On Friday, we asked our readers to pick their favorite Captain America story. Like so many of our polls, a lot of the choices got at least one vote, but three stories stood out among the rest, and take their place among our Multiversity Mount Rushmore (of Good Captain America Stories). We would never shoot off fireworks from our Mount Rushmore.
Coming in first with 44.7% of the vote was Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting’s epic Winter Soldier storyline. The resurrection of Bucky Barnes was once considered so taboo that it was a laughable idea. But Brubaker and Epting not only made it work, they made it one of the most iconic Cap stories of all time, so much so that it inspired a film and multiple cinematic appearances for the resurrected Bucky. It is also one of the best examples of an iconic story that is tells you everything you need to know about the main character, while being, ostensibly, about someone else.
Second place went to a classic run from the early to mid 1970s that got 10.5%: Steve Englehart and Sal Buscema’s run from #175 to #186. During this time, the book was billed as “Captain America and Falcon” on the trade dress, and established both Sam Wilson as an incredibly important Marvel character, but also helped Marvel start to diversify the characters that highlighted their books. Sadly, there is still a lot of work to be done, almost 50 years later.
Third place went to Ta-Nehisi Coates and Leinil Francis Yu’s run, which is continuing without Yu currently. I always love when a contemporary run ranks high in one of these lists, as sometimes nostalgia can cloud our judgment for what truly makes a great comic. Coates’s entire run is worth you time.
Thanks for voting, and check back on Friday for the next Reader Poll!
