Ghost in the Shell 1.5: Human-Error Processor [Paperback]

Shirow Masamune (Author, Artist)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 16, 2007 | Series: Ghost in the Shell

Deep into the 21st century, the line between man and machine has been inexorably blurred as humans rely on the enhancement of mechanical implants and robots are upgraded with human tissue. In this rapidly converging technoscape, the covert-ops agents of Section 9 are charged to track and crack the most dangerous terrorists, cybercriminals, and ghost hackers the digital future has to offer. Whether dealing with remote-controlled corpses, lethally malfunctioning micromachines, or cop-killer cyborgs, Section 9 is determined to serve and protect . . . and reboot some cybercrook ass! Ghost in the Shell 1.5: Human-Error Processor presents for the first time in America the "lost" Ghost in the Shell stories, created by Shirow Masamune after completing work on the original Ghost in the Shell manga and prior to his tour-de-force, Ghost in the Shell 2: Man-Machine Interface, but never collected until now.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Dark Horse (October 16, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1593078153
• ISBN-13: 978-1593078157
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #367,563 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Finally, Ghost In The Shell, 1.5, October 15, 2007

By 

Michael Valdivielso (Alexandria, VA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

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This review is from: Ghost in the Shell 1.5: Human-Error Processor (Paperback)

Ghost In The Shell, Human-Error Processor, are the stories between Ghost In The Shell 1 and Ghost In The Shell 2. Five stories, stand alones, which deal more with police procedures and the daily work that Section 9 does to fight crime, both on and off the web. The plots are not as complex as found in Gits 2 but the action is still fast and technology is still cool. The only reason I removed one point was because the Major is only in one of the stories and I think of her as the character that makes the series so hot. Robotic wasps, snipers and cyborgs, oh my!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Diverse but terse, February 15, 2008

By 

Marshall Vaughan "|\/|/" (Austin Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Ghost in the Shell 1.5: Human-Error Processor (Paperback)

Having read Dark Horse's GitS and GitS MMI (GitS 1&2) I found this an enjoyable analog to Stand Alone Complex. It features a sampler of stories from the full Section 9 of SAC anime fame (Well, Azuma instead of Bohma - Boomer?), giving it a big cast. This is good. On the down side it is half the size of either of volumes 1 or 2 and feels a bit clipped.

I still liked it better than the Kusanagi(Major)-centric book 2 and even the first book in some ways. It hints at grittier events, but is too short and frantic to be throughly enjoyable. It left me wanting more, because *this* is the Section 9 I want to read about.

It is interesting to note the book flips and scans right to left. The content is less westernized than 1&2. I get a feeling the book is a fan concession. Fortunately for the story the softcore fan appeal is less prevalent than in MMI.

Anyway. I love Ghost in the Shell. This book in particular is what I want from the series in terms of characters (SAC cast, mostly), and tone (investigations). It gets a four because it fell short of inspiring, and I feel the tales contained could have been more serious. It's still worth the price. More, please.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Manga v Anime, December 18, 2008

By 

Tracy A. Meiners - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ghost in the Shell 1.5: Human-Error Processor (Paperback)

This review is partially in response to one written by Jeffrey D. Sherwood. Jeffrey wrote that he was expecting the art style to be similar to that of the GITS anime series and films. However, there are some key differences between how anime cel art and manga art are done. The original manga btw, predate the anime, so one could argue that it would have been nice if the anime replicated Shirow's unique and captivating style.

Jeffrey refers to the art as "rough". It is important to note that Shirow has a very kinetic style, and uses heavier ink lines than many more recent manga. His color pages (atleast his older work), used a variety of oils, inks, photocopy scans and other methods to produce color. His newer work in Ghost in the Shell 2 uses amazingly well done CGI.

On the note of the story focusing on Togusa and Azuma, Shirow will often use interim or stand alone issues to further flesh out characters that play and intergral role in the overall series but don't get the spotlight. This is quite refreshing, but works mostly because these are actually quite interesting characters in their own right.

GITS 1.5 is another great addition to the series. And even if you were introduced to the series through the anime, if you can appreciate the subtle differences between the anime and manga art story telling styles, there is no reason not to enjoy this book just as much as say the GITS:SAC series.