Fullmetal Alchemist Volume 22
[openbook booknumber=”9781421534138″][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 and his brother’s bodies… the legendary Philosopher’s Stone.
Having consumed Gluttony’s powers, Pride may now be too much to handle for Ed and his allies. Their only chance could be the help of Al and Hohenheim, but will Ed trust his estranged father long enough for their plan to work? And back at Central City, Mustang and his team have started their attack. But does the army have a dangerous trick up its sleeve…?
The final battle has begun! Ed and Al are now both reunited with their father and with King Bradley out of the picture the rest of the band has begun to make their move in Central. I loved these scenes in particular because they show how far these soldiers have come in this series and it was great to see familiar faces reunited once more. Perhaps more familiar faces than I was originally counting on even! It’s also nice to see that the lessons from Ishbala have not been forgotten and while yes they are waging war they are doing so by using all of their considerable skill and training to only injure and not kill their enemies as they initiate the take over. Well almost all of them aren’t killing their enemies.
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Fullmetal Alchemist Volume 21
[openbook booknumber=”9781421532325″][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 and his brother’s bodies… the legendary Philosopher’s Stone.
A diabolical trap is set for President Bradley… If he is assassinated, a power vacuum will open that Mustang and his allies will be more than happy to fill. Then, while Ed is reunited with someone from his past, Al is separated from his body – his proxy armor body! Now who is filling his heavy metal shoes…?
Plus, take a break from all the alchemical intrigue and homunculus backstabbing at the annual Resembool Spring Sheep Festival!
The good guys have regrouped, they have fitted the pieces of the puzzle together and they have developed a plan to beat the homunculii and their father, they have also made a very bold first move going on the offensive finally to try and end this war swiftly and with minimum losses on their side. Action is finally happening in this volume and things are starting to look dire. Both sides have unexpected aces up their sleeves and both have a few more tricks left in them. The good guys target? King Bradley. The bad guys target? Alphonse!
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Fullmetal Alchemist Volume 20
[openbook booknumber=”9781421530345″][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 and his brother’s bodies… the legendary Philosopher’s Stone.
Betrayal and double-crossing are the order of the day. Greed, Pride and Envy prove to be formidable enemies, but one homunculus seems to be having pangs of – could it be? – conscience. Ominous news spreads quickly about a mysterious portal. Will this gateway help the Elric brothers regain their natural bodies? And will the gigantic underground transmutation circle be completed, leading to a major regime change? Plus, a moving reunion between Al and someone from his past!
We are now approaching the beginning of the end. The good guys have regained their footing and are starting a counter strike that is going to lead us right through the finale. Ed proves that he is a total bad ass. Again. Al meets up with someone from his past and gets some much needed answers concerning the history of the homunculi. And, speaking of the homunculi, some major things happen within their ranks as well. The humor is back and things start to take a much more positive spin as people realize they can bond together and with hard work can overcome their difficulties no matter how outnumbered or outmatched they are.
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Fullmetal Alchemist Volume 19
[openbook booknumber=”9781421525686″][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 and his brother’s bodies… the legendary Philosopher’s Stone.
Ed’s clever plan to take out an enemy leaves him severely injured… Can he cheat death? One of our friends discovers the ironic secret behind Scar’s brother’s transmutation notes. And Major General Armstrong meets with evil homunculus President Bradley. Whose side is she on again…?
Plus, the disturbing origin of Ed and Al’s immortal father finally revealed!
Wow, holy back story, Batman! We get some serious history on the fall of the city of Cselkcess and some very awesome implications for what that means for the history of alchemy as a whole. I love how all these pieces are falling into place and it shows that Arakawa has been planning a lot of the story from the beginning and it is totally awesome to see it all come into play bit by bit as this story unfolds. I also really like the use of Jewish mythology, and Kabbalah, as symbols and metaphors to help explain the roots of various parts of alchemy. It ends up working out really well and giving real depth and meaning to the “science” behind the world built here.
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