After action-packed volume 10, can Fullmetal Alchemist get any better? The answer is yes. Volume 11, while not as edge-of-your-seat exciting as volume 10, is still gripping and delivers a lot of punch.
Ed goes to visit his mom's grave, only to find his dad there. Hohenheim left the family many years ago, and Ed hates his guts. When Hohenheim finds out that Ed and Al tried to resurrect their mom, he asks a very strange question: Was what they brought to life really their mom?
Back in Central, Havoc has just found out that he's suffered spinal cord damage and will never be able to walk again. Mustang sends Breda to find Dr. Marcoh, in the hopes that he can help Havoc. Unfortunately, Breda finds that someone has beaten him to Dr. Marcoh; someone who looked exactly like Breda.
Meanwhile, May Chang (who was Mei Xhang, back in volume 8; more on that later) is rescued from starvation by none other than Yoki. May Chang is still searching for Edward Elric, and she decides to travel with Yoki and Scar until she can pay off her debt to them.
There isn't much actual action in volume 11 until the end, but there is a lot of character development. The reader finally discovers what happened to Al's body when he went through the gate, and what happens when an alchemist attempts a human resurrection. Lin has a much larger part, and we have a chance to learn his back story as well as his reason for being in Amestris. There aren't many pages of extras in this volume, but the "Edward Elric, Alchemist of the People" scene definitely makes up for that.
The art is, as always, wonderful. Arakawa-sensei is very good at capturing human, or in some cases, inhuman emotions.
My only problem with the volume is Viz's translation. Not only does Viz replace all the Japanese sound effects with English ones, but they have yet again proven their inability to proofread anything. Ed has a line where the verb is missing ("He just doesn't to be a parent, that's all."), there's a page where Winry's and Ed's lines are switched, and there's the totally nonsensical line "Mercy me!". Although it's pretty easy to tell what the characters are supposed to be saying, there's no reason for Viz to do such a sloppy job.
Viz is also unable to decide on names. In the earlier volumes, it's the Ishvarlan war, but in the more recent volumes it's the Ishbalan war. Mei Xhang's name was also changed to May Chang in volume 11 for absolutely no reason. Once you pick a spelling, for the sake of your fans, stay with it!
Other than that, volume 11 is an amazing addition to an amazing series. So, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and buy it!