“Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.” Muhammad Ali, one of the most revered―and controversial―figures of the 20^th Century, immortalized those words with the beauty, strength and originality of his boxing style. Now, his epic story is retold in this striking graphic novel. Messenger showcases exactly why Ali became celebrated worldwide as “The Greatest.”

Boxer, philanthropist and activist Muhammad Ali was one of the most photographed―and photogenic―figures in the history of sports. He demanded to be looked at and seen, and this epic captures his meteoric rise from Cassius Clay to Olympian and heavyweight champion of the world with stunning illustrations befitting his storied legacy. Bringing readers through major moments of his life―his first meeting with civil rights leader Malcolm X, his interview with sports broadcaster Howard Cosell about his reasons for opposing the Vietnam War, and his titanic bout with then-undefeated heavyweight champion George Foreman, among others―this graphic biography will be a crucial and instantly popular resource on The Greatest.

This flamboyant rendition of an iconic personality is embodied quite well by the artist. It is not easy to immortalize a legend using pictures, but this book outdoes itself.

That said, I admit I am not totally into the graphic style used; it is like an ode to old-school comics. Maybe that is intentional to portray the 70s, 80s vibes, or maybe not, but still I do not dig the style.

Also, the scripting is too long. The wording on some pages is too hard to read or there is too much dialogue in one scene, very unusual for a comic book. I understand that the life of Ali was no easy task to put in a comic book, so kudos to the creators for illustrating not just Ali’s action, as anyone would expect, but also his fights for his beliefs. There are impressive chapters depicting simultaneous scenes wherein the scenes and storyline collide.

Muhammad Ali might be an unfamiliar name to the youths of today, but I think his story is worth telling, especially for sports enthusiasts and those passionate about social justice. This is a good book that tried its best to tell a tale of a legend who went through a lot.

-Kevin Velayo