Fullmetal Alchemist, Volume 12

Book Description

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.

Customer Reviews:

The big setup for FMA13........2007-08-01

Hiromu Arakawa, Fullmetal Alchemist, vol. 12 (ViZ, 2005)

So you know you want to capture a homunculus. How to go about it? Ed, of course, has a hare-brained plan-- since the homunculi are after Scar, and Scar is after the alchemists, Ed draws attention to himself until Scar confronts him, at which point the homunculi will pop up and try to take Scar down, and Lin can capture one of them. It's crazy, of course, as everyone tries to explain to Ed, but, well, it's Ed. This one's setup for the next volume, but it's good setup. *** ½

Improving some characters, continuing the saga.......2007-05-07

At this point the manga has separated itself completely from the storyline of the anime, but it's all for the better. The manga has more story to tell, and the author and illustrators are giving all kinds of mysteries and excitement for the readers. I'm not going to give away the mysteries to anyone who hasn't read the manga, or seen the anime (although, as I said, they have gone in completely different directions); I'll leave that to those who actually want to make the effort to understand the intricacy of this masterpiece of storytelling ... Suffice to say, this isn't just a simple comic, this is a long-lasting, intricate, mysterious series that builds upon what has already been revealed and shows what can happen when men become to greedy for what they cannot have.

awesome.......2007-05-07

first of all FMA is the greatest and secondly this manga just gets you pumped for the next one...well don't they all. lol

Extremely intense.......2007-05-06

The action is brutal, fast-paced and still manages to move the plot along with every page! And in true FMA tradtion, there are some shocking and powerful revelations revealed. Don't sleep on the manga just because you've seen the anime all the way. This is a whole other ball game!

Average customer rating:

Why do only babies save the world in manga and anime?
FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST
Interesting, if overly episodic, beginning
Full Metal Alchemist Solider
Better than I would have ever thought

Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 1

Manufacturer: VIZ Media LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Comic

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ASIN: 1591169208

Book Description

Alchemy: the mystical power to alter the natural world, somewhere between magic, art and science. When two brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric, dabbled in these powers to grant their dearest wish, one of them has lost an arm and a leg...and the other became nothing but a soul locked into a body of living iron. Now they are agents of the government, slaves of the military-alchemical complex, using their unique powers to obey their orders...even to kill. But their powers aren't unique. The world crawls with evil alchemists. And in pursuit of the ultimate alchemical treasure, the Philosopher's Stone, their enemies are even more ruthless than they are...

Customer Reviews:

Why do only babies save the world in manga and anime?.......2007-08-14

Which using underaged heroes and heroines as the leading character is a very heavily used (and pretty tiresome) cliche, this is actually a very good and well-drawn fantasy adventure (done by a female creator, for a change.)

A young boy and his (younger?) brother wander the world in search for a cure to fix their bodies (the kid had lost a couple of limbs in a freak accident while his kid brother is trapped in a handsome knight's armor suit) and run into some trouble like an overzealous curer and a dashing villain who is holding a humble little village hostage in his evil clutches. Of course, the tow-headed, moon-eyed kid saved the day.

I know Japan produces astonishing loads of comics for young boys (shonen) and girls (shojo), but it's not like adults NEVER read comics or manga at all, correct? Needless to say, I was very relieved to see a well-supporting cast of grown-ups (and their kids, too) carrying along the story, too.

FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST.......2007-03-04

"To obtain something, something of equal value must be lost" (Equivalent Exchange)

About a year ago I watched a few episodes of the FMA series and I kept tuning in to watch what would happen next. I woul always think to my self "Will Alphonse ever get his body back?". After frustration reached its apex a friend of mine spoiled it for me but also recommended I get a copy of the manga (Im the kind of girl that likes to read) and I did. I dont have too much to say about it. Its very different from the anime while at the same time very similar, like the plot, the characters, and most of all, equivalent exchange, but thats where the similarities end

Interesting, if overly episodic, beginning.......2007-02-28

Hiromu Arakawa, Fullmetal Alchemist, vol. 1 (ViZ, 2001)

I'm finally getting around to reading one of the most popular, beloved series in the entire world of Japanese media. I'm not terribly sure what took me so long, but there it is. And perhaps it's all the hype, or maybe it's just because Arakawa had to grow into the storyline, but it didn't blow me away. Don't get me wrong, it's a fine start, but it wasn't all that and a bag of soba.

The story concerns Edward Elric and his brother Alphonse, a pair of alchemists in an alternate-reality Japan where alchemy is common, and regulated by the government. Neither of the brothers is fully human, and the reason for that is revealed as this series of episodes (aside from giving us the beginnings of the brothers' story, there's nothing here that can really be called a story arc) goes on, but I got the feeling that Arakawa's aim through the stories presented in this first volume was to give the audience a feel for these characters, rather than to set up any big themes for later in the series. I could be wrong, of course, as the library's still got me waiting for volume 2, but that's my impression at the point.

Still, these are good characters, amusing and interesting, and the situations they find themselves in are also amusing and interesting. In the current manga wars that seem to be raging in my current reading, I have to say I'm liking Immortal Rain better and YuYu Hakusho easily as much, but this is certainly enough to keep me reading. *** ½

Full Metal Alchemist Solider.......2007-02-20

Do you like comic books like Naruto? Do you like Science Fiction? Well, read this book and you will laugh, cry, and be astonish by the characters in this Japanese comic book. There are four chapters but, they are long and humorus. The writer was also famous for Stray Dog in 1999; the book was an award winner like Full Metal Alchemist. The fourth chapter is full of humor and misgrief. Read the book and find out what happens. p.s. There are eleven volumes in total, and by the way, they are all $9.99.

Better than I would have ever thought.......2007-02-08

I used to hate anime and manga as a whole. That was until I decided to watch the Fullmetal Alchemist anime on a whim. Saw all 51 episodes and the movie in two days- yes, it was that addictive. Fresh out of anime and disgusted with the end of the series/movie, I bought the manga. And believe it or not, the manga is even better than the anime.

At first, it dosn't seem that much different from it, but once you get into the series, oh how much more does it offer! The charactrization is deeper, and so is the plot. Every month I'm still left on a great big hanger wondering what's going to happen next. Not only is the story line, characters, and action great, this manga is chock-full of heart and morals. Some of the stuff in here is pretty deep, don't be decieved by it. And for a mythology/symbolism nut like me, it offers a lot of entertainment.

For those of you who haven't seen the anime, the plot goes like this:
Edward and Alphonse Elric, two brothers from a rural town in the country of Amestris, tried to resurrect thier dead mother with the help of alchemy. However, things take a thing for the worse- the transmutaion goes horribly wrong, and Ed looses an arm and leg. Alphonse looses his entire body. Ed then transmutes Al's soul to an empty suit of armor, and Ed's limbs are replaced with Automail ( steel posthetics). The two brothers then set out on a quest for the Philosopher's Stone(this is nothing like Harry Potter, don't worry)which is the only thing that can return thier bodies to a normal state. In order to do this, Ed ends up working as a State Alchemist. And that's only the begining. Hiromu Arakawa keeps us constantly on our toes with so many plot twists, it's impossible to get bored of this manga.

So if you liked the anime, is a fan of manga, likes fantasy books, or is just looking for a fun read, go buy this series.

Word to younger readers- this manga does contain a lot of violence, but very little else besides that. I wouldn't let most pre-teens read it, but then again, it all depends on the maturitly level. Otherwise, this is an extremly great series.

Average customer rating:

Ah, Hohenheim, we knew you'd be back.
WELCOME HOME DAD
Can it get any better?

Fullmetal Alchemist, Volume 11
Hiromu Arakawa
Manufacturer: VIZ Media LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Comic

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ASIN: 1421508389

Book Description

Customer Reviews:

Ah, Hohenheim, we knew you'd be back........2007-08-01

Hiromu Arakawa, Fullmetal Alchemist, vol. 11 (ViZ, 2005)

[note: this review contains a major spoiler for vol. 10. If you haven't read it yet, don't read this review!]

So now we know that King Bradley is Wrath, one of the seven homunculi. No one else does, but you know that since the reader now has the information, it's not going to be too long until the rest of the crew finds out. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, we pause the action for a bit of character development (and burgeoning romance?) between Ed and Winry. It's not the best volume in the series, especially considering the one just before it, but it's a good one. *** ½

WELCOME HOME DAD.......2007-02-12

Edward has returned to Resembool to find out the truth about what happened the night him and Al tried to resurrect their mother all those years ago, but imagine his surprise when he finds his father, Van Hohenheim, a man he hasn't seen in 10 years, already standing at her grave! Ed blames his mother's death on his father, or at least he has a lot of anger towards him for dumping his kids and not being there when she was dying. It's been implied that perhaps she died of a broken heart. So the conversations between Ed and his dad are not going to be very pleasant. Meanwhile, Al, Mustang, and Xing deal with the aftermath of their battle with the Homunculi last volume which has left Havoc paralyzed from the waist down. When Mustang tries to contact Dr. Marcoh, the medical alchemist, for help in healing Havoc, he finds that the Homunculi too have an interest in the doc. And Scar is back in town, doing what he does best: killing State Alchemists!

I wanted to comment on a problem I'm sure a lot of people are facing when reading this manga. I just finished watching the Fullmetal Alchemist movie last weekend after watching the TV series over the past year and a half. One problem I had in reading Volume 11 was trying to seperate the characters and events of the manga from the anime. For instance, Lust was taken out by Mustang in Volume 10 while she met a completely different end in the anime. Scar is following a different line of motivation and has picked up a sidekick. Dr. Marcoh is still alive while he was killed early on in the anime. I thought the Elric brothers had realized King Bradley was a Homunculi but in this volume it seems as though they don't know. Am I getting it confused with the anime again? So I think I will enjoy the manga more (Which, by the way, I think is superior to the anime) if I just go back and start reading from Volume 1 again, starting with a clean slate, without any inteference from the anime version. As for this volume, is no surprise that it has good art, great characters, and universal themes that touch everyone, as after 11 volumes, this has become the norm rather than the exception. One of the best series out there!

Can it get any better?.......2007-01-20

After action-packed volume 10, can Fullmetal Alchemist get any better? The answer is yes. Volume 11, while not as edge-of-your-seat exciting as volume 10, is still gripping and delivers a lot of punch.

Ed goes to visit his mom's grave, only to find his dad there. Hohenheim left the family many years ago, and Ed hates his guts. When Hohenheim finds out that Ed and Al tried to resurrect their mom, he asks a very strange question: Was what they brought to life really their mom?

Back in Central, Havoc has just found out that he's suffered spinal cord damage and will never be able to walk again. Mustang sends Breda to find Dr. Marcoh, in the hopes that he can help Havoc. Unfortunately, Breda finds that someone has beaten him to Dr. Marcoh; someone who looked exactly like Breda.

Meanwhile, May Chang (who was Mei Xhang, back in volume 8; more on that later) is rescued from starvation by none other than Yoki. May Chang is still searching for Edward Elric, and she decides to travel with Yoki and Scar until she can pay off her debt to them.

There isn't much actual action in volume 11 until the end, but there is a lot of character development. The reader finally discovers what happened to Al's body when he went through the gate, and what happens when an alchemist attempts a human resurrection. Lin has a much larger part, and we have a chance to learn his back story as well as his reason for being in Amestris. There aren't many pages of extras in this volume, but the "Edward Elric, Alchemist of the People" scene definitely makes up for that.

The art is, as always, wonderful. Arakawa-sensei is very good at capturing human, or in some cases, inhuman emotions.

My only problem with the volume is Viz's translation. Not only does Viz replace all the Japanese sound effects with English ones, but they have yet again proven their inability to proofread anything. Ed has a line where the verb is missing ("He just doesn't to be a parent, that's all."), there's a page where Winry's and Ed's lines are switched, and there's the totally nonsensical line "Mercy me!". Although it's pretty easy to tell what the characters are supposed to be saying, there's no reason for Viz to do such a sloppy job.

Viz is also unable to decide on names. In the earlier volumes, it's the Ishvarlan war, but in the more recent volumes it's the Ishbalan war. Mei Xhang's name was also changed to May Chang in volume 11 for absolutely no reason. Once you pick a spelling, for the sake of your fans, stay with it!

Other than that, volume 11 is an amazing addition to an amazing series. So, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and buy it!

Average customer rating:

CAN YOU REPLACE MY ARM GRANNY?
The best one yet
A great continuation to a great series

Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 3
Hiromu Arakawa
Manufacturer: VIZ Media LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Comic