The Major breaks out in the cover art for Global Neural Network. Image : Stephanie Hans ( Kodansha )

Ghost in the Shell is one of manga’s most revered and beloved series. Later this month, similar to its previous Attack on Titan anthology, Kodansha is releasing a new collection of stories by Western creators in the Ghost in the Shell universe—and we’ve got an exclusive look inside.


The Ghost in the Shell: Global Neural Network is a new hardcover collection featuring stories from comics creatives like Alex de Campi (Twisted Romance), Giannis Milonogiannis (Prophet), Genevieve Valentine (Catwoman), Brent Schoonover, and more. To boot, the whole endeavor was supervised by Ghost in the Shell creator Shirow Masamune—who considers it the first official addition to the franchise’s comic book universe since 2003's interquel manga Ghost in the Shell 1.5: Human-Error Processor.

While the main cover of Global Neural Network will be provided by Descender artist Dustin Nguyen, io9 can exclusively reveal the previews-exclusive variant cover for the collection, by Stephanie Hans, available for order through your local comic book shop (use the code JUL182431, and find your local comic shop here!):

The Ghost in the Shell ©Shirow Masamune/Kodansha, Ltd.; The Ghost in the Shell: Global Neural Network ©Kodansha USA Publishing, LLC. Image : Stephanie Hans ( Kodansha )


You can find more of Hans’ artwork on her Tumblr. But that’s not all! We’re also very excited to exclusively reveal a preview of one of the four stories in Global Neural Network, “Star Gardens,” by Brenden Fletcher, LRNZ, and Jodi Wynne; check it out in the gallery below.

Story by Brenden Fletcher, art by LRNZ, and lettering by Jodi Wynne. The Ghost in the Shell ©Shirow Masamune/Kodansha, Ltd.; The Ghost in the Shell: Global Neural Network ©Kodansha USA Publishing, LLC. Advertisement You can skip ad after 1 second You can go to the next slide after 1 second Continue Advertisement You can skip ad after 1 second You can go to the next slide after 1 second Continue 1 / 11

The Ghost in the Shell: Global Neural Network is out October 16.