Famous Muhammad Ali fight memorialized in graphic novel

(Image credit: Titan Comics)

Boxing legend Muhammad Ali has already starred in a comic book, famously facing off and then teaming up with Superman in the '70s for DC, but now Titan Comics will memorialize one of Ali's most famous real-life fights in February's Muhammad Ali, Kinshasa 1974.

The $29.99 hardcover graphic novel features what Titan calls rarely-seen, behind the scenes photographs plus first-hand accounts of this legendary boxing fight from those closest to the action!" and "a whole new perspective on the most-watched live television event of it's time!"

The graphic novel is written by Jean-David Morvan (Wolverine) and illustrated by artist Rafael Ortiz and features images by photojournalist Abbas.

"On the 30th October 1974 in Kinshasa, Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo), the most famous boxing match of the 20th Century took place, watched by a record estimated television audience of 1 billion viewers worldwide," reads Titan's description. "Nicknamed the 'Rumble in the Jungle,' it pitted 32-year-old underdog Muhammad Ali, desperate to win back his world champion belt after a four-year ban, against 25-year-old George Foreman, the current holder and considered one of the hardest punchers in the sport’s history."

Titan says Abbas is unveiling photos kept in his personal archive for 36 years.

"This unique graphic novel masterpiece both reveals and reimagines the context of the most powerful photographs taken by one of the greatest photographers of the Magnum Photos agency," continues Titan's description. "Enriched by the testimony of Abbas himself, Jean-David Morvan's script is rigorously brought to life by artist Rafael Ortiz."

Check out more images from the graphic novel.

Image 1 of 4

Do you recall the Ali-Superman crossover? Read all about it in our countdown of the most unlikely comic book crossovers ever.

I'm not just the Newsarama founder and editor-in-chief, I'm also a reader. And that reference is just a little bit older than the beginning of my Newsarama journey. I founded what would become the comic book news site in 1996, and except for a brief sojourn at Marvel Comics as its marketing and communications manager in 2003, I've been writing about new comic book titles, creative changes, and occasionally offering my perspective on important industry events and developments for the 25 years since. Despite many changes to Newsarama, my passion for the medium of comic books and the characters makes the last quarter-century (it's crazy to see that in writing) time spent doing what I love most.