Captain America

Our detailed Captain America reading recommendations can be found on our Beyond The Panels Blog: Captain America – A Symbol of American Idiocracy, Propaganda, and Overblown Capitalism?

Alright, Captain America. Captain America is more than the guy with the shield and the flag. He’s a symbol shaped by conflict, ideals, and the people who carry them. Steve Rogers began as a scrawny kid from Brooklyn who just wanted to stand up to bullies. That was before the serum, before the myth. What makes him compelling is how that myth collides with reality, and how others continue to carry the shield through shifting times.

Top 4 Essential Captain America Reads:

• Captain America by Mark Gruenwald: The legendary Mark Gruenwald took the reins for over ten years, crafting the longest uninterrupted run on the character. His stories introduced U.S. Agent, Flag-Smasher, and the Serpent Society, while exploring what it truly means to carry the shield. Gruenwald’s Cap was deeply moral, deeply human—and constantly tested by the shifting values of the world around him.
• Captain America by Ed Brubaker: A sharp, cinematic political thriller. Brubaker redefines Cap as a man caught between the ideal he represents and the system he serves. It’s modern lore: Winter Soldier, Civil War, legacy, loss. All told with style and precision. Start with Captain America Modern Era Epic Collection Vol. 1: The Winter Soldier TP.
  
• Captain America by Ta-Nehisi Coates: In the aftermath of betrayal, Steve rebuilds. Coates blends noir, espionage, and sharp political insight into a quiet, heavy story about broken symbols, hidden power, and finding purpose in the ruins.
  
• Walt’s Favorite Cap Run? This One. J.M. DeMatteis, Mike Zeck and John Beatty’s early ’80 run (#260-300) brought heart, pain, and raw humanity to Captain America. Existential dread, fallen friends, and the death of the Red Skull....This one is quite  underrated. Unforgettable. Walt-approved :)