Dark Horse Comics has announced the publication of a revised and expanded Second Edition of Masamune Shirow's Ghost in the Shell manga. The new edition will be printed in the original Japanese size and format, and will contain the pages cut from the original American edition. The Second Edition will be shrink-wrapped and will carry an 18+ advisory. The revised and expanded version of Ghost in the Shell will have a cover price of $24.95 and ship to retailers on October 6, 2004.
Shirow's manga is the source for the popular Ghost in the Shell anime feature, which was directed by Mamoru Oshii. A sequel, Ghost in the Shell: Innocence will get a theatrical release from Dreamworks this fall, while the Ghost in the Shell: Stand-Alone Complex TV series will premier on the Cartoon Network in November. In other words, this property is heating up at just the right time to stir up interest in Dark Horse's new edition of the science fiction manga classic that started it all.