Image’s Noble Causes proves that it is possible for a title to be a superhero comic, and still be original.

Back in 2001, the first Noble Causes mini, “In Sickness and in Health,” appeared on stands, and it took me very much by surprise. It was billed as a comic about a superhero family who is regarded as almost nobility by the public at large. Strangely enough, it lived up to that description and still managed to surprise me.

Unlike traditional super-hero books which focus on the conflict between our hero and the villain du jour, Noble Causes is all about strife in a family that is more concerned about their public image than protecting the innocent or fighting evil. Jay Faerber has done an amazing job with this title of answering the question: What if the Kennedys or the British Royal family was made up of superheroes?

Cast of Characters

Gaia Noble, the matriarch of the family, can control the vast powers of the elements. Though her true nature is still something of a mystery, she it at the least a goddess of some sort. She fell in love with her now husband Doc Noble from afar, and came to Earth because of her fascination with him. She now rules over both the family and the family’s image with an iron fist. She is determined to make the public believe that no matter what secret turmoil the Noble family is almost constantly undergoing that they are nothing but the ideal, perfect family.

Doc Noble, her husband, possesses no natural powers other than his intellect. An inventor extraordinaire, he fought crime in his youth through the use of various gadgets he invented. Lately he is more interested in his work than his own family, but his work has proved to be an incredible liability. His robotic creation, Icarus, was responsible for the death of Race Noble and the condition of his other son, Rusty. Icarus felt both jealousy of his human “brothers,” and the need to eliminate what he determined to be a source of disappointment in his creator’s life. Icarus was destroyed, and the tragedy helped draw Doc away from his work, and back into the lives of his family.

Rusty Noble is Doc and Gaia’s eldest son. He was nearly beaten to death, and was only saved when his brain was placed in a robotic shell by Doc. Rusty, of course, resents his new form, and has become bitter and reclusive. His wife, Celeste, is very much the social climber. She married Rusty for the Noble name, and very much enjoys the perks being a member of that family has to offer. She flagrantly carried on an affair with Rusty’s wayward brother Frost, and has recently filed for divorce.

Frost’s place in the family is something of a mystery. It is clear that he is Gaia’s son, and he has been ostracized from the rest of the family because he is illegitimate. As far as the public knows, Frost does not exist. He is resentful for being abandoned by his mother, and has done everything possible to be a thorn in the side of the Noble family, even going so far as to carry on an affair with his brother’s wife. Recently his true father was revealed, leaving even more mystery as to the reason he was abandoned.

Liz Donnely-Noble is the widow of Race Noble, who was killed by Icarus on their honeymoon. Prior to meeting race she owned a bookstore, and was nothing more than an ordinary person with no powers of any kind. Race bringing her into the family caused something of a scandal, but that was quickly shadowed by Race’s own untimely death. Liz, out of necessity, has remained with the family and has gotten to see first hand exactly what does on behind the media curtain of this celebrity family she now belongs to.

Zephyr Noble, the youngest of the Noble clan, controls the wind. As the youngest, she is something of a rebel. She struggles to be seen as something more than a child- and is eager to prove that she is capable of making her own decisions. She does so hastily and without thought, and the most unfortunate result of her impulsive behavior is her pregnancy by her father’s archenemy, Draconis.

Krennick is the son of Draconis. Once the enemy of the Noble family alongside his father, he became fast-friends with Race Noble after being trapped with him in an alternate dimension for a year. He has since become an adopted member of the Noble family, much to the disappointment of his father, who views him as a traitor. He has an ongoing and unrequited crush on Zephyr, who sees him as nothing more than a friend.

Thoughts

Jay Faerber has created a highly complex and believable family in the Nobles. When I first picked up this title, I expected typical superhero action starring this celebrity family, but got something quite different. The “crime fighting” has been stashed in the trunk (not even given the courtesy of taking the back seat), and instead we are treated to what amounts to a highly complicated and entertaining family drama.

All of us look at celebrity families in our world with a bit of scorn. No matter how cherished or revered they are, we all know that behind the scenes lies a world of sex, money, betrayal, power, and strife. It is impossible that even the most squeaky-clean of images is anything close to true. This is the reason or the Paparazzi’s unwavering efforts to find any dirt, no matter how small, to satisfy the public’s urge for the gory details of their personal lives. Noble Causes plays into that. The Noble family is chock full of dirty news items that any news-hound worth his salt would be dying to get his hands on, and they do try. Gaia leads the family in combating this, presenting an intricate and idyllic image of the Noble family that must be maintained at all costs. It often seems that the disaster is not what is going on in the family, rather, that it might leak out to the press.

In a word, Faerber’s story is fascinating. The characters are all unique and the story very believable.

The art is interesting, and works well with the tone of the story. Several artists have worked on this title in both minis, back-up stories, and the recent “Extended Family” one-shot- too many to list here. Some of the most interesting work can be seen in the back-up stories found primarily in the “In Sickness and in Health” trade paperback and in “Extended Family.” The vastly different short stories presented also have vastly different artistic styles, which fit the tone of the story being told. Extended Family also features a variety of stories by writers with their own take on the history of the Noble family, including: Gail Simone, Eric Stephenson, J. Torres, Phil Hester, Geoff Johns, John Layman, Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning, and Brian K Vaughn.

Bottom Line

I found Noble Causes to be highly enjoyable, and I am very much looking forward to the new mini-series, “Distant Relatives,” the first issue of which is schedules to be released tomorrow. Distant Relatives features art by the team of Ian Richardson, Andy Tong, and Le Beau Underwood, as well as Jay Faerber taking up writing duties on his creation once again.

Noble Causes thus far has come out in short bursts, which is appealing, especially to new readers. Though the title itself is almost 3 years old, there are not dozens of back issues to catch up on. Most of what you need to know can be gleaned from either the In Sickness and In Health trade paperback, or in the Extended Family one-shot- both of which are readily available today.

I really like minis, as it allows you to enjoy a good story without a long-term commitment. Noble Causes fits that bill. Too often I am forced to take a pass on an ongoing title, no matter how good it might be, due to budget constraints. Minis like this allow you to experience a great story, and see it through to its resolution.

Noble Causes: Distant Relatives #1 is due out tomorrow, July 30th. If it lives up to the high standard the previous volumes of Noble Causes set, it should be a fantastic read. I highly recommend checking out this new four-issue mini series.

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