|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||
|
|
Reviewed by Michael Deeley Edward and Alphonse Elric are alchemists working for the military. Their missions vary from finding alchemists who abuse their powers to rescuing hostages. But the brothers have personal reasons too. As young boys, the Elric brothers tried to bring their mother back from the dead with alchemy. The spell cost Edward his leg and Alphonse his body. Edward sacrificed one of his arms to put Alphonse’s soul into a suit of armor. Edward was able to get metal limbs grafted to his body. Together they seek the legendary Philosopher’s Stone, a legendary artifact that can transform living flesh and repair their bodies. ‘Full Metal Alchemist’ has become quite popular thanks to the anime series and video games now on US shores. I caught an episode of the series a few weeks back. While it was late in the current storyline, I liked what I saw; enough to pick up the first volume of the manga. Edward is cynical, hot-tempered, and usually selfish. Alphonse is kind-hearted and gentle. Humor often comes from Alphonse being mistaken for the older Elric brother, or Edward being called short. The humor and action is nicely balanced by serious dialogue revealing the brother’s tragic past. Like many American comic book characters, the Elric brothers have learned the responsibility of power through tragedy. Character is revealed through action. In these first four chapters, Edward and Alphonse find a minister abusing alchemy to form a religion. Here we learn Edward is an atheist. Edward runs a con on a corrupt official bleeding a mining town dry. He doesn’t tell anyone his plan, not even Alphonse, leading even the reader to wonder what he’s really doing. Finally, terrorists attempt to kidnap a general riding the same train as the brothers. This adventure demonstrates how powerful and clever the boys really are. Along the way, we are introduced to characters whom will play a larger role in the series: Lust, Gluttony, and Roy Mustang: “Flame Alchemist”. There’s a message at the start of the book from Arakawa. It says he was inspired by the over-the-top flavor of B-movies; films that make you say, “What the hell is this”, and draw you in. ‘Full Metal Alchemist’ isn’t quite like any other manga I’ve seen so far. It mixes elements from magical fantasy, coming of age stories, alternate histories, and straight-up action. It’s a new combination of familiar elements transformed into something new. It’s alchemical writing. Comment on this review of Full Metal Alchemist v1 [I] on the Manga Life Forums. |
6 October 2009
|
||||
 |
| home | reviews | news | features | about us | advertise | privacy policy | contact us |
