Comics / Manga

Fullmetal Alchemist: Volume 22

By Leroy Douresseaux
January 14, 2010 - 13:49

Fullmetal Alchemist Volume 22 cover image is courtesy of barnesandnoble.com.

Rated “T” for “Teen”

Set in the country of Amestris (located on an alternate-history version of Earth), Fullmetal Alchemist is the story of brothers Edward & Alphonse “Al” Elric.  The brothers use a forbidden alchemical ritual to bring their dead mother back to life.  It goes wrong, and Edward loses a leg, but Alphonse loses his entire body.  Edward grafts his younger brother’s soul into a suit of armor, a process which additionally costs Edward an arm.  Edward replaces his own missing flesh with “auto-mail” limbs and eventually becomes a state alchemist in service of the Amestris state military.  Edward searches for the Philosopher’s Stone, a legendary substance that can restore their bodies.

In Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 22, Ed and company capture Selim Bradley, the President’s son, who is also Pride, the Homunculus that is an amorphous black mass of eyes and teeth.  Then, everyone converges on Central City for the final battle, as the “Father” of the Houmuculi stirs.

THE LOWDOWN:  I imagine that even a manga as highly addictive as Fullmetal Alchemist can be daunting for new readers.  However, this superbly crafted, novelistic comic book narrative is a joy to read.  A complex character drama, a fantastical shadow government conspiracy, and a military combat thriller, Fullmetal Alchemist more than gives the reader his money’s worth.

POSSIBLE AUDIENCE:  Readers looking for excellence in science fiction manga will want Fullmetal Alchemist.

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Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12