For whatever reason, Fullmetal Alchemist slipped through the cracks back in high school, my first foray into manga and the most logical time for me to have read it. (I'm going to blame not having much money to buy manga combined with the library not having as robust a graphic novel collection back then.) But as I find myself doing in multiple domains of my life, I'm now making up for lost time, and reading it on my girlfriend's recommendation.

This first volume provides an episodic crash course to the world, the characters, and to the rules of alchemy as it exists in this universe. The pieces presented here are incomplete, but promising, which is kind of all you could hope for in the introductory volume of a long series. Great art style and comedic timing, as well.