The new year has gotten off to a great start for fans of the cyberpunk manga classic Ghost in the Shell fans are likely to have the complete manga collection.
The Kodansha collection, which is entitled The Ghost in the Shell: Fully Compiled dropped on January 10, 2023. Kodansha has made the volume available to the public from numerous sources including Amazon, Barns & Noble, and Penguin Random House. The volume retails for around U.S. $50.00, but fans get over 800 pages of content, including exclusive artwork from Shirow himself.
Ghost in the Shell is Essential Cyberpunk
The Ghost in the Shell franchise follows the exploit of Public Security Section 9, a special unit of the Japanese Ministry of Home Affairs that focuses on anti-crime and counter-terrorists activities at home and abroad if the international activity poses a threat to Japanese interests. Section 9 is specifically focused on crime committed using cybernetic enhancements. The series is one of the most important examples of cyberpunk and has even influenced major films such as The Matrix.
All of Ghost in the Shell's Original Stories Return
The newly released compilations includes the three manga series that Shirow penned himself. This includes the original Ghost in the Shell; the follow-up series, Ghost in the Shell: Man-Machine Interface, and the prequel series Ghost in the Shell: Human Error Process. The first entry in the compilation introduces the reader to the exploits of Section 9, its main characters, the villains, and the threats they were established to monitor and regulate, The second entry follows Major Kusanagi as she seeks answers on her own issues as a cyborg in a cyberpunk society. Lastly, the third, and final part of the volume focuses on the establishment of Section 9 and how Kusanagi, Batou, and other key of the unit originally came to the section.
Despite the volume's noted comprehensiveness, it does not include the most recent chapter of the franchise, namely the ongoing 2019 series Ghost In The Shell: The Human Algorithm. This series depicts the continuing adventures of Section 9 in the absence of Major Kusanagi, who nevertheless maintains her influence in the unit from afar. It should be noted, Ghost in the Shell: The Human Algorithm is the first series not penned by Shirow, however, it perfectly stays true to the original material while exploring new ways to continue the story. Still, the volume provides the richest source to date of all things one needs to know about the Ghost in the Shell.
Ghost in the Shell: Fully Compiled is now available from Kodansha.
