Description

Haunted Tank                                                                                                                 Comic Set w/ Variant
The Haunted Tank is back in action in this 5-issue miniseries. In times of war, the ghost of Confederate Civil War General J.E.B. Stuart returns to assist his descendants in battle.
Includes the Variant Cover #1B by Henry Flint.  Awesome!!
Writer: Frank Marraffino
Artist: Henry Flint
Colorist: Lee Loughridge
Letterer: Travis Lanham
Editor: Brandon Montclare
Cover #1 by: Joe Kubert
Variant Cover #1B by: Henry Flint
Cover #2 by: Paul Pope w/ David Rubin
Cover #3 by: Michael Wm. Kaluta w/ Jaime Grant
Cover #4 by: Shane Davis, Sandra Hope, & Dave Stewart
Cover #5 by: Ted McKeever w/ Chris Chuckry

African American tank commander Jamal Stuart has his 21st century war ride in full battle rattle and is ready for anything – anything except the spirit of Confederate Civil War General J.E.B. Stuart! Modern American soldier, Jamal Stuart, the descendant of venerated Civil War veteran James Ewell Brown Stuart, gets a visit from J.E.B. Stuart’s ghost and declares that he is honor-bound to protect his family line in times of war. But the African American tank commander insists that the white-on-white wraith has got to be in the wrong tank, because the only “Stuart” in this tank is himself… It’s the newest chapter in the legacy of a long-time DC icon.

Story/spoilers
In issue #1, “Shock and Awesome”, During the early 2003 Invasion of Iraq where an Abram tank, commanded by Jamal Stuart and his crew Babe Johnson, Chop Chop and Hot Rocks are lagging behind a hundred miles away from their company due to a blown road wheel arm (which Chop Chop reveals it was all thanks to Johnson’s driving for running over a camel). Suddenly a hand-held missile is fired on their tank, causing minor damage but knocking everyone out from the impact. The shooters, a band of Syrian raiders, approaches the tank and prepares to take it. But the ghost of Confederate J.E.B. “Jeb” Stuart appears and takes control of the tank’s machine gun and killing the raiders. Johnson and Jamal regain consciousness and are surprised of seeing the Confederate ghost. Jeb introduce himself to them in which Johnson, who also hailed from the American South, is very happy to meet him. Jamal asks him why he is here in which the spectral Colonel explains that ever since he died during the American Civil War his spirit has been burden and honored to continue leading men in every era’s cavalry – specifically mechanized armor as of modern times – which is why he is here to acquit himself to his fullest of his abilities to help them. Jamal then asks as to why he, and “southern boys” like him, fight so hard against overwhelming odds which Jeb responds that it is foreign powers that seeks submission of one’s sovereign state fuels the need for defiance. However, Jamal, being an African American, then immediately raises the issues of slavery that Jeb practically fought for before Johnson cuts in and question Jeb of how he could decide which tank he could assist. Jeb explains that it has always been that he and his descendants, who carries the family name “Stuart”, in battle. Then everyone (including Jeb) surprisingly realizes that Jamal Stuart is Jeb’s descendant that he must serve with. Jamal is not too happy of this awkward revelation and angrily storms back to his tank to wake his remaining crew and continue on their mission. On the way, Johnson professes to Jamal that Jeb could be a valuable ally to them, but Jamal remains ill-content and refuses any kind of help from his ancestor while Chop Chop and Hot Rocks are confused of the conversation between the two and are skeptical of what they had told them. Inadvertently they come across four Iraqi tanks. The crew take action and preemptively destroying three of them. As they tried to target the last tank, they accidentally drive into a trench and are unable to target the enemy tank and are left vulnerable. Fortunately, Jeb appears and slices the Iraqi tank’s cannon with his cavalry saber and killing its crew. Jeb regroup with Stuart and his crew, which Chop Chop and Hot Rock sees him for real. Jamal, however, is still not happy to see him despite what Jeb did to save them and ask him why he is still here. Jeb honestly swears that he is still honor bound to serve with Jamal and that he will stay with them indefinitely. Jamal then admits to Jeb that he did saved them two times already and asks him if he is really to serve him and his crew even if he is black. Jeb confess that he will serve by their side regardless of race (including Chop Chop who is Korean-American). Jamal agrees to have him but points out that even though he is outranked by Jeb he is still the commander of his tank and crew which Jeb gives his consent. Johnson then reveals to everyone of having erected a ratty Confederate flag onto to their tank in recognition of their new member, much to Jamal’s annoyance. Jamal then asks Jeb to be useful and tells him as to how they will get out of the desert because they are still lost.

Includes the Variant Cover #1B by Henry Flint.  Awesome!!

Next in issue #2, “Freedom Fried”, The Haunted Tank crew are still lost in the desert without any electronic contact as Jeb Stuart regales his war days which greatly annoys Jamal due to the overt, yet harmless, racy tone in his story. Just as they stop to figure a way to reach their destination, they are then attack by a cadre of Iraqi technicals. The tank crew take action and hold their ground as they manage to annihilate their attackers while Jamal continues to argue with his ancestor about race. After the carnage is over, Jamal have a private discussion with Jeb as the tank crew discuss about their commander’s family relation to the historical Confederate. When learning that Jeb was very popular with the women of his day through poems, Hot Rocks grew interested in this and shared his “poem” through rap. Jamal manage to reach command, but is cut short by Jeb’s discovery of a still alive Iraqi combatant. The crew take the soldier as their prisoner and decide to interrogate him for intelligence. The soldier, who is named Jassim, understands English and confess that the reason that he is fighting against the western coalition forces was because they are simply invading his country to enrich their respective nations. The crew are in disbelief to hear it and answer that they only wanted to overthrow Saddam Hussein and finding the “W.M.D.s” (weapons of mass destruction) the dictator supposed to possess. When Jassim inquired the meaning of the latter and soon understanding it, he divulge that there are suicide bombers being trained to resist the invaders. Jamal immediately sees this as an actionable intelligence and sets this as a first priority for his crew to hunt down the bombers before rejoining their company. Jamal’s initiative, however, is taken for granted by Jeb, who warily tells him not to as this action is not too dissimilar to his days during the Civil War. In 1863, Jeb and his brigades were sent on a daring raid into Northern lines and were given orders to track down the Union Army and report on its disposition. But his overly zeal in disrupting Union supply lines brought him far into enemy line to unable to find the Union Army, in which he failed to report back to General Robert E. Lee at the Battle of Gettysburg, where the Confederate Army suffer its devastating defeat to the Union due to Jeb’s personal ego. Jeb wisely advised Jamal to not be to consume by his pride and to share his intelligence with his superiors in the hopes of saving more lives and averting an even greater tragedy. Jamal accepts the elder Stuart’s lesson. He then decide to release Jassim much to the surprise of his crew as he shared his belief that the United States has no quarrel with the Iraqi people and only wanted to build a better Iraq in which their former prisoner is very grateful. As a share of his sympathy, Jamal provides some MRE’s for Jassim, who he now shares some kinship with Hot Rocks over rap music.

Next in issue #3, “Between Iraq and a Hard Case”, The tank crew have finally arrived at their destination at Checkpoint Charlie on April 2003, at the outskirts of Baghdad and reunited with their task force. Just as they arrive, Jeb Stuart is shocked to learn that Jamal is a “Yankee” by birth. The crew have the chance to rest for two hours before moving out with the task force. They are also met with war correspondent journalist Schwartz, whom they previously met before, and doesn’t see Jeb Stuart’s ghost in which the crew kept to themselves about their new ally. Jamal consults with Schwartz on the matter with the Iraqi population. As he finished talking with Schwartz, Jamal is saved by Jeb from being run down by a bus that is driven by insurgents. Jamal and his crew retaliated with gunfire which destroyed the bus. Chop Chop checks the wreckage and to his horror to discovers that the bus was also carrying civilians. Two hours later, Jamal’s crew leads the task force. The crew are shaken of what they done, but Jamal assures them that it wasn’t their fault but the terrorists. Something which Jamal swear that he will extend the same courtesy on those that had led to the September 11 attacks. This led to Jeb to recounting another story in his life. In a flashback to his days in West Point, Jeb was accepted into a challenge of insults with a fellow student that left him with a black eye but proudly kept his honor. Something which his friend Curtis Lee, son of West Point’s superintendent Robert E. Lee, was concerned of Jeb’s steadfastness for being unable to understand and underestimating his rivals. Jeb summarized the moral lesson that honor dictates the defense of one’s ideals. Jamal is intrigued by this but points out that his belief would undermine and acknowledge the fact to Jeb that Robert E. Lee would have told him the saying about a lesson to be learned. Chop Chop gives a history lesson about Iraq ranging from its rich history in the classical era, its wealth of knowledge, and that Abraham, the founder of the three monotheistic faith was born in Iraq. Jeb is impressed to hear this with the phrase “Ah’ll be a monkey’s uncle” which led to another heated argument with Jamal over evolution and the origins of the human race in Africa. Their argument is immediately cut short as their convoy reconnoiters into a column of Lion of Babylon tanks. Jeb takes the initiative and leads the charge, allowing Jamal’s crew and their column enough time to attack the opposing tanks. The column makes short work of the tanks and proceeds on their advance. Jamal and Jeb resume their argument into a standoff, but Jeb relents. Chop Chop shares his concerns with Jamal over his sudden militant attitude which he suspects that it is due to inheriting his traits from his ancestor. Babe inquire Jeb for relinquishing his duel with his descendant despite his talk of honor. In response, Jeb states that it is improper to deal with an “inferior officer” in which Babe corrects him if he means “subordinate”.

Next in issue #4, “I Had Rather Died than be Whipped!”, In 1855, Jeb Stuart is riding back to his plantation as he thinks over an imminent Northern attack on the South. Just as he returns to his home, he finds his overseer who is about to whip a female slave. In the present, the tank crew and Task Force 1-64 Armor are nestled outside of Baghdad as the city is being bombarded which Jamal and Jeb Stuart observe with fascination. Babe, Hot Rocks, Chop Chop are playing cards with Schwartz. At Schwartz’s behest the crew reveal their reasons for fighting in the war: Chop Chop reveals that he joined the Army for the tuition money; Hot Rocks was a former criminal on a moral waiver; Babe saw the military as something more exciting than working in his family business as a pig farmer; and Jamal purely follow his duty as a soldier and its aspects. The next day, the tank crew leads the Task Force to Saddam International Airport. At hearing the 1st Gulf War from Jamal, Jeb regales on one of his stories. In 1856, Jeb partook in the apprehension of “terrorist free-staters” in Kansas which he came to arrest the fervent abolitionists John Brown. By 1859, Stuart participated in the federal raid on the federal armory in Harpers Ferry where he once again came across John Brown, who was leading an attempted armed insurrection to end slavery and arrested him. Jeb lamented that he should have caught Brown and dispatched him for his actions the first time he had met him. Jamal is disgusted to hear from Jeb’s statement which degenerate into another issue on slavery and their views of John Brown before the tank column is then immediately attacked by Iraqi resistance fighters. Jeb takes the initiative in flanking their enemies on the buildings’ rooftops. Chop Chop then realize that the column is going in the wrong direction into downtown Baghdad as according to a traffic sign. Jamal has their tank to turn the column to the correct direction to the airport. However, they soon find the airport to be heavily defended. Jeb provides more flanking which inspires Jamal to hard drive the tank and allowing enemy fire to accidentally hit on their own people before finally breaching into the airport. Back in 1855, Jeb learns from his overseer that the slave woman was trying to steal a loaf of bread to feed her baby. He then has the overseer to serve the slave’s punishment before walking to his plantation house. This is watched by another slave who vengefully swears that Jeb will not live to see peace in the afterlife.

Finally in issue #5, “It’s a Nice Place to Visit, But…”,The Haunted Tank crew have advanced into central Baghdad as they overcome any enemy combatant they encounter before securing an intersection to stage a rally point. They then literally run into a car driven by an Iraqi officer of the Iraqi Army in which they apprehend him. Schwartz joins the crew as they openly discuss about Iraq’s fractious history concerning the fact that, as provided by Chop Chop, the nation has never been a unified country but an artificial creation of the British in 1921 in which three cities, each controlled by the Sunni, Shia, and Kurds, were mapped and called to be Iraq. This discussion led Jeb Stuart into telling his story of how he faced against the Cheyenne Indians in 1857 in which he was wounded by a Cheyenne after killing his attacker. After finishing his story, Chop Chop, Babe, and Hot Rocks are already fast asleep from fatigue. Schwartz shares his doubts about the war with Jamal, stating that it is “the ultimate failure. A failure of leadership and rational thought.” Jamal rebukes him and expresses that “it’s killing your enemy before he kills you! Hit him first, hit him hard, and then go home. There’s no place for ideology out here.” Schwartz apologizes Jamal before the Sergeant falls asleep. The next morning, the tank crew lead their forces to Zawra Park as they are welcome by some of the Iraqi people. Jeb recall this moment to his Maryland Campaign of September 1862 in which he noted that nearly every Marylander didn’t greeted him and his men as “liberators.” His story is cut short as the tank column falls into an ambush by insurgents. The tank crew manages to repel the insurgents before finally arriving in Zawra Park. The tank force begins to secure the area. Schwartz also joins in the battle. As the tank crew are dismounting, Chop Chop is shot by sniper fire. He is immediately seen to by his friends, who they request for a medic. Jeb assures them that Chop Chop’s “sacrifice” didn’t go in vain. Jamal reacts Jeb’s attitude with anger and accuses his ancestor that he never even cares about the cost in his gallantry and that he “love” being in war, believing that he is using his honor as a cover for exploitation. He again tells Jeb as to why he is truly here and how is he able to keep on fighting beyond death. It is then revealed that in the past Jeb had repeatedly raped the same slave woman who had been trying to feed her baby, who in turn is his child and thus creating Jamal’s lineage. For his sinful actions, he was cursed by a slave with a voodoo spell in which Jeb’s soul will eternally continue to be at war forever. In anger, Jamal punches Jeb. He tells his ancestor that he is looking forward to never see him again once their duty in Iraq is over. However, Jeb states otherwise that their tasks is not that simple as he knows in his feelings that the conflict is not over, but growing as opposing factions within Iraq are refusing to back down from their differing beliefs and ideologies and acknowledge what will lead to: civil war.

Comics lot contains: Haunted Tank (2009) Issues #1-5 & Variant #1B.  Vertigo / DC Comics

Comics are bagged & boarded and will be carefully / securely packaged then shipped via USPS Priority Mail to ensure that it arrives to you perfectly and quickly.

All First Printings
Publisher: Vertigo / DC Comics
Publication Date: 2009
Format per comic: FC, 32 pages, Comic, 10.25″ x 6.75″
UPC: 761941266558

Collectible Entertainment note: Comics 1,1B,2,3,4,5 are in Fine to Very Fine condition.  Nice Set!  Please See Scans!!  A must have for any serious Haunted Tank, Tank Warfare and/or Ghost collector / enthusiast.  A fun & entertaining read.  Highly Recommended.

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