Shirow Masamune has been turning the world of graphic fiction on its ear since...well, since as long as he?s been creating graphic fiction. While previous projects like Appleseed and Dominion set a standard that placed him among the giants of the medium, Masamune changed comics and animation forever with Ghost in the Shell. Since the release of the original series, Shirow has been moving in new artistic directions, embracing cutting-edge digital technology and the limitless fuel it offered to his creative engine.

The end result is the highly-anticipated sequel Ghost in the Shell 2: Man-Machine Interface, now available for the first time in English from Dark Horse Comics. Featuring nearly 200 pages of new art and story created since its original Japanese publication, the 11-issue series comes in dazzling full color with awe-inspiring digital effects never before seen in graphic fiction.

The sheer immensity of Shirow?s talent and imagination has burned an indelible mark on comics, animation, gaming, and popular culture that has grown to the point of near ubiquity. You can barely turn around inside a comics shop, toy store, or video arcade without finding imagery influenced by, paying homage to, or just flat-out stolen from him. The breathtaking future-shock landscapes, amazing women, cutting-edge design, and the mind-warping whirlwind of science, magic, and metaphysics remains unparalleled.

Man-Machine Interface editor Chris Warner commented, "Shirow has raised the bar as to what is possible on the comic-book page. Man-Machine Interface doesn't push the envelope, it rips it to confetti, lights it on fire, and stomps it out with a piledriver."

Ghost in the Shell 2: Man-Machine Interface #1 (40 pages, full color) will arrive in stores October 30, with a retail price of $3.99. The series will continue monthly for 11 issues.