Books: Superman vs. Muhammad Ali

[woodwardiocom]

This 1978 one-shot super-special comic was recently re-released in a deluxe edition. The art is by Neal Adams, and was clearly very pretty before they recolored it using 21st-century techniques. Now it's frickin' gorgeous. The story is hung around a pretty typical 1970s Superman plot (aliens hold Earth hostage and demand a battle of champions), but it has some nuance thrown in. Ali is portrayed as both a galactic-class fighter and as a smart man. His bravado and boasting comes across a bit odd 33 years later, but it's true to the man. The race issue is present, and mostly handled pretty subtly — but I imagine someone with more chops than me could find a lot of material in there to discuss. Recommended.