Ghost in the Shell is coming to America, and the FBI has its own Puppeteer problem in new spin

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Ghost in the Shell is coming to America, and the FBI has its own Puppeteer problem in new spin-off manga

Two powerful AIs fight for the future of humanity in this manga set alongside the original Ghost in the Shell manga.

NewsbyTrent Cannon, Senior Contributing writer
Published on Wed Sep 16 2026

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A whole new generation of fans is discovering the world of Ghost in the Shell now that the first faithful anime adaptation is airing. Now, there will be even more reason to dive into Masamune Shirow’s iconic world. This time, we’re exploring the iconic Ghost in the Shell setting from an American perspective as the FBI has its own encounter with the Puppeteer.

The announcement came earlier this month. The new series, Glitch Witch, will be set at the same time as Ghost in the Shell but on the other side of the world.

“As the FBI, AI researchers, and the military investigate, they witness an extraordinary battle between Project 2501, also known as ‘the Puppeteer,’ which merges with protagonist Kusanagi at the end of The Ghost in the Shell, and a Solomon-class AI entrusted with the fate of humanity,” is the<a href="https://x.com/thegitsofficial/status/2097339426821001536″ rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank”>description given in the official announcement.

Masamune Shirow is credited with the original concept for Glitch Witch, while Naoki Azuma (Dragon & Ape) will be drawing the new Ghost in the Shell spin-off manga. The first chapter was posted on Kodansha’s YanMaga Web website, with new chapters expected every other Wednesday.

The Ghost in the Shell manga was first published in 1989 and has received two sequels over the years. The most recent was published in 1997. From 2019 to 2025, a spin-off manga by Junichi Fujisaku and Yuki Yoshimoto was published, but this is the first time that a story is set within the American Empire, as it is known in the setting.

Each week, Popverse’s resident anime expert Trent Cannon runs down the latest and, dare we say “greatest,” in anime and manga in Popverse Jump. Some recent columns have included… 

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Trent Cannon: Trent is a freelance writer who has been covering anime, video games, and pop culture for a decade. (He/Him)

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