The Ghost in the Shell: Global Neural Network (2018)

The Ghost in the Shell:

Global Neural Network (2018)

Authors: Max Gladstone / Alex de Campi / Genevieve Valentine / Brenden Fletcher | Illustrators: David López / Giannis Milonogiannis / Brent Schoonover / LRNZ | Page Count: 160

"There was something odd. Like an echo.
I need to go deeper."

Kodansha really do like to big-up their derivative Ghost in the Shell tie-in books. Previously they claimed to have delivered a 'definitive history' of the franchise (in the README). Now it's a 'historic collaboration' with series creator Shirow Masamune.

However, there's nothing in the book to suggest that Shirow had any input beyond granting permission for his characters and their world to be used.

It would be wrong of me to assume that was the case for sure, but given the publisher's actions to date I feel they'd be shouting it from rooftops if he'd truly been involved in any kind of meaningful hands on manner. If I ever find out the truth, I'll return and edit it in here.

What I know for sure is that the book includes four stories by four different authors and four different artists. In the order presented:

01. Automatic Behavior by Max Gladstone and David López. The story is the only writing credit I can find for Gladstone, whereas Spanish illustrator López has worked on titles by Marvel, DC, and BOOM! Studios. It's set in Shanghai, 2029 and sees Major Motoko Kusanagi paired with an old wartime rival as she searches for a kidnapped Section 9 colleague.

Structurally it feels mostly inspired by the SAC version of GitS, with a similar kind of twist, but the characters don't often speak like they did there, and López's version of Motoko is a departure from how she's been depicted previously. Quite often the combat and infiltration element reminded me more of Æon Flux than it did GitS, but overall it's an okay start to the anthology.

02. Redbloods by British-American writer Alex de Campi and Greek artist Giannis Milonogiannis is the closest the book gets to capturing an actual GitS feeling, with artwork that's a clear and respectful nod to the manga original. Initially, it's a story about a missing girl, but develops into something larger that's split mostly between Japan and America. It shows an understanding of each team member's individual skills, choosing those best suited to specific tasks. Of the four stores included in the book, it's the one that I'd choose to read more than once.

03. After the Ball is Over by American creators Genevieve Valentine and Brent Schoonover has a first-person telling in its text boxes, with an occasional hard-boiled slant. The blurb on the back of the book states that all four stories star Motoko, but that's another Kodansha lie. Set near an American border, After the Ball is Over's connection to GitS is solely in the technology present, there's none of the regular characters, and it's as dull as shit, in my opinion.

04. Star Gardens by Canadian author Brenden Fletcher and Italian artist LRNZ (Lorenzo Ceccotti) is an interesting piece with nods to more than one version of GitS, but is primarily styled on Arise. Set in Newport City it tries hard to be more than the sum of its parts, but doesn't quite achieve that goal. The concepts of memory and identity get a little lost in the telling and the artwork is messy, with panelling that often makes little or no narrative sense.

If Global Neural Network had been sold as individual issues in a regular ongoing monthly comic book format, then I'd have given up buying it after issue #4. Exploring the world from varying cultures was a mildly diverting experiment, but the resultant works lack the unique spark that made GitS work in the beginning, and ultimately served only to further dilute the franchise.

The back cover blurb mentions a 'pinup illustration' by Becky Cloonan, but that too is stretching the truth. There is an original artwork by Becky, depicting Motoko hooked up to many wires, but it's part of the Contents Page and certainly not a 'pinup' by any widely accepted definition.

- David López's version of Motoko. I shit you not. -