Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 5

Even though it's early in the series this volume (as well as the first) make it clear that this series will be interesting. Defidently a great manga for anybody!

From the creative mind of a woman whose self-portrait is that of a bespectacled cow comes the continuing adventures of the Elric brothers in the second volume of Hiromu Arakawa's hit manga series. In their quest to restore their bodies, mechanical-limbed Ed and armor-clad Al look up Shou Tucker, the "Sewing-Life Alchemist," whose achievements in biological transmutation (the altering of living tissue) may the key ingredient to changing the Elrics back to normal--or a recipe for disaster. Then a new player enters the game, a mysterious killer who's got some legitimate beef with state alchemists. And Ed's next on his list (Note: Al merely assists Ed and is not enlisted in the military). If that's not enough, the artificial Homonculi are cooking up a devious plan to beat the Elrics in the race to obtain the fabled Philosopher's Stone. Volume 2 is the first in the series to feature Ishvarlan extremist Scar, "Strong Arm Alchemist" Alex Louis Armstrong, the Homunculus Envy and other familiar faces from the "Fullmetal Alchemist" anime. It's also the first volume to shed light on the bloody history between the military and the nearly-extinct Ishvarlan people, a major clue to Scar's creation. If there's such a thing as food for thought, Ms. Arakawa still writes up a great meal. Also her illustrations, as always, are a feast for the eyes. And if you read this volume all the way through, you might even find out Ed's total height! So go buy a helping of this delicacy from one of today's hottest manga-ka's. Mine's on the house, or rather, my local library! This comice is rated T for Teen: Violence, Adult Situations.

Hiromu Arakawa, Fullmetal Alchemist, vol. 5 (ViZ, 2003) I'm really starting to like Winry as a character. Once their small band reaches Rush Valley, we get involved in a mini story arc where Winry, who's also looking to better herself (despite the fact that everyone in Rush Valley marvels over the complexity of Ed's prosthetics), makes a journey deep into the mountains to submit herself as an apprentice to Dominic, the universally-acknowledged best automail artist in Rush Valley. Most of the rest of the volume (the last chapter finds Ed and Al at their teacher's place reminiscing) details the goings-on at Dominic's little campground. We get to know the people there, and get some tantalizing clues about the past doings of Winry's grandmother. The series just keeps getting better. *** ½

I purchased these as a gift and they really were appreciated. It was great.

Volume 5 of Fullmetal Alchemist takes a rest from the Philospher's Stone battles with Homunculi and serious angst of previous volumes to lighten up a little. Ed and Al travel with Winry to Rush City, a boomtown of the boondocks of the country, which despite its isolation has become a mecca for auto-mail engineers. Of course, you know Winry is slavering from the mouth when she enters its precincts! But then Ed's State Alchemist watch is stolen by a pickpocket and the chase begins. Ed and Al are journeying to find their old master, Izumi Curtis, the woman who trained them in their early years in the art of alchemy. They are hoping she might know something about the Stone. The problem is, she is so tough on them that the two brothers almost hope they won't find her! Especially when she finds out that they broke the strongest taboo of alchemy trying to bring their mother back to life. Excellent excellent excellent book. These characters live and breath. Even their tough as nails master, Izumi, has some sadness in her life and takes the boys in as apprentices because they remind her of her own dead child who would have been their age. There are such depths here in the characterization and you really see what makes manga so special. Alchemist is at turns deadly grave, kinetic, mysterious, and funny....just like life. I get excited thinking where the plot can lead and contemplating the mysteries of the series that have not been revealed yet. Classic.