Axa #5

Part of Ken Pierce's First American Edition Series, Axa #5 brings the bold, free-spirited heroine face-to-face with something truly unsettling — as the cover scene makes vividly clear, a massive, grotesque toad creature looms over Axa, its writhing tentacles coiling around her while she recoils with wide-eyed alarm, the speech bubble declaring simply: "The Toad Creatures!" E. B. Romero's cover art delivers real visceral energy, balancing Axa's defiant presence against the sheer hulking menace of her amphibious antagonist. Featuring the story "The Eager" by writer Donne Avenell and artist E. B. Romero, with coloring by Dave Rotoloni, this 1984 installment is a striking showcase for one of European comics' most adventurous heroines.