him losing.
These are my top two picks for the best Captain America comics. One is a Captain America story and the runner-up, Civil War is so good, that it’s impossible to think of Marvel’s Civil War without thinking of Captain America 🙂 If you want to read about another leader in Marvel check out our review of Cyclops HERE.