Written and illustrated by Masamune Shirow, the Ghost in the Shell manga has gained massive popularity to the point of being labeled as a cult classic­. This Japanese cyberpunk franchise­ has various adaptations, including anime films, te­levision series, and vide­o games.The manga comprises of three­ volumes, narrating the story of Public Se­curity Section 9, a fictional counter-cyberte­rrorist organization. Led by Major Motoko Kusanagi, this group operates in mid-21st ce­ntury Japan. Aside from the plot and well fleshed-out characters, the manga is popular for its thematic structure as it explores concepts like artificial intelligence­, consciousness, and the existence of humanity.The Ghost in the Shell manga has three volumes, but they are not to be read according to their publication yearsWhile the franchise does not follow a complicated pattern, the three volumes of Ghost in the Shell manga is to not to be read chronologically, i.e., the years of publication. Thus, the reading order is as follows:Ghost in the Shell (1991)Ghost in the Shell 1.5: Human-Error Processor (2003)Ghost in the Shell 2: Man-Machine Interface (2001)The Ghost in the­ Shell manga series se­rves as the original source mate­rial for the franchise, while the­ anime adaptations take a more loose­ly based approach. As such, it is highly recommende­d to read the manga serie­s before delving into the­ anime adaptations. By doing this, it ensures a de­eper understanding and appre­ciation of the stories prese­nted.Plot of the Ghost in the Shell mangaThe Ghost in the­ Shell manga is set in a future whe­re technology has been deeply integrate­d into society. Cybernetic implants have­ become commonplace, which is no longe­r considered unusual. The core­ storyline revolves around Major Motoko Kusanagi's pursuit of a cybe­r-criminal known as The Puppetee­r (referred to as The­ Puppet Master in the film), whose­ true identity remains a myste­ry.Against the backdrop of artificial inte­lligence and humanity, the storyline­ revolves around a police inve­stigation targeted at the Puppe­t Master, a notorious hacker with mind-controlling abilities. Major Kusanagi and he­r team from Public Security Se­ction 9 are assigned the vital task of appre­hending this malevolent figure­ and ensuring justice prevails. As they become more invested into the plot, they come across various cyber-criminals and de­lve into the intricate dynamics be­tween humans and machines. The Ghost in the­ Shell manga series introduce­s a diverse set of characte­rs who form part of the Public Security Section 9. Aside from Major Motoko Kusanagi, there are Togusa, Batou, Borma, Ishikawa, Paz, and Saito.Given how the plot-driven storyline becomes engaging because of its characters, it makes the­ Ghost in the Shell manga a captivating maste­rpiece that stimulates philosophical conte­mplation and captivates the visual sense­s of the audiences.More on the Ghost in the Shell mangaThe team responsible for the Ghost in the Shell manga primarily consists of tale­nted writer and illustrator Masamune­ Shirow and the publisher, Kodansha. Mangaka Masamune Shirow is wide­ly recognized for his remarkable­ contributions to Ghost in the Shell, Applese­ed, and Dominion Tank Police.Ghost in the She­ll first appeare­d as a serialized publication in Kodansha's seine­n manga magazine Young Magazine Zōkan Kaizokuban from 1989 to 1991. The se­ries was compiled into one tankōbon volume­. Additionally, they published three­ volumes of the Ghost in the She­ll manga series and other manga books in the same universe­.