Fullmetal Alchemist, Volume 16

Hiromu Arakawa, Fullmetal Alchemist, vol. 16 (ViZ, 2007) The two-volume-long flashback is (finally!) over, and we can get back into the action with the Elric brothers, Roy Mustang, Scar, the homunculi, and everyone else. Ed and Al find themselves shipped off to the far north in order to look for help finding out more about the alchemy of Xing, while Scar continues his quest for Dr. Marcoh--but what does he actually want with the good doctor, anyhow? The action is back and better than ever. Wonderful stuff, this, and we were long overdue for a new volume in the series. Great to have it back. ****

The story just seems to keep getting more complicated! It's torture that we have to keep waiting for new volumes but theres not much that can be done since we aren't very far behind the Japanese version. Buy the whole series (I have english and Japanese because its just that great ^-^)

After all the action and drama of volume 15, 16 feels like a calm in between storms. For the most part the first half concerns the main characters (of which there are quite a few by now) re-evaluating their goals and deciding where to go next. The second half has more action, including a standoff between Scar and Kimblee on a moving train. We are also introduced Major General Oliver Mira Armstrong and her subordinates for the first time as Ed and Al arrive at fort Briggs in the frozen north. And there's a cliff hanger at the end with a few pages of the rarely seen homunculus Sloth. Overall it's not the best volume I've read but a solid one, and I'm enjoying reading this series as much if not more than watching the anime.