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I will be concise. This review is based on the manga till the end of volume 3.

Shingeki no Kyojin is a unique manga, in that it is bears more of a resemblance to Western fiction than to Japanese fiction. In some ways, it is similar to Gantz, but overall it borrows heavily from western steampunk and fantasy novels.

STORY: 9/10
Even though I'm only 3 volumes in, it is apparent that the story has immense potential.
The immense world around the small area in which the story is set is shrouded in mystery. Absolutely nothing can be guessed about it at this point. In the future, the ... manga will most probably involve revelations and discoveries about this world.
Incidents in the protagonists' past are being gradually revealed. The main character seems to have some form of memory loss. While this may seem cliché, so far it has being handled well.
The author appears to have an extensive understanding of the world he has created, in the vein of JRR Tolkien's Middle Earth.
In addition, the steampunk technology used is fairly believable, and even explained at the end of chapters.
I must confess the revelation of the main character's power took me completely by surprise. This leads me to believe that the author will handle plot twists very well.

ART: 7.5/10
The art, while not bad by any means, has a tendency to be slightly rough. It is completely hand drawn. The illustrations of the giants are quite impressive, and character design is unique. Backgrounds are some times less detailed, while distant shots of characters tend to be "derpy". None of this takes away from enjoyment.
Note that the art has steadily improved through the chapters.

CHARACTERS: 8.5/10
There is a multitude of characters besides the protagonists that may be important later on.
Character emotions are handled quite well and are very believable.
The main characters all have rather engaging, if somewhat cliché personalities.
So far, there hasn't been too much character development, but this far in, that is only to be expected.

ENJOYMENT: 10/10
Action scenes well done and never seem drawn-out. There is a fairly large amount of blood and gore. Story pacing is excellent. Never a boring moment.

OVERALL: 9/10
This is definitely one for the long run.

I'll be concise here.
The original Ghost in the Shell manga is a true gem in the world of manga, philosophy and cyberpunk.
1.5 is a set of stories that didn't make it to either the original or 2, and were released after 2.

This one doesn't have the same amount of speculative content as the original, and its short, independent cases are less memorable.
The charismatic Major is almost entirely absent. Togusa, Batou and Aramaki get the spotlight.
The absence of an overarching plotline is one of the biggest weaknesses here. Further, there is only one major philosophical theory that Masamune appears to be presenting throughout the ... volume.
I also take issue with the art. It is definitely sub-par. Rougher and more sketchy than the original manga, proportions and angles are often laughably odd.

All in all, this manga is rather unremarkable, neither good nor bad. If you're going to read GitS 2, you should read this. It would be wiser to just stop after reading the original.