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This reading list only focuses on Ed Brubaker’s run, which defines the characters for this generation. This is a large undertaking as the story went on for years, over several volumes and various titles in 25 trade paperbacks and five omnibus.

It’s fairly straight forward until the end, where two books were coming out alongside each other. Even then it’s not too difficult as the books didn’t really impact each other so you can just read them in the order shown.

The only thing that complicates matters is that Captain America is one of those tent pole characters that gets dragged into every major event storyline and is often impacted by the fallout. The events are included in the order they should be read to fully appreciate what’s going on.

Here’s the key:

Bold text: Main Series
Normal text: Supplemental
CAPITALS: EVENTS/CROSSOVERS
Italics: Notes

Pre-Reading

THE MARVEL’S PROJECT - Ed Brubaker & Steve Epting
An 8-issue mini-series showing the origins of Captain America and other silver-age heroes. Can be read at any time but sits here for the sake of chronology.

Captain America: Man Out of Time - Mark Waid & Jorge Molina
Another mini-series not unlike Waid’s Superman: Birthright. It shows Captain America’s freezing and subsequent defrosting in the modern day.

AVENGERS DISASSEMBLED - BRIAN BENDIS & DAVID FINCH

The Steve Rogers Era

Captain America: Winter Soldier V1 - Ed Brubaker & Steve Epting
Captain America: Winter Soldier V2 - Ed Brubaker & Steve Epting
The first two volumes of Brubakers run are available in a variety of formats including an Ultimate Collection, two trade paperbacks or an OHC..

SECRET WAR: BRIAN BENDIS & GABRIELLE DELL'OTTO
Features Captain America and explains Nick Fury’s absence from the subsequent volumes.

New Avengers - Brian Bendis
Bendis’ Avengers run begins in earnest at this point. For a full reading list of that run check out Bendis’ Avengers Reading List

Captain America: Red Menace V1 - Ed Brubaker & Mike Perkins
Captain America: Red Menace V2 - Ed Brubaker & Steve Epting
Available in an Ultimate Collection or separate paperbacks. The omnibus collecting the first five volumes is long out of print.

CIVIL WAR: MARK MILLAR & STEVE MCNIVEN
Civil War: Captain America - Ed Brubaker & Mike Perkins
The tie-in issues work really well as part of the Civil War story, which is strongly recommended as Captain America is the protagonist and it alters the landscape of the Marvel Universe significantly.

Fallen Son - Jeph Loeb & Various
A series of one-shots focusing on different characters and how they deal with Steve Rogers death. Each issue represents one of the five stages of grief.

The Bucky Barnes Era

Captain America: Death of Captain America V1 - Brubaker & Epting
Captain America: Death of Captain America V2 - Brubaker & Epting
Captain America: Death of Captain America V3 - Brubaker & Epting
Available in a Complete Collection, three paperbacks, or an OOP omnibus.

SECRET INVASION: BRIAN BENDIS AND LEINIL YU
Features Captain America, Bucky Cap joins the New Avengers from this point.

Captain America: The Man With No Face - Ed Brubaker & Luke Ross
Captain America: Road to Reborn - Ed Brubaker & Various
Captain America: Reborn - Ed Brubaker & Bryan Hitch
These volumes are available in the Captain America Lives! omnibus as well as the usual paperbacks.

SEIGE - BRIAN BENDIS & OLIVIER COIPEL
Both Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes appear in this storyline.

Captain America: Two Americas - Ed Brubaker & Luke Ross
Captain America: No Escape - Ed Brubaker & Butch Guice
Captain America: Prisoner of War - Ed Brubaker & Butch Guice
Captain America: Trial of Captain America - Ed Brubaker & Butch Guice

Steve Rogers: Super Soldier - Ed Brubaker & Dale Eaglesham
This mini-series came out alongside the regular Captain America book and tells a Steve Rogers-centric story with a villain that will return later.

Secret Avengers: Mission to Mars - Ed Brubaker & Mike Deodato
Secret Avengers: Eyes of the Dragon - Ed Brubaker & Mike Deodato
Ed Brubaker did a short run on Secret Avengers which Steve Rogers featured in. It doesn’t connect to the Captain America story but is here if you want more.

FEAR ITSELF: MATT FRACTION & STUART IMMONEN
This story is significant to Brubaker’s run as it takes the series goes in a new direction after the events of this book. 

The Two-Title Era

From this point on there are two different titles being published side-by-side, with Captain America & Bucky eventually being replaced by The Winter Soldier.

Captain America: Volume 1 - Ed Brubaker & Steve McNiven
Captain America: Volume 2 - Ed Brubaker & Alan Davis
The last seven volumes are collected in the Trial of Captain America omnibus.

Captain America: Volume 3 - Ed Brubaker & Patch Zircher
Captain America: Volume 4 - Ed Brubaker & Scott Eaton
This is the finale of the Captain America story for all intents and purposes. The majority of the volume is co-written, but the final chapter is a goodbye issue by Brubaker and Epting,

Captain America & Bucky: Life Story of Bucky… - Brubaker & Samnee
Captain America & Bucky: Old Wounds - Brubaker & Francavilla
These stories flash back to WWII, but are narrated in the modern day.

Winter Soldier: The Longest Winter - Ed Brubaker & Butch Guice
Winter Soldier: Broken Arrow - Ed Brubaker & Michael Lark
Winter Soldier: Black Widow Hunt - Ed Brubaker & Butch Guice
The last seven volumes are collected in the Captain America: The Return of the Winter Soldier omnibus.

That is the entirety of Ed Brubaker’s run on the character. If you like Ed Brubaker you can also check out the Daredevil reading list, which highlights his work on the character and also includes Immortal Iron Fist. Thanks for reading.