Ouff, I am so confused right now. Honestly, the during the entire reading session I had barely any clue on what was going on. There seemed to be a story line, but honestly I couldn't keep track of all the different timelines and characters. Generally, I had no idea what was going on and who I should be focusing on. Seeing as the main character also seemed to be very confused (he didn't know who he was and what his powers could do) I at least wasn't alone.

I really hoped I'd enjoyed this better, because the artwork was gorgeously done! So at least I had stunning pages to look at in confusion. David Powell is an astronaut, but I'm not sure if he died, or is about to die or everybody just assumed he died in The Event, which I'm thinking refers to an asteroid colliding with other astronauts in order to not collide with Earth. But honestly, I do not know what the event is and I'm quite upset about it! But anyways, the story seems to focus on him and some woman called Lorena who tries to control him, because I think she's on some kind of power trip. But that is all that I could gather from this graphic novel. Oh and David Powell's wife also tries to rescue him, but at some point I think the author forgets about her? Because she doesn't turn up again...

Oh well. I tried to understand this, I really did. But I just didn't get the drift.

I'm mixed on the pacing and David's amnesia, as well as the art. This seems to be a running trend for Catalyst Prime solo series.

This series is really intriguing, with characters you will care about. I like the personal development as much as I like the story development. Great artwork, and a plot that draws you in from issue to issue, It’s not just about adventure, but people.

I did not understand where people would enjoy this.
it wasnt terrible, but the plot was not something i enjoyed.
i tried three times and couldnt get into it. while ifinished the volume, it wasnt my bag.

Noble has brain powers. He can make things move. He’s supposed to be dead. Maybe he was dead, but it’s hard to keep a good brain down. Sometimes he wears an Iron Man suit (different color scheme so as not to infringe the look) and sometimes he just wears an iron mask he cobbled together.

He’s in Bolivia but his wife is going to find him, even if she has to jump out of airplanes, which apparently is something she’s done before because she’s kind of badass. Unfortunately for Astrid she jumps into Argentina, which is a few mountains away from Bolivia.

Noble is a weapon, and someone named Lorena at the Foresight Corporation in Mexico is supposed to be the weapon’s safety, but apparently that hasn’t worked out so well. Lorena calls Noble David, but Noble doesn’t like to be called David even though he’s not sure what his real name might be. All you really need to know about Lorena is that she’s … unpleasant.

Chapter 4 explains The Event that gave David his mind powers, whatever they might turn out to be. Except it doesn't really explain anything. David Powell was an astronaut. The Event happened to him in space when he was trying to keep an asteroid from killing the Earth. That’s about all we know. That’s more than David knows.

Now here’s what I don’t get. David keeps griping that he can’t remember anything. So Astrid finally finds him and clearly knows him and wants to help him and what does David do? He says “Sorry, I don’t know you” and flies away. Commitment-phobic? Or he remembers her but wants an excuse to break up? If he really wants to know who he is, why wouldn’t he talk to this woman who obviously knows him and, unlike Lorena, isn’t trying to turn his brain into a jellyfish?

This is just a start to a series so it’s hard to review standing alone. The story seems a little scattered and it doesn’t contain any real surprises, but the art is consistently good and the premise may lead somewhere. Characterization is a bit better than average. I’m giving this 4 stars, even though it just squeaks out the fourth one, in the hope that the story takes an unexpected turn (and that the creators know where it’s going). But the 4 stars is subject to revision; if the next volume doesn't reward my faith, I might decide this one doesn't merit the fourth star.

The blurb for this graphic novel sounded like a mash up of lots of movies I’ve enjoyed and while it’s not an especially original concept, it sounded like it would be fun. We have astronauts on a suicide mission to save Earth from an asteroid (Hi, Armageddon, etc). Somehow while saving the world one of the astronauts learns a new trick. David now has telekinesis (Hello, Carrie and Matilda).

For some reason David can’t remember much of anything at all (Hiya, Dory). There’s a villain (Hey, every action film ever!) and a wife that’s fighting to get her husband back (take your pick!). Astrid, David’s wife, is a real badass and I would’ve liked to have seen her in action some more because she had potential to wreak havoc.

Unfortunately there was so much jumping around that if I hadn’t already read the blurb I would have been completely lost and even with that information I still couldn’t really connect the dots with any consistency until around the halfway mark. There were so many time shifts, back and forth to different time periods both before and after the ‘event’.

The main character has no idea who they are so they’re no help to the reader but they do get flashbacks, oftentimes in the middle of a fight scene. There’s a lot of action, with people fighting all over the place as David’s powers continue to grow stronger for some reason.

Had there been smoother transitions and some more information early on to help readers get into the story and get to know the characters this could have been a winner. As it stands I really struggled to make it to the point where the story was starting to make sense and I never really connected to the characters.

While the story will be continuing I won’t be following along, which is a shame because the illustrations were really well done and the story itself had a lot of potential. There are some explanations given along the way but not enough to balance out the frustration I felt at the frenetic time shifts.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Lion Forge and Diamond Book Distributors for the opportunity to read this graphic novel.

An interesting read borne of a mundane story, has the potential to really go somewhere, intrigued enough that ill be seeking out Volume 2

'Noble Vol. 1: God Shots' written by Brandon Thomas with art by Roger Robinson, Jamal Igle and Robin Riggs seemed like a promising start to a new series, so I decided to give it a shot.

Astronaut David Powell was on a space mission when everything went wrong. His wife thinks he died, which is what she is led to believe. Instead, David has become something more than human. He is also under the control of forces he can't fight. He lives in Mexico under an assumed name, and tries to stay unknown. With global media and his powers that may be harder than he thinks.

The story jumps around a bit and it's not always clear where in the timeline things are happening. The art has moments where I really liked it, and moments where I was really underwhelmed. I like the concept, and I also like this person as a hero. I hope in future issues, the writing can be clearer and the art direction moves in a positive direction.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Lion Forge, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

Why DNF? I read the first issue and felt that it was confusing. I just did not feel engaged by the story.
Liked: Seeing a black family
Art was okay not amazing

It is difficult to stand out in a market that has seen an explosion of titles. The graphic novel market has really grown in the past few years and I've seen a lot of titles, authors, and publishers trying to male their way here. I've also discovered that I tend to enjoy some of the lesser-known (to me, at least) graphic novel creators. And so I had hopes for <em>Noble: God Shots</em>.

David Powell was an astronaut on a suicide mission to destroy an asteroid that was on a collision course with the earth. Though he unexpectedly survived the mission, he came away with telekinetic powers but also amnesia. Now on Earth, Powell is trying to avoid capture by Foresight Corporation - a company that recognizes his powers, potential, and danger. But Powell just wants to help a few people and try to remember who he was. When a team tries to apprehend him at the start of the book - a team with an agent rained to deal with someone with powers - David only has to call upon his telekinetic ability to handily defeat the force in front of him. But this only solves an immediate problem.

Meanwhile, aside from Foresight Corporation and its leader Lorena Payan, David's wife, Astrid Allen-Powell and son are getting some insider information from Foresight and trying to get David first.

The story has the potential to be a really interesting sci-fi adventure/mystery, but it doesn't quite rise above mediocre.

First, we have a little problem with the story-telling angles. We jump around. A lot. I'm used to reading comics and graphic novels that change view points with some regularity, but this one bounced around a little too much, so I never got really into a point of view.

Second, this clearly seems to be written with the long-running comic format in mind, rather than with eyes on a periodic graphic novel. We get a little rise in the action, and then explanation, and then a little rise in the action, and then more explanation, and then ... and we don't get any sort of clear resolution that would make for a natural break to put together a graphic novel. Instead it would seem that an arbitrary point was selected because it filled a certain number of pages.

And while there is some interest here, it so far doesn't rise above a crowded field. I feel like I've read this story and these characters feel a lot like so many others.

The artwork has a nice, crisp quality to it. I am reminded of the days of the Buscemas and Romitas - days when I really appreciated the art in comics.

I had high hopes, but this didn't quite make it.

Looking for a good book? <em>Noble, Vol. 1</em> is a graphic novel that has potential but manages only to be very average.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

This seems to be a version of the Fantastic Four but only focusing on one of the astronauts (at least so far). With a nefarious corporation behind sending them into space.

This was surprisingly pretty good even with all the confusing time jumps. I liked it well enough to read the next trade. There was a little too much deceit from the various parties, to the point where it was difficult to tell what was truth and what was a lie. Would have worked better had we gotten an established beginning to the story. The art was pretty good. I liked the original costume design with the iron rolltop helmet over the spacesuit David gets at the end. (The one on the cover.)

The blurb on the back of the book sets things up for those, like me, who weren’t familiar with this story. Astronaut David Powell returns to earth with enhanced abilities and no memory. Now he’s on the run from The Foresight Corporation and its CEO Lorena Payan as he tries to regain those memories and find his family. At the same time his wife Astrid Allen-Powell, a former high tech agent, will use every means necessary to reunite with her husband as well.

As the book opens a group of mercenaries working for the Foresight Corporation has tracked down David and is attempting to take him down. It won’t be near as easy as they think and David retaliates. By the end of chapter one Astrid is heading out the door to track him down.

In flashbacks throughout the rest of the books we get a glimpse of what happened to David when he returned. Appearing to be dead he came back with his enhanced powers. It provides the reason why The Foresight Corporation has in interest in him, an ability to harness his powers. By books end you’re still not quite sure who to trust or not but will have a pretty good idea.

The book is well drawn and well written, never providing all answers right away but slowly unspooling them to hold your interest and to keep you guessing. It’s a tale in a high tech level of society where you can get away with nearly anything while the rest of the world keeps turning. Heroes may fall into the regular world but just long enough to interact and save or damage those who live there. The rest of the time it’s what goes on behind the scenes that drives this story forward.

Some background stories fill out the last part of the book as well as various covers from the comics. All in all a solid story that should hold the interests of fans of comic book heroes and science fiction fans.

A confusing and rather plain plot line that unfortunately couldn't keep my interest up the entire book. The illustrations were colorful.

I like the art style of this graphic novel. As I've never read a Lion Forge comic before, I went in not knowing what to expect as far as storyline and characterizations went. I definitely enjoyed the way the characters are written and the way the story came together.

The illustrations were really well done but at times there was something wrong with the text in the comic. Some words were scratched out or illegible making it difficult to read. The story line was a little too over the place as well. It was difficult to follow the story because it kept jumping into the past and the present.

This was quite a compelling read, if muddled at times. I agree with other critics that the fractured time-line of the narration really helps nobody, and some of the action scenes are really poorly presented, but on the whole - with the quieter, more intriguing scenes at least - we get something well worth exploring. So I disagree with the other reviews that say there needed to be more to this to make us happy. This clearly is designed to be a long-haul project, so all the open questions are there for much writing in the future. Having said that, the bonus issue here is incredibly unreadable, until, at least the vital bit at the end. So execution needs to be a lot improved to meet the potential, but I'm still on the side of reading more of this adventure.

Noble is the first of the new characters from Lion Forge Comic’s new lines, Catalyst Prime. The goal for Catalyst Prime is to have a new series launch every month for seven months, starting with Noble. I’m sure the goal is to establish a universe that can compete with Marvel and DC, and I wish them the best of luck (I truly believe that more comic companies is a good thing for everyone).
Noble volume one is only four issues, resulting in a limited amount of time to establish our main character, the surrounding cast, and the plot. Not an easy job by any means. I wish they had been granted more time to play with the story here, as I think Noble has a lot of potential; but the rushing speed took something away from it.
Being a new superhero, naturally we’re given some of his origin story; David Powell was an astronaut, willing to sacrifice his life for the greater good (literally – the comic starts off with him being presumed dead). Thanks to a mysterious and yet unexplained turn of events, the explosion he and his crew experiences gives him telekinesis (it’s less clear for the rest of the crew – but I have a feeling they’ve all been presumed dead too, but are just as alive and powerful as David is). This obviously sounds like it’s too good to be true – David survives the explosion and got superpowers! What are the odds? Of course that means there’s a downside, and in my opinion that downside is pretty massive (while also succeeding in making Noble feel more human again, kudos); he has no memory of who he was before the explosion.
Now, that may mean that David Powell is effectively dead, or it may mean he has some form of amnesia. Only time will reveal that, and I’ll admit I’m more than a bit curious about which way they’re going to go with that. That’s partially because having his wife looking for him really helped me get invested in his well-being.
I’ll admit there was some jumping around in the last issue that got me really confused; it seemed like they were introducing us to a handful of characters (friends, family, potential future heroes?), which is a brilliant idea. The problem is we were given only about 2 pages per character, and with the rapid changing between all the characters it got a little overwhelming. I think a more gradual built up for these characters would have been more beneficial. Rushing doesn’t help anything, especially not when it comes to establishing a new universe.
I think both Noble and Prime Catalyst have a lot of potential. I’m planning on following both to see what happens. I’ll admit I’m more than a bit curious about the rest of David Powell’s crew; will they pull a Fantastic Four sort of stunt and have them all get powers from the same events? Or are they actually dead? Either way, I can’t wait to see what happens.

Noble is an enjoyable graphic novel following a potential superhero with powers to save many.
It's nice to see a broad spectrum of characters within the story and the dialog and art are great to match.
Having read the blurb though I actually learnt much more there than from the story itself so it is a little more subtle in a lot of the story arc.
Overall I enjoyed the story and would look forward to reading the second volume.

This was a great read. I couldn't set it aside until it was done. I greatly appreciated that there was a cast of strong minority characters that didn't feel stereotypical or pandering. In fact, it was really only once I was halfway through did it really click that there was such a strong minority presence. The plot and characters were so immediately engaging that I cared about what was going on more.

The plot line of rescuing the earth from an asteroid felt, at the beginning, a bit trite. As the story developed, especially toward the end of this volume, it made a lot of sense, In fact, the triteness and the human need for heroes played really well into the plot line as it developed.

Our male hero follows the Joseph Campbell archetype for the hero cycle perfectly, and it doesn't feel forced. Our hero is thrust into hero-hood by the shenanigans of another hero (I'm playing with the "hero" piece, because I don't want to spoil the plot). As he has lost his memories, he doesn't remember his family, and his wife is having nothing to do with that, as she pursues him (while others pursue him, too).

If you want a straight timeline type of comic, then this isn't for you. There is a lot of back-and-forth in the books timeline, and you do have keep focused on it, but the reward is a great plot payoff.

From the blurb, this feels like a bog standard science fiction superhero story - a man gains superhero powers and is chased by evil entities who want to use his abilities for world domination. But there is a lot more going on here and I found this title surprisingly enjoyable. Yes, it is a bit confusing with its non linear storytelling and parsimonious world building. It reminds me quite a bit of Japanese manga storytelling in which very little is given away in the beginning and the world builds from there. Western audiences may be much less patient with the denouement but I am finding Noble to be rewarding upon reread.

Story: A man with telekinetic powers is living a lie in hiding in South America. Those sent to apprehend him know he is dangerous - and a fight ensues. Turns out, the man is an astronaut named David Powell and he has no memory of his past, only that he needs to remain hidden. But the world knows David Powell as one of several astronauts who saved the world from a rogue asteroid. Astronauts whose technology was developed in Mexico by a very gifted family run by the driven Lorena. The same Lorena who is hunting David who he knows he must avoid at all costs. Meanwhile, David's wife is determined to find her husband and bring him home.

There are many different plot lines at work here - from Lorena and her agency, David's telekinesis abilities and how they do/don't work, why he's in hiding and lost his memory, David's wife and her connection to special ops and Lorena, the doctor who brought David back from space and his connection to David's abilities, and more. It all begins to coalesce slowly in this first volume, which starts with the main story of David fighting to not get captured but ends with side stories about the astronauts and Lorena that fill in some of the holes in the story of the asteroid. There's an excellent twist at the end with Lorena's story that put a perfect punctuation on this first volume.

The artwork is excellent and tells the story smoothly. The lines are clean and uncluttered, straightforward but giving each of the characters enough personality that you are never confused about identities or actions. The coloring is suitable - never overshadowing the action but also bringing nice clarity to the telekinesis ability.

Because we don't get a lot of answers and because the story was non linear, it can be very confusing on the first read. I think this will frustrate many readers, to be honest. Most of the first quarter was battle after battle with David Powell evading capture from typically goons - it was a bit too much. As well, the evil characters are just a bit too evil - I'd rather have more of the Joker than Lex Luthor; in this day and age, villains should be complex rather than the prototypical "I am going to rule the world!" mustachio twirling braggarts (that includes the henchmen, too).

Although I am giving this a mid rating, I would like to read more of the story. Hopefully, we get a lot more than snippets of story with long action sequences. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.