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Star Wars: Dark Times #6
Star Wars - Dark Times (Vol. 6) - Fire Carrier
In a galaxy suddenly hunting Jedi, Master K'Kruhk is on the run with a group of young Padawans. Crash-landing on an Imperial-run planet, they hide in a refugee camp filled with thousands of others displaced by the end of the Clone Wars. But the camp isn't safe, so K'Kruhk and the younglings escape into the wilderness - only to stumble upon an evil greater than they could have imagined! Meanwhile in the Imperial capital, Darth Vader grooms a deadly new tool for the Empire!
120 pages, Paperback
First published September 18, 2013
About the author
Randy Stradley
401 books37 followers"Nearly thirty years of writing and editing comics, and this is what I have to show for it."
—Randy Stradley, pointing to this biography.
More to come, folks!
—Randy Stradley, pointing to this biography.
More to come, folks!
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
August 8, 2022
In The Dark Horse series Star Wars: Dark Times, Volume 6: Jedi Master K’Kruhk and the Padawans he has rescued crash-land on planet Arkinnea, where they are placed in a refugee camp; Darth Vader is still bent on rounding up surviving Jedis; K’Kruhk and the Jedi children discover a horrible secret about the refugee camps; aid comes from an unexpected source…
More excellent stuff from this series set immediately after the Purge (“Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith”) and long before “Rogue One”.
More excellent stuff from this series set immediately after the Purge (“Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith”) and long before “Rogue One”.
September 2, 2017
Another great arc. This one doesn't have Wheatley's top-tier art, but it's still good, and it stays on theme (suffering and confusion) while mixing things up enough to be compelling. It's actually one of the few Star Wars works I've ever seen that portrays a kind of structural violence at all. And in fact the Empire is not only not the villain here, but actually the hero of this story. It's a short arc but feels really smartly put together, lots of unusual and compelling angles on a fairly unique situation for the EU.
K'Kruhk is great as always. I'm glad he gets to reunite with the kids here, and having him decide to bring the group back onto the Empire's radar is a compelling gamble. His inner struggles are also nice, particularly as they give Master Zao a compelling problem to discuss. The crushing despair of the Dark Times finally gets Zao into a vise that feels meaningful here--where before he always wandered in and out of the plot, indifferent, now it feels like he's touched by just how universally bad things have become. I'm glad they brought him back; this is a good conclusion for his character and adds a lot, as always, to the other themes going on in this arc.
K'Kruhk is great as always. I'm glad he gets to reunite with the kids here, and having him decide to bring the group back onto the Empire's radar is a compelling gamble. His inner struggles are also nice, particularly as they give Master Zao a compelling problem to discuss. The crushing despair of the Dark Times finally gets Zao into a vise that feels meaningful here--where before he always wandered in and out of the plot, indifferent, now it feels like he's touched by just how universally bad things have become. I'm glad they brought him back; this is a good conclusion for his character and adds a lot, as always, to the other themes going on in this arc.
December 7, 2019
This arc turns the stupid meter up to 11. And still no real contribution from Vader.
Let's switch it up again and look in on master K'Kruhk and the younglings he saved from Order 66. They end up in a refugee camp where they try to hide that K'Kruhk is a Jedi. Enter Master Zao! It's high time the author started pulling characters out of his ass. Oh, how I missed ye, deus ex machina! And a master, no less. Guided by the Force, of course, of course. 'Believed' dead to not ruin the already-shaky Star Wars continuity. He tells the group what they already know - that they must run away. Well, duh, mr. Obvious!
Let's switch it up again and look in on master K'Kruhk and the younglings he saved from Order 66. They end up in a refugee camp where they try to hide that K'Kruhk is a Jedi. Enter Master Zao! It's high time the author started pulling characters out of his ass. Oh, how I missed ye, deus ex machina! And a master, no less. Guided by the Force, of course, of course. 'Believed' dead to not ruin the already-shaky Star Wars continuity. He tells the group what they already know - that they must run away. Well, duh, mr. Obvious!
May 1, 2019
For a change of scenery, the focus of this story focuses mostly on K’kruhk and his band of refugee younglings. No Das Jannir, no Uhumele. with a little bit of Vader’s search for Jannir and his training up of the assassin of failed to kill him in Out Of The Wilderness. This little side-story doesn’t really do much, but is possibly the foreshadowing of the things to come in the series finale. This is a little disjointed from the rest of the story, but did keep me informed of what may be coming up in A Spark Remains.
What I thought really worked with this story was the more empathetic look at the running of the Empire. Many of the Imperial officers would have been Republic officers who worked closely with the Jedi during and before the Clone Wars and for the betterment of all peoples. Just because they now wear grey uniforms doesn’t meant that they themselves have changed. On the other side of the coin, we see a local militia who, during the Clone Wars, fought for the Republic against the Separatists but can’t let go of the things they’ve seen and lost and are now responsible for continuing atrocities against suspected former Separatist civilians. Some of these scenes are pretty shocking and clearly quite harrowing to those who witness them, but they do keep to the theme that the Dark Times series has established.
The artwork continues to be of very high quality and its grittiness fits the dark theme of the series well.
What I thought really worked with this story was the more empathetic look at the running of the Empire. Many of the Imperial officers would have been Republic officers who worked closely with the Jedi during and before the Clone Wars and for the betterment of all peoples. Just because they now wear grey uniforms doesn’t meant that they themselves have changed. On the other side of the coin, we see a local militia who, during the Clone Wars, fought for the Republic against the Separatists but can’t let go of the things they’ve seen and lost and are now responsible for continuing atrocities against suspected former Separatist civilians. Some of these scenes are pretty shocking and clearly quite harrowing to those who witness them, but they do keep to the theme that the Dark Times series has established.
The artwork continues to be of very high quality and its grittiness fits the dark theme of the series well.
July 18, 2026
Dark Times Episode VI: Return of the Freakin' Sweet Hat
It's a good Dark Times (era) story, but a middling Dark Times (comic series) story. And I do mean it when I say this is the type of story this era should have gotten more of. We finally get to see some of the lasting effects the Clone Wars had on people's psyche. It's really not pretty. Much more respectable is the story's core conceit, as K'Kruhk provides relief work to refugees. This has always been a great fit for Jedi stories - see the early NJO series - and it gives the character some truly earned closure... until a certain other series starts!
But why is Fire Carrier a Dark Times story? Well, okay, it does follow up on the run's second arc. But said story was already a misstep. Without Jennir, DT just doesn't have the focus it needs. It simply does not have the breadth of a Legacy, the width of perspective that would allow for such diversions. For the worse, I think. As is, we're essentially on our second filler arc in a row... and there's only one more story left. This series has been mostly good in a vacuum, but it has failed to tell a tight story.
Special mention goes out to penciller Gabriel Guzman, who makes another solid argument that we really didn't need Wheatley for Dark Times to work.
It's a good Dark Times (era) story, but a middling Dark Times (comic series) story. And I do mean it when I say this is the type of story this era should have gotten more of. We finally get to see some of the lasting effects the Clone Wars had on people's psyche. It's really not pretty. Much more respectable is the story's core conceit, as K'Kruhk provides relief work to refugees. This has always been a great fit for Jedi stories - see the early NJO series - and it gives the character some truly earned closure... until a certain other series starts!
But why is Fire Carrier a Dark Times story? Well, okay, it does follow up on the run's second arc. But said story was already a misstep. Without Jennir, DT just doesn't have the focus it needs. It simply does not have the breadth of a Legacy, the width of perspective that would allow for such diversions. For the worse, I think. As is, we're essentially on our second filler arc in a row... and there's only one more story left. This series has been mostly good in a vacuum, but it has failed to tell a tight story.
Special mention goes out to penciller Gabriel Guzman, who makes another solid argument that we really didn't need Wheatley for Dark Times to work.
June 30, 2023
STAR WARS – DARK TIMES Vol.6 - Fire Carrier
This is a really cool story within the broader ‘dark times’ mythos. Good stuff. ****
Fire Carrier: #1
“As you can see, my passengers are all younglings .. orphans. One of them is hurt ..” – K’Kruhk
Fire Carrier: #2
“If I wanted you dead, Falco Sang, you would BE dead.” - Vader
Fire Carrier: #3
“Wooly, get ready .. we’re going over the OTHER SIDE of the hill .. NOW!” - K’Kruhk instructing his buffalo
Fire Carrier: #4
“Run, younglings!” – Master Zao
Fire Carrier: #5
“Yes. You said she was hiding nothing.” - K’Kruhk
“Exactly. Because she has nothing to hide.” – Master Zao
This is a really cool story within the broader ‘dark times’ mythos. Good stuff. ****
Fire Carrier: #1
“As you can see, my passengers are all younglings .. orphans. One of them is hurt ..” – K’Kruhk
Fire Carrier: #2
“If I wanted you dead, Falco Sang, you would BE dead.” - Vader
Fire Carrier: #3
“Wooly, get ready .. we’re going over the OTHER SIDE of the hill .. NOW!” - K’Kruhk instructing his buffalo
Fire Carrier: #4
“Run, younglings!” – Master Zao
Fire Carrier: #5
“Yes. You said she was hiding nothing.” - K’Kruhk
“Exactly. Because she has nothing to hide.” – Master Zao
December 31, 2018
While the art is not as great as in the previous volumes, the story does not disappoint. Right from the start, when we meet Jedi Master K'Kruhk and his bunch of younglings again, it is very clear, that something about the "refugee camp" is wrong. However, I would had never expected such a dark turn of events. Yet, Randy Stradley somehow manages to turn this story into a story of hope. I was pleasantly surprised by the depiciton of the imperial officers in this, who show empathy and humanity. Even though this story is mostly an adaption of events during World War 2, the story remains a strikingly relevant metaphor, if one keeps the migration crisis in mind. The only downside of this volume is the subplot of Vader and his Jedi assassin/hunter, which never really leads anywhere and drags down the pacing. However the rest of the story is good enough to warrant a five star rating.
9/10
9/10
August 21, 2019
Another great arc in this series. I will say that it's my least favorite of the arcs thus far, but that's not really saying much. The tone, character, and narrative are all in sync in this smaller, more focused character study. The climax was a bit hand-wavey, and it felt like there might have been 5-10 extra pages that they had to smash together at the end. But still, really enjoyable. And it's a good break between the exploits of the Uhumele crew without straying from the already introduced characters, and more importantly, the concept of the book overall.
December 7, 2025
I liked some of the connections to other Star Wars comics and novels that take place during this period and thought the story was mostly solid as well. I'd very much like to know what happened to K'Kruhk between the end of this volume and the Legacy comics, which take place over 100 years later (what was he doing during the Original Trilogy and New Republic eras?), but will sadly never get the answer thanks to Disney killing the EU.
January 26, 2020
It was nice to check in with K'krukh and Zao - good friends from the great Clone Wars comics of the Legends continuity. This volume suffers for not included anything substantive about those on board the Uhumele, and the art is not great. The inks feel sloppy and there are a lot of inconsistent faces (Relik's being the worst)/
October 10, 2023
Quite enjoyable when compared to some of the volumes that preceded it, though more pleasant than plausible. I liked that K'Kruhk and the younglings have been given a hopeful ending. It does feel a little rushed and one plot thread was given a throwaway line as a paltry conclusion, but I suspect this is due to the series being cancelled (Disney bought Star Wars and Dark Horse lost the licence).
April 15, 2026
3.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
January 6, 2021
A great way to end k'kruhks dark times story. I enjoyed seeing k'kruhk and the younglings again, their relationship and his dedication to protect them is fantastic. Another great thing that this book does, is shown that there are still imperial officers that don't believe the Jedi are evil, and that still see them as heroes. The imperial officer helping k'kruhk was a heartwarming moment, and a great ending to the story. Rating: 9/10
November 21, 2018
Star Wars Legends Project #180
Background: Fire Carrier was released in September of 2013. It collects Dark Times #23-27 (alternately, Republic #106-110), first published February-June 2013. It was written by Randy Stradley (under the name Mick Harrison) and drawn by Gabriel Guzman. Stradley Star Wars comics number in the dozens and include the majority of Dark Times. Guzman's only other Star Wars work is one of the later Darth Vader stories.
This is the sixth storyline in the Dark Times series. The story takes place not too long after the previous two arcs, 4-5 months after Order 66 (19 years before the Battle of Yavin). The main characters are Jedi Masters K'Kruhk and Zao and the Padawan Chase Piru. Falco Sang plays a minor role. The main action takes place on Arkinnea.
Summary: K'Kruhk continues his months-long flight across the galaxy with the group of Jedi younglings he saved during Order 66. Forced to seek shelter in a refugee camp on an Imperial world, the Jedi hope they can hide in plain sight, blending in with other victims of the Clone Wars' destruction. But all is not as it seems at this camp, and the Imperials on this world may not be the younglings' deadliest enemies.
Review: I particularly like the title of this storyline: "Fire Carrier" is such an evocative and apt label for K'Kruhk, his mission, his role, etc. K'Kruhk is one of my favorite Jedi characters, and his storyline in this series has felt from the beginning like the one with the highest stakes, so I was excited to see it return. This storyline was literally published 5 years after the previous one featuring this group . . . I can't imagine waiting that long for more of it. That's insane.
All that to say, it absolutely did not disappoint. The bits with Falco Sang felt like they were trying too hard to keep one foot planted in the other ongoing storylines, which was distracting and not particularly successful. Fortunately, it didn't eat up too much space. I wanted as much as possible devoted to the return of these other characters.
This is also a fairly self-contained story in its own right. While one would certainly benefit from having read "Parallels" first, I wouldn't say that's particularly necessary in order to enjoy this. I enjoyed every bit and the conclusion was everything I hoped it would be. This is definitely my favorite of the series so far.
A
Background: Fire Carrier was released in September of 2013. It collects Dark Times #23-27 (alternately, Republic #106-110), first published February-June 2013. It was written by Randy Stradley (under the name Mick Harrison) and drawn by Gabriel Guzman. Stradley Star Wars comics number in the dozens and include the majority of Dark Times. Guzman's only other Star Wars work is one of the later Darth Vader stories.
This is the sixth storyline in the Dark Times series. The story takes place not too long after the previous two arcs, 4-5 months after Order 66 (19 years before the Battle of Yavin). The main characters are Jedi Masters K'Kruhk and Zao and the Padawan Chase Piru. Falco Sang plays a minor role. The main action takes place on Arkinnea.
Summary: K'Kruhk continues his months-long flight across the galaxy with the group of Jedi younglings he saved during Order 66. Forced to seek shelter in a refugee camp on an Imperial world, the Jedi hope they can hide in plain sight, blending in with other victims of the Clone Wars' destruction. But all is not as it seems at this camp, and the Imperials on this world may not be the younglings' deadliest enemies.
Review: I particularly like the title of this storyline: "Fire Carrier" is such an evocative and apt label for K'Kruhk, his mission, his role, etc. K'Kruhk is one of my favorite Jedi characters, and his storyline in this series has felt from the beginning like the one with the highest stakes, so I was excited to see it return. This storyline was literally published 5 years after the previous one featuring this group . . . I can't imagine waiting that long for more of it. That's insane.
All that to say, it absolutely did not disappoint. The bits with Falco Sang felt like they were trying too hard to keep one foot planted in the other ongoing storylines, which was distracting and not particularly successful. Fortunately, it didn't eat up too much space. I wanted as much as possible devoted to the return of these other characters.
This is also a fairly self-contained story in its own right. While one would certainly benefit from having read "Parallels" first, I wouldn't say that's particularly necessary in order to enjoy this. I enjoyed every bit and the conclusion was everything I hoped it would be. This is definitely my favorite of the series so far.
A
December 9, 2014
I've heaped praise on Dark Times in most, if not all of my reviews of the series and most of the reasons why I love this series are true here. This story focuses on K'Kruhk and his Jedi pupils which is fine by me because he has been an awesome character the few times he has shown up. Him being focus does shape the tone of this story quite a bit (instead of the normal protagonist) and I don't want to spoil any aspects of it so I will just say that the plot definitely surprised me in a good way. As far as the art goes, unfortunately, Doug Wheatley did not do the art in this volume. Gabriel Guzman's art is pretty good though and I don't envy him having to "fill in" for Wheatley. I'm sure I've said this before, but Dark Times is my favorite Star Wars series from Dark Horse and it fills me with sadness to think that when I read the next volume, it will be the end of this amazing series. I can't recommend Dark Times enough. If you're a Star Wars fan, at least give it a try, because there is nothing else that I've read like it.
February 20, 2015
The series, taking place following the end of the 3rd Star Wars prequel depicts the society now under the reign of the Emperor and his apprentice Darth Vader. Despite what is happening, there is still a flicker of hope that leads up to the events of the original films. Great story and wished that there was more stories from this series.
November 4, 2015
This was a excellent read with plenty of life lesson that can be applied, not just mindless reading. The art continues to be consistent but the ending was the best part of this book. I have to say I was caught completely off guard. This was a complete emotional roller coaster just the way I like them. My rating for this book is 5.0 out of 5.0. Great!!!!
March 13, 2014
Once again it is made clear that these stories take place during the "dark times". Something new found at the end of this arc is hope.
May 3, 2015
Consistently excellent series since, what, 2006? Although the volumes have come out pretty sporadically. One more volume to go. Thank you, Marvel Unlimited... only you understand me.
January 29, 2016
Schöne Geschichte, dessen großes Minus leider der Zeichenstil ist.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews