Almost 40 years ago, Superman met what was possibly his greatest challenge: a boxing match against Muhammad Ali. Earlier this year, NECA released a two-pack honoring that amazing crossover. And now I have one.
I remember having a treasury edition of Superman vs. Muhammad Ali when I was a kid. I still have it, even if it’s seen better days, but there’s definitely a level of sentimental value that this crossover – which was released a year before I was born – has for me.
When NECA announced last year that the company was making a two-pack, I was interested. When they showed a sample picture – with the figures designed to look a Neal Adams drawing, well I just started putting money away to make sure I had enough to buy the set when it was released.
So on a routine Amazon run over the weekend, the company’s genius recommendation system said, “Hey, how about you buy NECA’s Superman vs. Muhammad Ali two-pack?” It was out! AND IT WAS ON SALE! Yeah, I placed an order, and it came today! First chance I got, I tore into that bad boy and started posing the two figures. I’m not ashamed. This set is beyond awesome, from the sculpt of both characters to the points of articulation. It even came with alternate hands for Superman, just in case you maybe don’t want him to just be boxing. Even the cloth cape on the Superman figure is amazing and it really helps the look of the figure.
These really may be the greatest comic book-based action figures ever made, and I’ve seen a bunch of great Superman figures. I own a bunch of them, too. I’m definitely looking forward to creating some new poses with these two, though.
The only thing that could have possibly made this set better than it already is would have been if they included a version – even an excerpt – of the original comic. That would have made an already winning package completely irresistible.