Fullmetal Alchemist is back in print thanks to Viz Media. Remastered, re-translated, and re-lettered, the new FMA Fullmetal Edition provides fans both new and old a brand new way to read the original source material to the acclaimed “Fullmetal Alchemist” & “Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood” anime adaptations.

Fullmetal Alchemist is a 2001 shounen manga series created by Hiromu Arakawa, it is published by Square Enix and licensed by Viz Media. It is currently available in print and digital formats in English.

Editor’s Note: A review copy of Fullmetal Alchemist: Fullmetal Edition Vol. 1 was provided by Viz Media in support of this review.

A gruesome tale of two brothers.

The new re-release of Fullmetal Alchemist is a collection of several arcs into a single book. Spanning across a grand total of 248 pages, it makes getting into the manga fairly easy if you started with either anime version or are looking to give the anime a try by starting at the source. The first volume of the Fullmetal Edition ends at the initial Ed & Scar fight during the Scar arc.

While the drama can be pretty grim and the action even gory at times FMA has a wonderful story and a ton of heart & soul.

THE GOOD: Fullmetal Alchemist opens with the tragedy of the Elric brothers: Edward & Alphonse experiencing the end result of their attempts to resurrect their beloved dead mother through the use of alchemy, an act usually shunned by the alchemy community. The attempts triggers the loss of one of Ed’s arms & legs, and Al’s entire body, forcing Ed to infuse his soul onto a suit of armor with a blood seal. Back in the present Ed has become a well respected Alchemist of the State or State Alchemist, the highest military rank possible for an alchemist. He & Al plan to use the military’s resources to find the legendary Philosopher’s Stone which may possess the power to return them to normal. Meanwhile, Ed has been outfitted with a metal prosthetic arm & leg (hence the title) which grants him full use of the motor skills he lost.

Meet Winry, the glue that holds Ed & Al together.

Along with some top notch action sequences, especially for it’s time, Fullmetal Alchemist also has an emotionally driven story rich with character and world building. Each character feels unique with their own personalities and gets properly fleshed out as the story goes on including the villains which is often a problem in shounen manga. The Humunculi; deceased humans reborn through alchemy are just as important to the story as Ed, Al, and co. are and most have their own backstories and are well developed.

Ed & Al as children with their mom.

THE BAD: The gore and darker moments won’t be for everyone, and there’s quite a bit down the road.

FMA is about learning from tragedy.

OVERALL THOUGHTS: If you started off with the anime adaptations then you already know what to expect here, but for newcomers the “Fullmetal Edition” is a great introductory piece into an extremely well-crafted shounen manga that will keep your attention going into the very end of this excellent re-release. Otaku Dome gives Fullmetal Alchemist: Fullmetal Edition Vol. 1 a 90 out of 100.