I have a problem with manga artbooks…mainly, that I can’t resist them! So years ago, when VIZ Media licensed The Art of Fullmetal Alchemist and its follow-up, of course I bought them! But over the years, I had kind of forgotten about them and the fact that the third art collection went unreleased.
Well, to coincide with the Fullmetal Alchemist deluxe re-release, VIZ Media announced The Complete Art of Fullmetal Alchemist. The announcement reported that there would be tons of new art, but for those of us who bought the two originals, is it a necessary upgrade? Is it even worth it at all to the average fan, or is the Fullmetal Edition of the manga enough for those who crave some color imagery?
At almost 300 pages, The Complete Art of Fullmetal Alchemist looks like a deluxe video game strategy guide. The foil on the cover and spine will pair perfectly for those of you springing for the new version of the manga, and using a white cover instead of black like the Japanese emphasizes this. The only downside is that the cover doesn’t match the black chapter introduction pages.
Page quality appears to be good, thicker than the Fullmetal Edition of the manga. Anyone who has ordered these type of cardboard hardcovers know that corners tend to be crushed or smushed. The bigger concern is the binding: while it has a good amount of give, I am already finding a couple of weak spots despite minimal use. For these type of releases, always make sure to buy from a reliable retailer or, better yet, go to the store and pick out the best copy.
The art inside is divided by years, so it’s like an abridged journey through Fullmetal Alchemist’s history. The arrangement is sometimes strange to me, like some manga covers featured as large spreads while others are only postcard size. A few drawings have Japanese text, and translations are placed near the picture.
The first main attraction is the promotional art — the stuff drawn for calendars, prizes, magazine covers, and ads. It’s easy to forget how much manga art isn’t actually found in the manga volumes. Some are dramatic, powerful images that make a statement, others reflect holiday and seasonal spirit. The ones I absolutely love are Arakawa’s quirky, just-having-fun drawings. Ever wanted to see the military make an Armstrong snowman? Now you can!
Also included is material from Fullmetal Alchemist media that never made it to the US (like Wii games) and post-serialization drawings. I want to take the one of Osamu Tezuka’s artwork popping out of a book Ed and Al are reading and put it on my wall.
Now here is where it’s going to get muddy.
Original manga release, Fullmetal Edition, Complete Art, Art of FMA 1
If you only own VIZ Media’s original release, this is a great way to relive it and then some. You’ll get to see the color versions of the manga’s splash pages as well as obtaining covers of the Fullmetal Edition. (Plus all the outside material, obviously.) Think of this collection as a relatively inexpensive way of upgrading.
For those of you who are purchasing the Fullmetal Edition, you’ll already have (or will have) the title pages. Plus, you’ll have extra color art because of the colored manga pages, which aren’t included here (as is normal for artbooks). So while buying is less essential, if you’re springing for the deluxe manga, it seems silly not to get to get this as a companion. Tons of drawings will still be new to you, including the original manga covers which are more interesting than the character portraits of the new covers.
Now, original The Art of Fullmetal Alchemist and its sequel owners…
Surprisingly, this isn’t much of a double-dip. Besides the 100 pages of new-to-English readers material, while the original artbooks shows her drawings as the full versions including the edges and excess, The Complete Art of Fullmetal Alchemist has the final, to-print ones. I would say The Complete Art of Fullmetal Alchemist has slightly richer coloring, but that’s because of the difference between the painted pictures and the go-to-press ones. Personally, I like the more handcrafted style in the original. In addition, Complete lists where the picture originated from but does not include any commentary from Arakawa. So you’ll miss brilliant insights like, “The colonel got fat.” Character sketches from the games are not included. Also, the art is often presented differently. Many pictures are bigger or smaller, others have different backgrounds.
The very end features six pages of Arakawa being interviewed and showing her drawing process. Of course, it’s just bonus fodder since it’s the 300 pictures that you really want. And yes, you do want this. Whether it’s Al petting cats, Riza loading her gun, or Scar and Olivier glaring at the world, there is just so much good stuff to look at. Large two-page spreads or small buttons, heartrending scenes from the characters’ histories or alternate universes, Arakawa’s art is full of spirit.
VIZ Media is releasing The Complete Art of Fullmetal Alchemist just in time for the holiday season, and if you or someone you know is a fan of the series, it will make a gorgeous addition to any fan’s bookshelf. There are features from the original artbooks that I wish were continued here, and I have some concerns about the book’s lifespan. But just as Hughes likes to show off pictures of his daughter, I’m going to like showing off pictures from The Complete Art of Fullmetal Alchemist.