If you asked me what’s the first thing that comes to mind when I hear The Lone Ranger, it would of course be the classic black and white show. I didn’t grow up in that era, but I have seen quite a few episodes. Dynamite seems to enjoy bringing back pulp characters such as the Ranger and the Green Hornet. Unlike the latter, the company has a very strong hold of the mythos of the former that compliments the classic show. Now if you were to ask me what is the definitive Lone Ranger series to check out, it would most definitely be Snake of Iron. We’re only two issues in, yet I cannot recommend this series enough. It’s great if you’re a fan of the old show, the current comics, or just looking for a nice down-to-earth story set in old times free of today’s comic culture.

Here’s the official description from Dynamite:

The Ranger and Tonto face long odds on the lawless badlands of the Texas panhandle. The Masked Rider of the plains outnumbered by dangerous Comancheros on his way to stop a Kiowa uprising. At the same time, Tonto finds himself in the middle of a hostage situation aboard a train stranded in a raging blizzard. Chuck Dixon and Esteve Polls re-unite to bring you more blistering frontier action hotter than a prairie fire!

There’s a lot of today’s generation that don’t know what a Lone Ranger is. (Imagine that!) Obviously kids and teens today probably won’t be able to endure the black-and-white show, so this mini-series is a great way to introduce the character, his Native American sidekick, and his world. This is a huge contrast to Green Hornet. There it’s street-level brutal with today’s language, while here it takes place in a time where there was no large buildings and with old-time dialogue. This mini-series is reading like an episode from the show, just take away its oldness and add a deeper story. Tonto, a character I never truly cared for that much, (not saying I didn’t like him, but the show didn’t exactly give him character development) is being made fantastic thanks to these comics. Really hardcore fans may be worried about character changes to fit ‘today’s audience,’ but that isn’t the case. It’s giving them deeper character but staying true to the roots. When we hear how ridiculous one of the side character’s plan is, Tonto reflects our bewilderment with my favorite line in the story, “A man would not know his own son?”

The art isn’t heavily detailed, but it fits the tone and atmosphere of the western story well. There’s a really great splash page of the Lone Ranger on his horse with fire all around him. The cover has a very retro feel, I like it a lot. The story is divided between the Ranger helping out Lily and Tonto in a train that’s getting attacked by other Native Americas. Both plot-points are great in their own rights and could probably each carry their own mini-series.

Overall, a great second installment in this mini-series. Writer Chuck Dixon has a firm grasp on these characters. Snake of Iron has been a really good read and is recommended if you’re a fan of the title character. Even if you’re not it proves to be a great read anyway.

4.5/5