The Graphic Library
  • Home
  • Reviews
    • Review List by Author
  • Terminology
  • Info Postings
  • About Us
  • Other Resources
    • Research

Fullmetal Edition Vol 4 by Hiromu Arakawa

6/15/2020

0 Comments

 
Cover of Fullmetal Alchemist: Fullmetal Edition Vol 4
In this volume, we get the conclusion of the storyline in Rush Valley, and the boys finally make it to Dublith to their teacher’s home. This sparks a flashback that lasts the rest of the novel. The young Elric boys lose their mother and devote their lives to alchemy to bring her back. They find a teacher in Izumi Curtis, a housewife passing by who helps save the town from flooding. Curtis deposits the boys on an island for an entire month and tasks them to solve the riddle “one is all, all is one.”  After their training, the boys return home and decide to conduct the human transmutation they’ve been waiting for. Meanwhile, Lt. Colonel Mustang travels to Resembool to recruit a 31 year old alchemist, only to find too late that he's after 11-year-old Ed. Mustang finds the evidence of their transmutation, but still offers to sponsor Ed’s entrance exam to become a state alchemist.  We get our first glimpse of President Fuhrer King Bradley as he decides to attend the practical exam for the youngest alchemist in the military’s history.

The tragic backstory of the Elric brothers is one of the pieces of this story that make it so rich.  All of us can relate to some sort of loss we felt in our childhood, and most of us know what it's like to lose someone and not really understand why they're gone.  This universal theme of loss spurs the Elrics on and makes them sympathetic characters for the reader.  We don't care that the boys are breaking one of the greatest alchemical laws to bring their mother back, because we want them to reverse that pain and loss they felt.  Arakawa's illustrations in this volume are perfect - the way she draws the Elrics as children is wonderful, and who doesn't love Al in his actual human body? Re-reading this amazing series in hardback has me extremely motivated to share it with everyone I know.

Sara's Rating: 10/10
Suitability Level: Grades 7-12


Reviews of previous volumes in this series: vol 1, vol 2, vol 3

Publisher: VIZ Media
Publication Date: February 12, 2019​
ISBN: 9781421599854 (Hardcover)

​Tags: Rating: 10/10, Suitability: Middle School, Suitability: High School, Manga, Action Adventure, VIZ Media ​
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    About Me

    I've been reading manga and comicbooks for years. Now, I write reviews and other helpful things for School Librarians, teachers, parents, and students.

    Read More

    Search this site


    Picture
    Ko-fi icon
    Picture
    Picture

    Subscribe to get all the latest delivered once a month.

    * indicates required

    Ratings, Audience, and Subject Tags

    All
    Ablaze
    Abrams ComicsArts
    Action Adventure
    Adaptations
    Animals
    Art
    Autobiography
    Biography
    BOOM! Studios
    Career
    Comicbooks
    Culinary
    Dark Horse
    DC Comics
    Dead Reckoning
    Del Rey
    Demons
    Disabilities
    Dungeon
    Dystopian
    Ecchi
    Educational
    Family
    Fantagraphics
    Fantasy
    Farming
    First Second
    Folklore
    Friendship
    Graphic Fiction
    Graphic Nonfiction
    Graphic Universe
    Greenwillow Books
    Grief
    HarperAlley
    Hill And Wang
    Historical Fiction
    History
    Horror
    Humanoids
    Humor
    IDW
    Image Comics
    Inklore
    Isekai
    Iyashikei
    IZE Press
    J-Novel Club
    Kana
    Katie's Reviews
    Kodansha
    LGBTQ+
    Mad Cave
    Magic
    Magical Girl
    Manfra
    Manga
    Manhua
    Manhwa
    Marvel
    Mecha
    Megascope
    Memoir
    Mental Health
    Moni's Reviews
    Music
    Mystery
    Mythology
    Native American
    Nonfiction
    OEL Manga
    One Peace Books
    Oni Press
    Otomoisekai
    Paranormal
    Penguin
    Race Relations
    Rating: 10/10
    Rating: 3/10
    Rating: 4/10
    Rating: 5/10
    Rating: 6/10
    Rating: 7/10
    Rating: 8/10
    Rating: 9/10
    Realistic Fiction
    Regressor
    RH Graphic
    Romance
    Saturday AM
    School Life
    Science
    Science Fiction
    SelfMadeHero
    Seven Seas
    Skybound
    Slice Of Life
    Sports
    Square Enix
    Steampunk
    Story Collection
    Suitability: Adult
    Suitability: Elementary School
    Suitability: High School
    Suitability: Middle School
    Superheroes
    Supernatural
    Surrealism
    Survival
    Suspense
    Ten Speed Press
    Titan
    TokyoPop
    Top Shelf
    UDON Entertainment
    Video Games
    VIZ Media
    War
    WEBTOON Unscrolled
    Western
    Yen Press

    Archives

    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018

Picture

​© 2025 Sara Smith

Picture
Picture
Picture
​
  • Home
  • Reviews
    • Review List by Author
  • Terminology
  • Info Postings
  • About Us
  • Other Resources
    • Research