"Ghost in the Shell" had received mainly positive reviews. "Publishers Weekly" praised the manga for its artwork: "Masamune's b&w drawings are dynamic and beautifully gestural; he vividly renders the awesome urban landscape of a futuristic, supertechnological Japan." Leroy Douresseaux of the website ComicBookBin gave the manga an A stating: "It is visually potent and often inscrutable, but its sense of wonder and exploration makes its ideas still seem fresh two decades after its debut." Peter Gutiérrez of the website Graphic Novel Reporter praised the manga, writing: "In short, "Ghost in the Shell" is hard sci-fi of the best possible sort: the type that’s so full of both undiluted artfulness and philosophy that it’s arguably a must-read even for those who don’t usually take to the genre." Greg McElhatton of Read About Comics praised the artwork, however criticized the manga for its story pacing and collection of short adventures stating, "I'm glad I got to experience Shirow's artistic view of the future and am a little interested in the idea of his "Intron Depot" art books, but on the whole "Ghost in the Shell" was a massive shell game: flashy and fascinating from a glance, but ultimately empty when you decide to dive in."