Fullmetal Alchemist (2009)

[鋼の錬金術師]

Volume 23

Author/Artist: Hiromu Arakawa
Publisher: Gangan Comics

Synopsis:
Heinkel offers Al a Philosopher's Stone to gain an advantage in his fight against Pride and Kimblee.

Story/Characters:
At first I was wondering if Al was going to be completely sidelined, but then Kimblee showed up last volume to bust out Pride, so Al gets to take center stage here. He's able to do some pretty impressive stuff with his powers boosted by the Philosopher's Stone and there's an interesting clash of philosophies with Kimblee. Meanwhile the Armstrongs are brawling with Gluttony. It's quite the beat-down, drag-out fight, and then there's the Mannequin Soldiers in the mix as well. The newly restored Envy runs into Colonel Mustang, who finally learns who it was who killed Hughes. What follows is as cathartic as you'd imagine, but then we reach a point where the series' take on revenge is explored again. Really good character stuff going on there. There's also the propaganda war and I appreciate that Arakawa isn't just thinking about the direct action side of it. We close on a nice cliffhanger with a new arrival we've all been waiting for.

Art:
As impressive as the Al vs. Pride and Kimblee and the Armstrongs vs. Sloth fights are narratively, they're even more so visually. In particular, the sheer beating the Armstrongs take but keep on going and dishing out punishment in equal measure is nicely visceral. Then there's Colonel Mustang laying the smackdown on Envy. The man's a demon in human shape and it's amazing.

Other:
We get a prologue for the Wii FMA game The Prince of the Dawn and a single 4-koma.

Conclusion:
Maybe it's just because I'm such a fan of Major Armstrong that I'm so hyped about this volume. I've been hoping to see him team up with his sister ever since I saw her in action, so this is a real treat for me. The fact that it's not just great action but also so really good character stuff going on as well makes me want to bump up the rating from the usual, so I will. This is one that you shouldn't just read but get. (Of course, if you commit to owning one volume, you're almost certain to get the entire series and I'd certainly say it's justified even if my ratings don't always reflect it.)

Rating:
Own It