Writer – Robert Kanigher, Jack Oleck
Artist – Nestor Redondo, Alex Niño
Letters – Esphidy Mahilum

A man named Abel runs through the jungle, dying from a snakebite and soon collapses. When he awakens, he meets an old man and it is then that he recounts his story, one of a war that was not going so well in Venezuela. He found himself heading deep into the jungle in the hopes of finding some gold or some artifacts that might help turn the tide. Coming across a village of friendly natives, they take Abel in and give him food and rest and while he does not find that which he was seeking, he discovers something else. There is a part of the jungle which the natives call tabu, a forbidden area where men go and never return thanks to a reported witch that lives within. Abel finds it all fascinating though, compelling in a strange sort of way and it draws him in not once but twice and during that second time, he meets a beautiful blonde-haired girl, the so-called witch. Written by Robert Kanigher, the man gives readers an introductory tale that does everything it needs to and it keeps readers hooked from the first page to the last. Helping to do that are the pencils by Nestor Redondo who gives it all an ethereal quality at times, the man’s artistry is almost magical and one could not ask for more. As for Rima, the titular jungle girl, readers learn little about her but one cannot say that they are not intrigued by her and the mythology around her that is set up in the book. While there is not a lot revealed, coming back for more is an easy thing to do. The last bit of the book is rounded out by a secondary tale starring The Space Voyagers, a group of astronauts who come across a strange planet that they decide to explore. Upon landing they find footprints in the sand and as they follow them, they come across a man being attacked by a giant space bug. Though their weapons are useless, they manage to dispose of the creature, leaving the book on a bit of a cliffhanger when the old man they save shows them their bodies. What it all means, who is to say but it is sure to be just as interesting as the main story in this book. Written by Jack Oleck and drawn wonderfully by Alex Niño, their work is nothing like the first story to grace this title but somehow works well to complement it, what with the mystery going on in each feature. For a first issue, this book hit all the right notes and is well worth a look.

3.5 out of 5