Fullmetal Edition Vol 8 by Hiromu Arakawa

Ed's most recent trip to Resembol, along with overhearing a conversation between Granny and his father, has him on the edge of a game-changing theory about Al's real body. Al is worried that his armor body may reject his soul at any time, so the clock is ticking for the brothers to figure out how to get their bodies back.  Meanwhile, Scar shows himself to not be dead, and he continues with his quest to purify the world of Alchemists.  With the help of Ling and Lan Fan, Ed and Al hatch a plan to lure out the homunculi by using Ed as bait. If he's so precious to their plans, surely they won't let Scar kill him? Of course, nothing ever goes as smoothly as planned, and Ling makes a startling discovery about the nature of the homunculi.  

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There are some absolutely heartbreaking moments in this volume, especially involving Winry.  She does get some dedicated page-time, and Arakawa demonstrates Winry's strength multiple times.  More mystery is heaped on in terms of Hohenheim, so don't expect any satisfaction within these pages.  The alchemical action sequences in this volume are really detailed and engaging, and it's nice to see Ed and Al working together again since they've been fighting on different fronts for a few volumes.  Ling also gets some time to shine in this volume and he proves that he is extremely smart and meticulous.  There is one nasty cliffhanger in this volume, so be prepared with the next one on hand.

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

Reviews of previous volumes in this series: vol 1, vol 2, vol 3, vol 4, vol 5, vol 6, vol 7

Publisher: VIZ Media
Publication Date: February 11, 2020​
ISBN: 9781974700479 (Paperback)

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