Fullmetal Alchemist 3-in-1 Vol. 8

Fullmetal Alchemist: Omnibus #8

by Hiromu Arakawa

In an alchemical ritual gone wrong, Edward Elric lost his arm and his leg, and his brother Alphonse became nothing but a soul in a suit of armor. Equipped with mechanical ""auto-mail"" limbs, Edward becomes a state alchemist, seeking the one thing that can restore his and his brother's bodies...the legendary Philosopher's Stone.

With the Day of Reckoning at hand, war breaks out in Central City. On one side, the homunculi and corrupt military; on the other, the Elric family, Ishbalan refugees, and a ragtag alliance of soldiers loyal to Major General Armstrong of Fort Briggs and Roy Mustang. While Hohenheim confronts the homunculi's "father," Mustang finally learns the truth about Hughes's murder. Will he be consumed by hatred and do the unthinkable?

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Comics, Science Fiction, Young Adult

576 pages, Paperback

First published July 8, 2014

About the author

Hiromu Arakawa (author: 荒川弘) is a Japanese manga artist, best known for Fullmetal Alchemist (鋼の錬金術師 Hagane no renkinjutsushi).
Her real name is Hiromi Arakawa (荒川弘美).

Arakawa was born and raised on a dairy farm in Hokkaidō.
She thought of being a manga artist since she was little. After graduating high school, she took oil painting classes while working on her family's farm. During that time, she also created dōjinshi manga with her friends and drew yonkoma for a magazine. After eight years she moved to Tōkyō and started out as assistant writer for Hiroyuki Etō.
Her debut as manga artist is in 1999 with STRAY DOG. In 2001 she started working on her famous and award winning series Fullmetal Alchemist, that soon gets a successful anime adaptation.
Other works include Silver Spoon (銀の匙 Silver Spoon, Gin no saji Silver Spoon).

Reviews

[Baba · Rating 4 out of 5]

Collecting volumes 22 to 24 this is pretty much all-out war as the ramshackle alliance supported buy Fort Briggs comes to Central Command to remove the military conspiracy from power!. What I enjoyed most about these volumes was that Mustang's and Armstrong's teams dominated the storyline and we see very little of either of the brothers. I still feel that the art for dynamic movement is confusing, but the story and coming together of players is top drawer. A second 8 out of 12, Four Stars for this okay series.

2024 read

[Anna lost in stories *A* · Rating 5 out of 5]

At this point in the series, there’s no way for me to talk about the events of the later installments without some major spoilers… so instead I decided to just finish the series and write one review for the last four volumes :) the story begins with two brothers, who after a failed attempt at an alchemy experiment lose parts of themselves… one of them loses his arm and leg, the other his whole body… now they are on a journey to regain what they’ve lost… along the way they meet a lot of interesting characters and discover plots that are much bigger and more dangerous that they could’ve ever anticipated… the further you get into the series, the more complex and serious it gets… don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty of adventures and humor, but in the later installments there are many more complicated and serious themes… specifically the last two are very fast paced and action packed… they actually take place mostly over the span of less than one day… I really liked how the whole series ended, it was a very satisfying finale :) I will definitely reread the series at some point in the future, when I will be able to concentrate more on each individual installment, but overall the whole series is a worthy 5 stars read :) I highly recommend it :)

XOXO

A

[Lauma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lieliski, ja neskaita to "tu vari nogalināt tikai tad, ja dari to pareizo iemeslu dēļ" daļu.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

OK, there's a light at the end of the tunnel. Only one (3-in-1) installment remains, and ... then ... it'll be over. If you'd have told me after the first issue that I'd consume the entire run, I'd have expressed some level of skepticism. And, yet, I find myself on the cusp.... (And, yes, from a consumer and a reader standpoint, switching to the 3-in-1's, rather than buying/reading individual books, ... nine seems so much less of an investment than twenty-seven, LoL ... made it much easier.)

I still haven't got a clue how the author will conclude it (and, frankly, I hope I'm not disappointed). Overall, the level of chaos, evolving characters (from backstories to latent abilities), interlocking story arcs/lines, intersecting relationships, vacillating allegiances, and, well, twists and turns does seem to be percolating towards a level at which something has to give....

And, yeah, I've already purchased ... and am eyeing ... the last installment, not quite at the top (but very near the top) of my to-read stack. So I'll know how it all plays out sooner, rather than later.

[Nutsa Khamkhadze · Rating 5 out of 5]

Only one omnibus left!

[Mathilde Paulsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aaaaahhhh it's all happening now!!!!!

[Arnis · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://poseidons99.wordpress.com/202...

[Adri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shit is hitting the fan now and I LOVE IT.

[Lissel · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3,5 STARS

[Karissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Series Info/Source: This is the 8th volume in the Fullmetal Alchemist 3-in-1 series and covers the original volumes 22 to 24. I bought this.

Story (5/5): At this point the story is pretty darn complicated so I won't rehash it all. This volume sees some interesting twists and revelations. We finally get to see a confrontation between Hohenheim and the Father. We also get to see more of Mustang. Major General Armstrong and her brother have an awesome fight scene against Sloth that I really enjoyed.

Characters (5/5): Love the characters in this series, they are incredibly well done. Every single one of them has a backstory and a lot of depth and I enjoy them all so much.

Setting (5/5): I continue to love this steampunkish world driven by alchemy and dicey politics.

Writing/Drawing Style (5/5): This whole series is beautifully drawn and amazingly written. This is definitely one of the highest quality manga series I have ever read.

Summary (5/5): Overall I loved this and feel like my reviews of these books are getting a bit repetitive. This series has amazing characters, in a wonderful world, with an exciting and complex story. I love the drawing style and these are just truly a treat to read. I am a bit sad that the next volume is the last in this series.

[Taylor Ramirez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gee, judging by the cover of this book, I wonder if Bradley survived the train bridge collapse.

Al you trapped yourself with Pride!

Maria is back! And so is Havoc. The gang is coming back.

This is why you don’t create immortal beings. It backfires.

Fuuuuuuuck Red Lotus bro got Pride out.

Al has a Philosopher’s Stone!

FUCK FUCK FUCK ENVY GOT IT’S BODY BACK.

Alex has come to Olivier’s rescue!

Well Pride just ate the Red Lotus.

“Olivier: Don’t worry about it! I’ve decided to give the family mansion to Mustang if I die!”—Page 250

What??

Everyone is meeting up! Hopefully Roy’s team and Ed’s team will help out the Armstrongs.

ENVY V MUSTANG SHOW DOWN!!!!!!!

“Roy: Lower your gun, Lieutenant. I’m sorry.”

Royyyyyy. I CRYYYY!

THE ARMSTRONG SIBLINGS AND CURTISES ARE BATTLING SLOTH! THIS IS AMAZING!

Bradley is back.

OH HELL YEAH GREED/LIN V WRATH FIGHT!

Izumi, Ed, and Al have been captured? What the hell???

[Estrella · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Believe in yourself. Search your heart and choose a path that you won't be ashamed of."

I am so close to finishing this series! Yet, one daunting thought remains: What will I read after Fullmetal Alchemist to save me from a series hangover?

[Nienora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Odličan poslednji arc, vidim hype.
Ja sam ovo totalno čitala zbog Roya i Rize, svi ostali su nebitni

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one has Roy, Riza, and Envy in the tunnels, so it gets extra stars.

[Filipa · Rating 4 out of 5]

the stakes are so high and my favourite characters are suffering left and right

oh my , I'm not ready to finish this journey

[NatashiasBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each volume keeps getting more intense than the last and seeing all the characters converging with one another is just explosive! What a long way from the start! Love this manga and anime! Always my favorite and close to home!

[Carey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another volume with a lot of running around and fighting. It wasn't bad, just not heavy on plot or character like some previous volumes. But we're getting to the end so a ton of fighting is inevitable. I did like the Izumi/Armstrong team-up though. That was perfect.

[Michael Sorbello · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a review of the entire series.

Fullmetal Alchemist takes place in the fictional country of Amestris which is heavily based on the Industrial Revolution. Amestris is a unitary state under the rule of a parliamentary republic, run by state alchemists that serve the king utilizing the mystifying arts of alchemy. Alchemy is the power to alter the physical world utilizing its natural elements, performing magic and miracles in the form of science. Alchemy follows the law of equivalent exchange, you must sacrifice something that is of equal value to what you create. You must sacrifice a life to create a life, you must extinguish one flame to ignite another, you have to sacrifice one home to build another, etc...

After being abandoned by their father as children and subjected to watching their mother die, Edward Elric and his brother Alphonse once attempted to utilize the power of alchemy to bring their mother back from the grave, ignoring the dangers of creating a life by offering something of equal value. Edward loses an arm and a leg while Alphonse loses his entire body; his soul placed in a hollow suit of armor that can't feel the touch of others. As neither of them sacrificed their lives in their entirety, the exchange failed and the boys created an abomination in place of their dead mother.

After burning their own home down and dealing with the abomination they created, Edward and his brother enlist themselves in the military to atone for their sins and learn more about the many secrets of alchemy; potentially learning how to recover their original bodies in the process. While serving in the military, the brothers begin to realize how the wonders of alchemy can be abused for nefarious purposes. Immortal life can be gained by sacrificing hundreds of innocents souls, wars can be staged and foreign nations can be annihilated under false charges, human experimentation aided by alchemy can lead to unnatural mutations, the world of alchemy is more dark and dangerous than either of them could've bargained for.

Fullmetal Alchemist grew on me the longer I read it. When I first started reading, it seemed like it was going to be generic shounen material, but it gets deeper and darker the further it goes on. The way it handles political and religious corruption, the dangers of advanced states abusing their technology and resources at the expense of foreign nations caught in the turmoil, and the sad futility of revenge are all very well done.

The characters all bear the weight of what alchemy is capable of. Edward and Alphonse carry the burden of abusing alchemy for selfish purposes. Their master Izumi loses her womb after attempting to resurrect her dead child. Scar takes many lives after his entire country is desecrated and gets trapped in a pointless cycle of revenge. Roy and Riza endure the regret of committing brutal war crimes for the sake of protecting their own nation. Alchemy creates and destroys in equal measure and no one is free from the consequences of tipping the balance.

The fight scenes are flashy and exciting without being too over-the-top because of the dangerous limitations that alchemy involves. The law of equivalent exchange keeps the power scaling in check and adds plenty of tension to the action. The female characters are especially well done, all of them are strong and unique in their own way. The lead heroine Winry being a skilled mechanic, Riza being an honorable warrior of the military, Olivier Armstrong as cold and vicious as the snowy fortress she guards, and that's just a few of them.

The villains are an interesting parody of the seven deadly sins. Each of them represent the darkness and regrets of each of the main characters and they can only be conquered by coming to terms with their own flaws and sins. The characters having to overcome their personal demons to take on the greater demons trying to overthrow the world from the shadows made the struggles of every single person in the story feel personal. Every character, no matter how minor had their moments to shine. Everyone had a vital role to play and the camaraderie between friend and foe alike never felt cheesy of forced.

Unlike most shounen series I've read, the final arc was my favorite. A lot of long-running shounen series have a habit of being dragged out, losing touch with what made them great or breaking their own rules in messy, plot-hole-filled final arcs that leave a lot to be desired. Fullmetal Alchemist has no lose ends, all characters have complete arcs where they learn and grow from their dark pasts, the romance and comedy are handled well without relying on cheap fanservice, the action scenes are great but they don't overshadow the plot and the final chapters tie everything together beautifully. It's not my favorite manga by any means as I usually tend to favor seinen, but it's definitely one of the greatest stories to ever come out of the shounen demographic in my opinion. The ending is a tearjerker but it left me in good spirits.

***

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[Brandon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The big final battle is underway! Kind of! I guess! Well, it's almost at the end, so it's some near-final battle. Alphonse gets to kick a lot of ass, compared to how he's in the background of most series. Older characters like Izumi come back and get a chance to shine, the homunculi get some cool scenes, and it ends on a hell of a cliffhanger. I'm tearing through these chapters so quickly, can't wait to see where it ends.

[Pflanzis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wir steuern mit ganz großen Schritten auf das Finale zu. Die Gefechte in Central sind toll gezeichnet und spannend erzählt. Immer wieder wendet sich das Blatt zugunsten der einen oder anderen Seite. Es gibt sooo viele gute Szenen! Ich kenne und liebe die ganze Geschichte ja schon und freue mich trotzdem - oder gerade deswegen? - sehr darauf, den Abschlussband zu lesen. <3

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I only have one of these left to read. I honestly don't know what I'll do with myself after that.

[Miranda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume included some solid Lin/Greed and Olivier Armstrong moments, which basically take my rating up another star just on their own <3

[Maja Helena · Rating 5 out of 5]

*The story of Fullmetal Alchemist, following the Elric brothers, is the perfect story. It has everything: The balance between dramatic moments and moments of comic relief is amazing, the characters are well rounded and has great growth and, finally, it deals with difficult subjects in a nuanced and respectful manner.

Also, the art style is amazing – especially in those comic relief moments! It’s just priceless! That in memoriam part at the end of each volume is just hilarious! *

Another perfect volume… I mean, what else can I say? I freaking love this manga!

We are getting so close to the conclusion: things are getting intense, lives are a stake, there are fights going on left and right and it’s soooo awesome!

I loved the ‘situation’ that played out between Envy and Mustang. It was so interesting! Also the way it showed how strong the trust is between Mustang and Hawkeye!

Also... I’m just kinda of losing my mind over whether or not there is something romantic between them?! Like, comeon! But that’s a side note and not important in any way in relation to the plot… But never the less, it’s driving me crazy.

[DeAnna · Rating 5 out of 5]

A pair of brothers who were so desperate to feel their mother's warmth again that they dared do the unthinkable. One of them lost a leg to stand on and all but lost his only remaining family. The other was deprived of ever feeling the warmth of human contract.

In Fullmetal Alchemist, protagonist Edward Elric and his younger brother Alphonse Elric are skilled alchemists in a world where said science is so powerful, it's magical. This alchemy's potency is limited only by its own core tenet of Equivalent Exchange which states that something cannot be created from nothing; something of equal or greater value must always be sacrificed. When the Elric brothers attempt to ignore this tenet in favoring of bringing their mother back from the dead, Ed loses his leg and Al loses his life. Distraught, Ed pleads to the unknown to let him trade places with Al, expecting to die so that Al can live. Instead, finding that he can only save Al's soul, Ed quickly sacrifices his arm to bond Al's disembodied soul to a nearby shell of plate armor. Later, outfitted with advanced prosthetics known as automail and weighed down by remorse, Ed, along with Al, sets out to restore Al's soul to his original body via the infamous philosopher's stone and its mythical power to ignore the rules of Equivalent Exchange.

It brings joy in sorrow, victory in battle, light to darkness, life to the dead. That is the power of the blood-red jewel which men honor with the name "The Philosopher's Stone."

Ed wisely joins the military as the youngest State Alchemist to take advantage of the military vast resources to accelerate the brothers' research. Over the course of the years, the brothers' pursuit of the philosopher's stone bring them closer to danger as they uncover the insidious truths of the world around them. The farther they dig, the more corruption and horror they find. And the more the brothers learn, the harder it is to standby and let the atrocities continue to happen, even if it means losing the chance to restore their bodies to their original conditions.

I realized that if we don't take care of each other then no one else will. So I'll do anything in my power to get our bodies back, even if it means being the military's lap dog. And we'll just have to hope our powers are good enough to help us rise above our own limits. Because we're not Gods, we're humans, tiny insignificant humans.

Throughout the series, Hiromu Arakawa explores the heavy themes of existentialism, humanity, morality, political & religious corruption, and war. She masterfully balances humor and solemnity, giving the reader plenty of opportunities to laugh and cry along with her well-rounded characters who grow and learn from their past mistakes while still remaining imperfect, human. My favorite aspect of this series is that, while the big bad villain may be undeniably evil, no one else's moral compass is as perfectly aligned. This point is most thoroughly depicted through the heart-wrenching panels Arakawa dedicates to the Ishbalan War, where we see secondary characters such as Colonel Roy Mustang, Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye, and Major Armstrong grapple with the internal conflict of blindingly obeying orders to kill Ishbalan civilians or endangering their comrades lives by refusing to slaughter innocent bystanders.

Fullmetal Alchemist (3-in-1 Edition), Vol. 1: 4 Stars
Fullmetal Alchemist (3-in-1 Edition), Vol. 2: 5 Stars
Fullmetal Alchemist (3-in-1 Edition), Vol. 3: 4 Stars
Fullmetal Alchemist (3-in-1 Edition), Vol. 4: 4 Stars
Fullmetal Alchemist (3-in-1 Edition), Vol. 5: 5 Stars
Fullmetal Alchemist (3-in-1 Edition), Vol. 6: 5 Stars
Fullmetal Alchemist (3-in-1 Edition), Vol. 7: 5 Stars
Fullmetal Alchemist (3-in-1 Edition), Vol. 8: 5 Stars
Fullmetal Alchemist (3-in-1 Edition), Vol. 9: 5 Stars

[Elias Carlson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omnibus volume 8. 22-24
This volume is action packed all the way through, just a little bit more and the story is over. The fights really are enjoyable just on the tension and art alone but the story brings it up even higher. So many lovable characters and I was terrified over all of their safety. It's hard to not just jump to the next volume right away.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This manga has had not one miss. Every volume is literally immaculate from start to finish. I can’t believe I have one omnibus left. We are at the crux of the story. This volume ended at the final battle between the homunculi and Elric and co. I’m so excited yet nervous because this is a mange I have no spoilers for so I have absolutely no idea how this will end.

[Bummel Eule · Rating 5 out of 5]

Viel kann ich so weit in der Geschichte nicht mehr sagen, ohne von der Handlung zu reden.

Lasst mich nur sagen, die Handlung und die Charaktere begeistern mich immer noch.

Ich freue mich jetzt schon auf nächsten aber auch leider dem letzten Band.

[Tilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

The pacing near the end of the series is so much all over the place (in the best way) that it's nearly impossible to find the perfect moments for breaks while reading! And three of the six remaining Homunculi died within one volume!

[Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let's go Alphonse!

Go Bradley! King Bradley...

I shall walk like a king, talk like a king and one day all will know that I've always been king.

Check the name kids. I'll see ya back at home!

[Brenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

All the amazing fights!!!!