Well the writers certainly have me intrigued:
Marvel.com: Jason, of all your past and current Marvel work, what do you feel will most inform your writing of STAR WARS?
Jason Aaron: This is clearly different than anything I’ve done for Marvel. And what most informs it is of course the films. I want this to feel very much like a direct sequel to the original Star Wars film; in terms of tone and voice and scope and everything.
Marvel.com: What sorts of themes do you see yourself exploring in the series? Is Star Wars about the characters or much larger things to you?
Jason Aaron: Every story is about the characters, and we’ll focus on all the old favorites. There will be big moments for everyone, from Han Solo to R2-D2. But a major part of the narrative will be driven by Luke Skywalker and his journey of discovery, a journey that will decide the fate of the entire galaxy.
Marvel.com: Okay, Jason; let’s bring it on home: If you had your druthers, what one element from Marvel’s past Star Wars stories would you bring back?
Jason Aaron: The giant bunny rabbit, of course.
Marvel.com: Okay, then what’s your philosophy in writing a series that follows a fairly heinous villain? How do you engage the readers?
Kieron Gillen: Put it like this: who doesn’t love “The Godfather”?
My model for the series is “House of Cards.” A man in a position of power who is slighted and turns to tactics that he wouldn't have really considered before. In terms of engagement with the readers, it really helps that we're set in the period between “A New Hope” and “The Empire Strikes Back.” That’s an emotionally interesting place for Vader, and I suspect many people will empathize—if somewhat darkly—with his position.
Marvel.com: What else can you say about Vader at this point in the saga, just after “A New Hope”? Where’s his head and heart?
Kieron Gillen: Vader’s the sole survivor of the greatest military disaster in history—and a disaster that he definitely had a hand in by letting the rebels escape with the plans for the Death Star. This is not a thing which leaves you in anybody’s good books, let alone the Emperor’s. But along with that, there’s these nagging sensations. Why did Obi Wan return from hiding after all these years? What about that nagging sensation about that fighter pilot who was suspiciously strong in the Force? What else is going on?
The great thing about this period is what we don’t see on the screen. Vader learns who Luke Skywalker is at some point between the two movies, to choose but one example. There is a lot of genuine emotional meat on the bone.
Marvel.com: What will be his greatest personal challenge after the rebel’s victory? His boss? His subordinates? His enemies?
Kieron Gillen: Recovering his status. At the end of “A New Hope,” we see the aforementioned disaster. At the start of “Empire,” he's acting as if he’s more in control than he ever was in the first film. The journey between the two—what happened? That’s the challenge. And that challenge involves everything you listed, and a whole lot more.
Marvel.com: Your story tackles the aftermath of Alderaan’s destruction for one; in what ways does this impact Leia the most? She seems to compartmentalize it in the first film; how will it manifest in your series?
Mark Waid: She very much compartmentalizes it in “A New Hope,” but that's our springboard: how does she really cope with losing her entire world once the events around that loss have calmed down somewhat? Does she choose to be the princess of nothing—or does she set out to rebuild her heritage and her civilization? You can probably guess the answer.