Fullmetal Alchemist (2004)

[鋼の錬金術師]

Volume 7

Author/Artist: Hiromu Arakawa
Publisher: Gangan Comics

Synopsis:
While Ed leaves for his yearly assessment, Al goes out alone in search of people who claim to know the Elrics' secret.

Story/Characters:
I like how we separate the brothers in the first half of the volume. This gives Al more of an opportunity to stand on his own rather than just be more of a sidekick to Ed. Greed makes for a contrast to established homunculus trio of Gluttony, Lust and Envy, doing his own thing rather than being part of the nebulous goings-on behind the scenes. I like the bond that forms between Al and Martel and we get to see Izumi show off her stuff when she goes to the Devil's Nest to get Al back. We have King Bradley show up again and we get to see another side of his character, the side that got to be the top of Amestris' military dictatorship.

Art:
We get a lot of action this volume. The chimera minions add something new to the fight scenes. Izumi and her husband versus said minions is particularly good, but the Elrics do their share, too. Also, we have King Bradley and Major Armstrong in action. Good stuff.

Other:
We get a side chapter where Lieutenant Havoc meets Major Armstrong's sister, a single 4-koma and a one-page "Corral Diary" where Arakawa recounts her then-recent reception of an award for her work.

Conclusion:
This is a solid entry that brings plenty of action and shows us some new stuff as well. This one is well worth reading, so give it a read.

Rating:
Read It