The Legacy of Muhammad Ali and Superman’s Epic Battle

The world lost a true icon when Muhammad Ali passed away last Friday after a 32-year battle with Parkinson’s disease. The three-time world heavyweight champion transcended the sport of boxing in part due to his memorable in-ring battles.

“The Fight of the Century” against Joe Frazier divided a nation while “The Rumble in the Jungle” against George Foreman united another. Perhaps his most courageous outing, “The Fight to Save Earth,” pitted Ali against the man of steel himself, Superman.

Neal Adams’ iconic cover of the 1978 Superman vs. The Muhammad Ali comic book has been seen all over social media since the passing of the boxing legend. While a fight of this magnitude is a really cool spectacle in the abstract, the story and pairing of these two iconic figures represents the enormity of something larger than ourselves.

Superman and Muhammad Ali are the most celebrated individuals of their genres. Both fought for truth and justice on their own terms while demonstrating a graceful resolve against any adversity. While Ali was called “the greatest,” Superman is considered Earth’s greatest hero. Ali, being able to “float like a butterfly and sting like a bee,” resonates similarly to Superman’s moniker of “faster than a speeding bullet” and “more powerful than a locomotive.”

The story, written by Dennis O’Neil, represents the best of reality and fantasy, trading fisticuffs in a fictional setting to save our world. The narrative captures Ali’s maverick virtue as he volunteers to fight the alien Scrubb fighter right as Superman steps forward. Superman believes he is the choice to defend the human race, while Ali contends that because Superman is an alien, he shouldn’t be the chosen one.

Once the Scrubb leader declares that the two will fight each other to determine who Earth’s greatest champion is, he plans to have Superman’s powers deactivated to make it a fair fight. Ali trains Superman in the finer points of the sweet science because he knows that even without his powers, Superman could win. If Ali lost the fight, Superman would need to refine his skills so the Earth has a better chance of survival.

When the fight begins, Superman makes a good account for himself until Ali’s style and guile prove to be too much, and Superman gets pummeled black and blue. Ali urges the referee to stop the fight because Superman won’t go down. Superman falls to the ground as the referee calls for the bell and declares Ali the winner.

Superman’s loss to Ali didn’t damage his credibility with readers, despite the racial tensions that existed at the time, because, well…he’s Superman. By the time the book was released in 1978, Ali had lost the heavyweight championship to Leon Spinks. That didn’t deter people from buying the famed comic because Ali was not just a top-level boxer but was a once in a lifetime athlete who epitomized greatness regardless of a win/loss record.

Muhammad Ali left an indelible legacy that will be celebrated long after we’re gone. His uncanny pugilistic skill is topped only by his courage to challenge authority regardless of the complexity of the political climate. I think it’s safe to say that if Superman was real, he and Ali would be really good friends. When the dust settles and the smoke clears, they both want everything to be alright with the world, and make no mistake about it, the world is a better place today because Muhammad Ali lived in it.

Originally written for Forces of Geek.com on June 10, 2016

X-Men: Apocalyspe: Will It be Good?

X-Men: Apocalypse Official synopsis:

Worshiped as a god since the dawn of civilization, the immortal Apocalypse becomes the first and most powerful mutant. Awakening after thousands of years, he recruits the disheartened Magneto and other mutants to create a new world order. As the fate of the Earth hangs in the balance, Professor X and Raven lead a team of young X-Men to stop their seemingly invincible nemesis from destroying mankind.

Age of Apocalypse is one of the most popular comic book crossover storylines and fans have been itching to see the big blue baddie on-screen for quite some time. While we’re finally getting this long waited moment, perhaps it’s too little too late when X-Men: Apocalyspe hits theaters on May 27.

The last film, Day of Futures Past reset the timeline thus erasing the events of the Brett Ratner helmed Last Stand. However, we also saw far into the future with all of our heroes safe and alive. Continue reading “X-Men: Apocalyspe: Will It be Good?” →

Street Fighter X G.I. Joe #1 Review

Street Fighter X G.I. Joe #1 | Writer: Aubrey Sitterson | Artist: Emilio Laiso | Colorist: David Garcia Cruz | Publisher: IDW Publishing

I’ve always been a G.I. Joe fan, and the number of hours I logged in playing the various incarnations of Street Fighter II for Super Nintendo would blow your mind. So naturally, I was all smiles when a crossover was announced, pitting these two franchises against one another.

While this is nothing new in comic books, there are so many facets of the world warriors and our great American heroes that seem tailor-made for one another. How could this go wrong? Continue reading “Street Fighter X G.I. Joe #1 Review” →

Star Wars: Vader Down #1 Review

Vader Down takes us on a journey where we seek to find the answer to an intriguing question; What happens when Darth Vader is all alone against the entire might of the Rebel Alliance?

There have been a lot of comics over the years that show an outgunned Dark Lord overcoming insurmountable odds with the swipe of his crimson blade. Some of his victories in these situations have been extremely creative and worthy of the Vader’s ruthless reputation while other incarnations left a lot to be desired.

When putting Darth Vader in any canonical situation, you have to respect the mythos and pathos of the character while being very selective in when, and if, he loses a battle.

Continue reading “Star Wars: Vader Down #1 Review” →

Kanan: The Last Padawan #7: Review

Kanan: The Last Padawan #7 | The Road to Episode VII @ Force of Geek.com

Kanan has been the unsung hero of Marvel’s Star Wars comic line. While it hasn’t appeared in the top ten selling comic books such Darth Vader or Shattered Empire, it’s the critical acclaim that has extended this book from a 5 issue mini-series to an ongoing series.

A lot of the credit goes to Greg Weisman who helped shape and establish the character of Kanan Jarrus when he was a writer on the first season of the Rebels animated series.

Kanan’s backstory if rife with many turbulent moments with the catalyst being the death of his master Depa Billaba. Seeing these moments in previous issues augmented Kanan’s current trust issues with clone trooper Captain Rex on the TV show. Continue reading “Kanan: The Last Padawan #7: Review” →

We’ve Finally Gone Back to the Future

This past Wednesday was October 21, 2015. The day when Marty McFly and Doc Brown traveled to in Back to the Future II. Movie theaters across the country held special screening of the BTTF films while websites displayed a fond remembrance for the franchise.

All of the activity throughout the day prompted me to watch Back to the Future when I got home from work. Maybe it was the nostalgia of it all, but I found myself completely absorbed in the final moments of the film when Doc connects the wires just in time for the lightning to hit the DeLorean and send Marty back home.

At best, I’m a casual fan of the trilogy, but I’ve gained a new-found appreciation for the first film. Forces of Geek.com celebrated Back to the Future with lots of great columns, commentary, reviews, and more. Click here to check out my review of the new comic book written by films co-creator Babe Gale.

Star Wars: Shattered Empire #3

Even from beyond the grave, Emperor Palpatine will do anything to protect his secrets. Satellites have been sent to select planets across the galaxy to create typhoon strength storms that will destroy everything in their path.

One of these planets is Palpatine’s homeworld of Naboo. Coincidentally, Princess Leia and Shara Bey (Poe Dameron’s mother) are there meeting with the Queen in an attempt to bring allies to the New Republic. Continue reading “Star Wars: Shattered Empire #3” →

Hellboy in Hell

I haven’t reviewed a comic book in a while. So I jumped at the opportunity when my editor at Forces of Geek.com asked me to write an advanced review of ‘Hellboy in Hell #7.’

Here is the official synopsis for “The Hounds of Pluto” Part 1 of 2.

A sickness eats away at Hellboy. Though he’s dead, he risks losing himself and becoming one of the hollow phantoms that haunt Hell. A team of doctors promise a cure, but they need something from him first . . .

My review is up now, and you can click here to check it out.

Krypto: SUPERman’s Best Friend

There is a lot of news coming out about the upcoming Batman V Superman movie regarding various characters who may or may not be in the film. Wonder Woman is confirmed, Aquaman and Doomsday are heavily rumored, and even secondary Batman villain KGBeast might make an appearance. However, I couldn’t help but notice that a certain super-powered canine was missing from the rumor mill. Continue reading “Krypto: SUPERman’s Best Friend” →

Rexdous is 64 Million Years of Fun in the Making

“Daddy needs you to step away from the apex predator,” Dr. Dixon nervously says to his 12-year-old daughter, Amber, as she accidentally awakens a living and breathing dinosaur from a 64 million-year cryosleep and brilliantly and humorously sets the tone for this fast-paced intergalactic tale of survival.

If you look at the cover, you see a little girl with an orange T-Rex who is wearing body armor and ready to attack the enemy.

“Maybe this is a comedy, a parody that is only meant to deliver a good laugh,” I thought as I judged this cover. Not that there is nothing wrong with a parody. James Farr and Jon Sommariva take what we know about these historical beasts and flip it upside down.

However, once you immerse yourself in these colorful pages, it becomes evident in a short amount of time that Rexodus delivers so much more than its perceived intent.

Changing what we know about history and our place in the universe had been done before. So, if I were to tell you that dinosaurs could walk and talk, you wouldn’t be so surprised.

Kelvin Sauridon is a relic of a time long ago and finds himself in the 21st century and realizes that everyone he loves is gone. However, something survived with him in the form of the life-sucking entity called The Black Blood.

Amber Dixon is a spunky and extremely savvy young lady who isn’t afraid of much, considering she gets thrown into this crazy interplanetary adventure and handles it like a champ.

The relationship between Kelvin and Amber is the centerpiece of the story.

James Farr handled this with a different type of care and perspective. Amber is anything but a damsel in distress that a person her age would normally be portrayed as. In fact, she helps Kelvin, and he quickly gains a sense of admiration for her. They’re both a fish out of water in this situation, but when the time calls for it, Kelvin is the protector as Amber looks for a way to assist.

Jon Sommariva’s illustrations remind me of a well-drawn animated series that has a strong and pronounced presence throughout the book. The design of the dinosaurs, or in this case, “Disaurians,” is well realized and made to look more humanoid in their portrayal.

My only complaint with the book is that on a few occasions, certain panels don’t completely jive with what’s taking place. In one instance, a small and conniving dinosaur is stepped on by his very large superior. In the next panel, the little guy looks fine and not even bothered by the trauma he experienced.

Stories with multiple layers sometimes fail to find a voice that connects with the reader because they can’t decide what they are trying to be. Whether we are talking about a goggle-wearing fighter pilot pterodactyl who loves to go fast or a surly triceratops who kind of has a Han Solo thing going on, all of the story elements are executed at the right moments and to perfection.

Laughter filled my soul at times, while other moments captivated my imagination by the real stakes involved. Then, there was an occasion or two that made my eyes water a little bit.

What ultimately makes this graphic novel unique is its simplicity. It is easy to follow and aimed at a younger reader. Rexodus is an eclectic gathering of heartfelt action, adventure, and humor that is highly imaginative and never lets up.

Originally written for Forces of Geek.com – 6/24/15