When turning its rides into works of fiction, Disney usually gets a free pass in the initial steps of the story.  This is because the creative minds behind the adaptations are usually adept enough at capturing what makes the ride so fun to begin with, even without the roller coaster effects.  If one remembers the opening scenes of the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie, they will remember the wealth of visual reminders about the rich environment in which they are populated.  The same can be said for the first issue of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.  Instead of playing pirates, it instead looks at another iconic realm of childhood fantasy, the Old West.  As Disney is occasionally known to do, it cast a female lead character in place of the male protagonist better known to the same period, and it paid off with a different angle told to a familiar enough story.

This second issue follows Abigail after she has been trapped in the mine’s rumblings.  As with the first issue there are again a few things that are out of place with the story, such as the ease by which she causes a fissure in a humongous rock, but this is a story that is not meant for the analysis of the minor details.  It is an avenue to fun, and it carries on with it as she manages to find her way back to the surface with the aid of the masked man, only to find out that her savior is also a thief, having made off with the load of gold on the eponymous railroad.  She chases the train down with the help of her faithful horse, but it leads her into another unexpected conflict.

After escaping from the fertile ground caused from a mixing of the Old West with the Disney property, the series still proves that it has a lot of heart, even if the story falls off a little bit.  This is not an edgy comic, but it also doesn’t try to be, instead going for a family level of fun.  If the latter is indeed its goal though, it really does succeed, and doesn’t let up.  Those that are used to comics for other genres and attitudes might find this series a bit trying, but for those that like the medium as a whole for all that it has to offer, they are likely to find a title to love here.  It is innocent and fun, but executed pretty well, and deserves more praise than just being a good children’s title.

Story: Dennis Hopeless Art: Tigh Walker
Story: 8.9 Art: 8.9 Overall: 8.9 Recommendation: Buy