Fullmetal Alchemist Volume 4
[openbook booknumber=”1591169291″][rating:5/5]
In an alchemical ritual gone wrong, Edward Elric lost his arm and his leg, and his brother Alphonse became nothing but a soul in a suit of armor. Equipped with mechanical “auto-mail” limbs, Edward becomes a state alchemist, seeking the one thing that can restore his brother and himself… the legendary Philosopher’s Stone.
Trapped and injured in a secret alchemical laboratory, Edward Elric is at the mercy of his enemies, Lust and Envy. But they don’t want him dead… they have other plans for him. As the laboratory goes up in flames, the brothers find themselves back at square one, with only an inkling of the massive scale of the Philosopher’s Stone conspiracy. But then, Lieutenant Colonel Maes Hughes uncovers a shocking secret…
After the horrific events in volume 3 the Elric brothers spend most of volume 4 recovering from their wounds whether physical, mental or emotional. Laboratory 5 is destroyed and in its aftermath Ed is hospitalized with serious wounds and Al is left reeling from the words of doubt planted by Barry the Chopper. Winry also makes another appearance to fix Ed’s auto-mail arm with the missing bolt. Both brothers have time to reflect on their actions both past and present and in some cases are given a bit of a wake call about them.
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Fullmetal Alchemist Volume 3
[openbook booknumber=”1591169259″][rating:5/5]
In an alchemical ritual gone wrong, Edward Elric lost his arm and his leg, and his brother Alphonse became nothing but a soul in a suit of armor. Equipped with mechanical “auto-mail” limbs, Edward becomes a state alchemist, seeking the one thing that can restore his brother and himself… the legendary Philosopher’s Stone.
Accompanied by their bodyguard, Alex Louis Armstrong, our heroes seek their closest childhood friend, mechanic Winry Rockbell, to fix their battered “auto-mail” bodyparts. Soon their quest for the Philosopher’s Stone takes them to the great central library, where the Stone’s formula may be hidden… if the mysterious figure named Lust doesn’t get there first! But the secret of the Philosopher’s Stone may be even more frightening than the beings who guard it…
Volume 3 has the Elric brothers finally arrive in their hometown to visit their mechanic Winry Rockbell. Their bodyguard Alexander Louis Armstrong learns along with us more details about the brothers’ past and how they came to lose their limbs, gain their new metal bodies and decide to join the military and never turn back. It’s nice to finally get some more back story on the main characters and also find out just how committed they are to their present course.
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Fullmetal Alchemist Volume 2
[openbook booknumber=”1591169232″][rating:5/5]
In an alchemical ritual gone wrong, Edward Elric lost his arm and his leg, and his brother Alphonse became nothing but a soul in a suit of armor. Equipped with mechanical “auto-mail” limbs, Edward becomes a state alchemist, seeking the one thing that can restore his brother and himself… the legendary Philosopher’s Stone.
There are many types of alchemy in the world. Edward’s commanding officer, “Flame Alchemist” Roy Mustang, can control fire. Shou Tucker, the “Sewing-Life Alchemist,” specializes in the most difficult alchemy of all… biological transmutation, the ability to alter the tissue of living things. But no matter what their power, alchemists are still human. And when a mysterious killer begins stalking state alchemists, no one can escape his vengeance…
Volume 2 picks up right where volume 1 left off, with Roy Mustang “owing one” to Ed for saving the general on the train. In return Mustang introduces Ed to Shou Tucker, the “Sewing-Life Alchemist”. Ed is branching out in all directions searching for a way to restore his body and that of his brother. Unfortunately who he ends up meeting is a scientist who is willing to use any means to achieve his ends. Ed and Al have some hard lessons to learn about their own continued powerlessness and about the difference between sacrificing others for your ends, and sacrificing yourself. I thought this was a very powerful and eerie part of the series, and of course very sad.
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