Book Review: Messenger: The Legend of Muhammad Ali by M. Bernardin et al.

Messenger: The Legend of Muhammad Ali written by Marc Bernardin and art by Ron Salas

This graphic novel biography goes through the highlights and important events of the life of Muhammad Ali, the American boxer who became world famous for many reasons. The most significant is his success in the boxing ring. He also had a lot of character, exhibiting a sense of humor and brashness. He liked himself a lot and often took a poetic view of things. His famous "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee" was one of the many boasts he would make about his abilities. The book also covers his conversion to Islam, his refusal to be drafted during the Vietnam War, his successful intervention in an Iraq hostage situation. The story is bookended by his lighting the Olympic torch at the Los Angeles games in 1996, showing a child watching on TV and asking why Ali is famous and what's wrong with him. Ali had Parkinson's disease.

The biography is told in vignettes, with each incident in Ali's life showing some of his character and how he dealt with others and thought of himself. It provides a fascinating portrait of the man and his greatness.

Recommended.