The Fourth Precept

This article is about the real-world comic. You may be looking for the in-universe poem.

"The Fourth Precept"

Attribution information

Writer

Stephan Martiniere^[1]

Letterer

Stephan Martiniere^[1]

Colorist

Stephan Martiniere^[1]

Illustrator

Stephan Martiniere^[1]

Editor

Jeremy Barlow^[1]

Publication information

Publisher

Dark Horse Comics^[1]

Publication date

April 2, 2005^[2]

Published in

Star Wars: Visionaries^[1]

Reprinted in

Pages

5^[1]

General information

Timeline

During or after 104 ABY^[5]

Preceded by

"Entrenched" (Star Wars: Visionaries)^[6]
"Celestia Galactica Photografica (Legends Epic Collection and Omnibus)^[4]^[3]

Followed by

"Prototypes" (Star Wars: Visionaries)^[6]

"The Fourth Precept by Stephan Martiniere: A fascinating examination of the nature of the Force."

―A description of the comic in Star Wars Insider^[7]

"The Fourth Precept" is a five page Star Wars Legends comic created by Stephan Martiniere and published in the 2005 anthology Star Wars: Visionaries. The abstract comic has no dialogue and depicts a light and dark figure dueling with lightsabers on a cosmic scale, representing the conflict for balance in the Force. The concept for Visionaries was initiated by author Jonathan W. Rinzler, who wanted to highlight the works of the concept artists, including Martiniere, who worked on the prequel trilogy film Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith. Holocron continuity database keeper Leland Chee has suggested that the canonicity of the comic within the Legends continuity was unclear.

Publisher's summary

"Powerful paintings of cosmic scale make up this abstract exploration of the fundamental forces of the galaxy in their unending battle for balance in the Force."^[2]

Plot summary

Two faceless humanoid figures, one light, one dark, float inside a shiny sphere while holding lightsabers and preparing to duel. They raise their weapons and begin to clash while observed by a variety of giant creatures. The battle is intercut with images of active volcanoes, an underwater environment, two colossal monsters fighting, and starships departing the planet Coruscant. The figures continue to fight while observed by a giant vessel with a skull in its center. The final page of the comic depicts an image of the universe followed by the two figures, who have both turned blue and indistinguishable from each other. One stands holding a lightsaber while the other is behind them with arms outstretched; one hand is open while the other is a closed fist. The final panel portrays the midi-chlorians,^[1] the microscopic life-forms that grant individuals access to the Force.^[8]

Development

"Nevertheless, it seemed a shame not to give a voice to those artists who had perhaps more to say — to those who had become initiates in an arcane if popular artform. An obvious solution was to create a medium for this group to tell their own Star Wars stories. The result is Star Wars: Visionaries — intimate views by some of the key creators of a galaxy far, far away…"

―J.W. Rinzler, on the origins of Star Wars: Visionaries^[6]

An uncolored illustration from "The Fourth Precept"

The five page comic "The Fourth Precept" was created for the graphic novel anthology Star Wars: Visionaries. The comic story lacks dialogue and was written,^[1] illustrated, colored, and lettered by Stephan Martiniere,^[4] a concept artist who worked on the prequel trilogy film Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith,^[6] which premiered on May 19, 2005.^[9] Author Jonathan W. Rinzler pitched the concept for Visionaries as a way for the film's artists to share their works and ideas^[7] that would have otherwise not been publicly released.^[6] Martiniere illustrated "The Fourth Precept" in 2004,^[1] and the comic was announced on August 3 of that year on a post on StarWars.com, which also revealed Martiniere's involvement.^[10] The title and summary of "The Fourth Precept" were unveiled alongside the titles of the other ten stories in Visionaries in another StarWars.com post on March 15, 2005.^[2]

Release and reception

Stephan Martiniere created and illustrated the comic.

Visionaries was edited by Jeremy Barlow and published as a trade paperback by Dark Horse Comics on April 2, 2005.^[2] "The Fourth Precept" is the sixth story in the collection, preceded by "Entrenched" and followed by "Prototypes." The comic is also followed by an outlined draft version of one of its pages.^[6] Barlow expressed high praise for the works in Visionaries, feeling that the artists involved had offered a variety of quality stories and works which justified their employment by^[7] Star Wars creator^[9] George Lucas.^[7] The entirety of Visionaries was later republished by Dark Horse in Star Wars Omnibus: Wild Space Volume 2^[3] on October 9, 2013.^[11] "The Fourth Precept" was later published by Marvel Comics in Star Wars Legends Epic Collection: Legacy Vol. 4^[4] on March 15, 2022,^[12] which placed the comic last in the collection, following "Celestia Galactica Photografica," another comic from Visionaries.^[4]

Continuity

"…the "The Fourth Precept" is anybody's guess,"

―Leland Chee, on the canonicity of the comic story^[13]

The place of "The Fourth Precept" within Star Wars Legends was unclear. — The place of "The Fourth Precept" within *Star Wars* Legends was unclear.

When asked about the canonicity of the stories in Star Wars: Visionaries on the StarWars.com Message Boards, Holocron continuity database keeper Leland Chee stated on March 29, 2005 that "The Fourth Precept" was "anybody's guess" in regards to continuity, leaving its status unclear.^[13] The comic portrays an abstract illustration of the conflict between the light and dark sides of the Force,^[2] a concept created by George Lucas^[14] and portrayed across the Star Wars films.^[9]^[15]^[16] At the time of the comic's publication, the fourth precept of the Jedi Code, first described in the first edition rulebook of Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game in 1987, was "There is no death, there is the Force."^[17]

As a part of the Expanded Universe at the time of publication, "The Fourth Precept"^[1] would later be branded as Star Wars Legends media in 2014.^[18] Legacy Vol. 4 of the Epic Collection line, which includes "The Fourth Precept," states that the stories in it take place more than one hundred years after the events of the original trilogy film Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi—which takes place in 4 ABY—thereby placing "The Fourth Precept" in or after 104 ABY, within the Legacy era.^[5]