Review: BIG THUNDER MOUNTAIN RAILROAD #3

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BIG THUNDER MOUNTAIN RAILROAD #3
Written by Dennis Hopeless
Art by Felix Ruiz
Published by Marvel Comics
Release Date: May 27, 2015

The first two issues of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad have been full of frontier adventure with big fun, solid characters and a lot of charm. The first two issues were very good. Issue #3 is even better.

Dennis Hopeless has somehow cranked the fun up a notch with this issue and Abby is an even stronger lead than she has been thus far. Hopeless has done a fantastic job with this character (and the rest) and the events of this issue flip the story in a great way. This issue is full of big action befitting the mighty mountain and what struck me throughout the issue was how great an adventure film this would make. I’ve compared this series to Indiana Jones in the past, and that same tone of adventurous fun still exists. Each of the main cast members are growing on me by the page and by the end of the issue, this merry band is one of my favourite crews in comics. Hopeless has crafted a great story here and his charming Western has captured my interest and makes me smile constantly.

Felix Ruiz’s artwork matches the tone of the script perfectly, and his work is rock solid. There are some great action panels, and Ruiz captures the “Wild West” feeling of the time very well. These pencils are dynamic and tell the story very well, hitting the emotional beats just as well as the big action. In this story the mountain itself is a character and Ruiz makes the fury of the mountain palpable. The colour work by Jean-Francois Beaulieu takes the artwork to the next level and gives the story a warmth. The sunsets are beautiful and Beaulieu makes this book look like the best Western you’ve ever read/watched. This book isn’t being talked about enough, and even if the script wasn’t as awesome as it is, the artwork needs to be recognized.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad #3 is the perfect all-ages adventure comic and it fills what I consider to be a big void in comics. It is well written and very well penciled, and Hopeless and Ruiz have crafted one of the most fun and charming comics in stores today. I can’t get enough of these characters and this story, and if you’re in the mood for a good ol’ fashioned Western adventure, you have to pick this book up.

The Verdict: 10/10

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