Late October 1974 had one of the most famous boxing matches ever to occur. The event featured Muhammad Ali and George Foreman. Ali wanted to win back a champion belt, and Foreman was the current title holder standing in the way. At the time, this “Rumble in the Jungle” was billed as one of the most elaborate matches ever, featuring celebrities like Etta James and James Brown as entertainers. Ali was understandably nervous, as George Foreman had taken out the only two men that had ever beaten Muhammad Ali. The photo journalist Abbas was there for the fight, and the new comic Muhammad Ali: Kinshasa 1974 uses photos and illustrations based on his work to narrate what went down that fateful night. We see Don King’s marketing, and team up with African politicians to bring Americans to the country and encourage them to spend money. Ali knew how to make the people love him immediately. Foreman would not be so lucky when it came to first impressions. What brought the fighters there? What about those pulling the strings?
Written by Jean-David Morvan, Muhammad Ali: Kinshasa 1974 is based on Abbas’ descriptions and photographs of the event. It is enjoyable, even if you aren’t a huge boxing fan, or like me pretty much only knew the names and no details. We get to see glimpses into the lives of the fighters, Abbas, and Don King. The graphic novel feels like a combo of documentary and photo series. The art from Rafael Ortiz is excellent and what color that is used is understated. There’s a breakdown in the back featuring important dates and Morvan’s thoughts.
Muhammad Ali: Kinshasa 1974 is now available from Titan Comics. The graphic novel is in hardcover and retails for $29.99.
