The 6 Comics to Grab After Seeing the New Captain America

Now that Captain America: The Winter Soldier has thrilled audiences and successfully introduced a heavy dose of politics into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, chances are you’re wondering what’s next. For Marvel Studios, the answer is twofold—into space with Guardians of the Galaxy in August and then back to Earth with 2015′s Avengers: Age of Ultron. But what about those wanting to know more about the Winter Soldier, Black Widow and Cap himself?

The best place to look, unsurprisingly, are in the pages of Marvel’s massive back catalog of comics. Of course, with more than 75 years of stories to choose from, it’s extremely hard to determine which comics in particular will provide exactly what you’re looking for. That’s why we’re here with the ultimate reading list of comics you should read after you see The Winter Soldier. Class is in session.

Captain America #25-42 (2007-2008)

More commonly known as “The Death of Captain America,” this 18-issue storyline by Ed Brubaker, Steve Epting and Butch Guice followed the original comic book introduction of the Winter Soldier and gave the character new purpose in the wake of the apparent death of Steve Rogers. There are also appearances from the Black Widow, Falcon, Iron Man and the Red Skull (well, kind of), and a tone consistent with the politicized thriller of Winter Soldier the movie. In many ways, this is the ideal comic storyline to follow the movie up with.

How to read it: Available digitally, as well as in the Death of Captain America Omnibus print collection.

Secret Warriors #1-28 (2009-2011)

The movie’s big revelation about S.H.I.E.L.D. is not a development that’s original to the movies. It actually originated in this series by Jonathan Hickman, Brian Michael Bendis and Stefano Caselli (amongst other artists), which took political paranoia to new levels by revealing that S.H.I.E.L.D. had always been under the control of Hydra—and letting Nick Fury loose with a group of brand new recruits to close down both organizations.

How to read it: Available digitally, as well as in the Secret Warriors Omnibus print edition.

The Winter Soldier #1-19 (2012-2013)

Following a second faked death—don’t ask, although Fear Itself, Marvel’s 2011 summer event comic, explains most of the circumstances—Bucky Barnes teamed with Black Widow and settled into a life where he could use his particularly deadly skills for the good guys. Ed Brubaker, Butch Guice and others were responsible for this series that showed the afterlife (almost literally) of the deadly former double agent. Of course, if you’re curious about what Bucky got up to when he was working for the Other Side, the current The Winter Soldier: Bitter March series (#1-2 already released) fill in some of the blanks.

How to read it: Available digitally, as well as in collected print editions; Bitter March available in individual print editions.

Black Widow #1 (2014)

Poor Natasha. For all the complaints that Scarlett Johansson doesn’t get her own solo movie to strut her super-spy stuff in, it’s a sad truth that the Black Widow is somewhat lacking in the comic department, too—especially when it comes to stories that parallel her portrayal in the movies. Thankfully, this year’s new Black Widow series, from Nathan Edmondson and Phil Noto, fills the need quite well, offering stories of a woman seeking redemption for former sins—the “red in the ledger” that was talked about in The Avengers—accompanied by some appropriately beautiful artwork.

How to read it: Available digitally, as well as individual print editions.

Secret Avengers #1-15 (2013-2014)

For those who found themselves loving The Winter Soldier just because they never quite trusted the idea of S.H.I.E.L.D. in the first place, good news—there was an entire series based on the idea that, just maybe, S.H.I.E.L.D. was up to no good even with the best of intentions. Featuring Nick Fury, Hawkeye, Black Widow and Agent Phil Coulson, this series by Nick Spencer, Luke Ross and others centered around one simple idea: What if S.H.I.E.L.D. mind-wiped agents after missions so they didn’t necessarily know what they’d done? As you might expect, things don’t exactly turn out too well.

How to read it: Available digitally, as well as collected print editions.

Captain America #153-156 (1972)

One final, surprise, suggestion: In an interview promoting Winter Soldier, screenwriters Stephen McFeely and Christopher Markus teased what lies ahead for Cap in the third movie: “Psychotic 1950s Cap.” That refers to this particular storyline by Steve Englehart and Sal Buscema from 1972, when the man who tried to replace Steve Rogers in the 1950s—and was driven insane in the process, becoming a super-strong bigot that even the Red Skull would’ve been proud of—returned and tried to incite race riots in the present day. Whether or not we can definitely expect the same in 2016′s Captain America movie remains unknown, but the storyline is worth checking out nonetheless.

How to read it: Available digitally, as well as in the Essential Captain America Vol. 3 print collection.