Posted: July 4, 2025
Author: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Raymond Obstfeld
Publisher: Clarkson Potter
Monk Travers is the star basketball player on his high school team. Confident about his future as an NBA player, he doesn’t see the point in caring much about school, let alone his community. But after getting caught graffitiing his team’s rival school, Monk comes to the awful realization that his actions have put his place on the team—and his future—in jeopardy. Then his coach allows him to atone by completing a report on the life of basketball phenom and social justice advocate Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. As Monk discovers Kareem’s history of struggles, frustrations and violence, he gains a passion for social justice that rivals Kareem’s own.
This book is a fresh work of art; the graphics are sleek and the material offers youthful energy, especially since Kareem has been an icon for more than five decades. And the narration delivers a sense of wonder as it builds on the reader’s curiosity throughout.
Even though the story is straightforward and predictable, the way social justice is inserted is creative and unique, natural and not forced. Transitions between scenes are smooth. The drawings are top notch. It reminds me of classic superhero comics’ action vibes. The characters are very real and relatable. Dialogues are genuine, reflecting how things are said in real life. However, some are so long that they interfere with the drawings (should have been divided and a portion applied to a new scene). The story flow is consistent, with few ups and downs. The ending is unexpected but not a resounding success.
To sum it up, there is a certain joy in reading a graphic novel, especially if you know the character. And graphic novels create different versions of the character in ways a reader cannot imagine beforehand. Champion definitely lives up to that. Highly recommended for all.
– Kevin Velayo