They saved the best for last. That’s how the saying goes, anyway. But in the case of Captain America: The First Avenger and superhero movies this summer, the saying just may be the best description. With a first place finish and lots of good word of mouth coming out from the theaters, people not all that familiar with Captain America may want to pick up and read some of Steve Rogers’ greatest comic book exploits.
Operation Rebirth
Mark Waid is one of the best comic book writers of the last twenty years, and while he did have an extended run in the 90’s both before and after Heroes Reborn, if I could only recommend one story from it it would have to be Operation Rebirth. Combining one of my favorite Captain America tales, Man Without A Country with the lead in story. Cap’s long time love interest Sharon Carter returns from the dead, Cap has to work with the Red Skull who is now in a cloned body of Cap himself. The end results leave Steve exiled from the United States and having to prove that even when his country turns against him, he’s still the greatest hero America has.
Captain America Omnibus volume 1
When Ed Brubaker took over Captain America in 2004 he proceeded to put together some of the best Captain America stories ever back to back. Thankfully they were all collected across the first two Omnibus editions (as I’ve not been a fan since Cap returns from the grave), and the first one is far and away the best one. Brubaker fully utilizes the vast canon that is Captain America and even brings back Bucky Barnes in a very unique and original way. It might be expensive, but for a must read Captain America story this sets the bar.
Captain America: Man Out of Time
A recent work from Mark Waid, this mini series focuses on Cap adapting to being woken up after sixty years in a world that isn’t quite what he remembers. Waid has always had a knack for Cap, and this is definitely worth a look.
The Ultimates
Mark Millar does balls to the wall super heroes in a real world atmosphere, and his take on the Avengers was amazing. His version of Captain America might not be definitive, hell, it might not even be canon outside of the Ultimate Universe, but I’ll be damned if he isn’t politically incorrect but damn entertaining.
That letter on his head doesn’t stand for France!
