Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning were very generous and took the time to answer some questions about the upcoming four issue Nova mini-series that is part of 2006's cosmic event 'Annihilation'! I'd like to thank Dan and Andy for their time and answers!

What is the premise of 'Annihilation'?

Annihilation is a Marvel Universe 'Cosmic Event' on a truly galactic scale. Framed by a prologue and a concluding series, the books centre on The Silver Surfer, Ronan the Accuser, The Super Skrull and, of course, Nova. The 'Annihilation Wave’ the heroes face can wipe out a solar system, scouring it of life and resources in the blink of an eye. The universe itself provides the stage and the backdrop for a galactic war that sweeps across space like an unstoppable juggernaut. The books deal with the different ramifications of the cosmic 'blitzkrieg' and how they effect their central characters as well as the Marvel Cosmic Universe as a whole.

How does your Nova mini-series fit into the overall structure with the other 'Annihilation' mini-series and concluding 6-issue limited series?

We focus on how Earth's Nova, Richard Rider gets caught up in the whole event and the effects it has on him personally and on the Nova Corp and Xandar too.

How would you sum up the Nova mini-series (movie trailer version)?

Swept along by the irresistible tide of a galactic war, Nova must come to terms with the horror of battle, the realisation that he is a soldier in a struggle he cannot win alone and ultimately discover what it is within him that makes him more than just a soldier, it makes him a hero!

2006 will be Nova's 30th anniversary. How much of Nova's history will come into play and where does the mini-series fit into his continuity?

The series is set in current continuity, but as it is set almost exclusively in space we do not see any of Nova's earth comrades. As far as Nova's history, the story we are telling stems from Nova's origins and the very nature of the Nova Corp itself. We're staying true to what has been established already, just giving it a dust off and reinterpreting it for today's audience that's more used to Matrix-style cyber punk than spacemen with ray guns.

What is it about the Nova character that you find appealing?

Both of us have fond memories of reading Nova as kids, we both remember buying the first issue and have retained that sense of discovering a new character for ourselves, not one with years of back-story. As devoted readers of 2000AD, we also loved the science fiction element of the character, and the fact that the first few issues were drawn by John Buscema only cemented Nova in our minds as a great comic character. He had all Spidey's wit and irreverence as well as space born powers that were totally cool. To finally be in a position to write the character we loved when we were growing up is a joy, and the fact that Nova can be perceived as a 'second stringer' only lends the task an extra challenge. There is so much to be explored and rediscovered with Nova's history: his powers, the Nova Corp, Xandar etc. It's a rich storehouse of sci-fi elements which we are enthusiastically rediscovering.

Will the Nova mini-series be leading into a new monthly title?

We can only hope so. I guess it will depend upon the reaction to and sales of the series. So, go buy 2 copies!

The two of you have worked together on previous projects with a good amount of success. What is it that makes the team work so well? How has Kev Walker fit into the team?

Having worked as a writing team for over 15 years now, it's a relationship that we don't really analyse. It's second nature and just seems to work. Dan writes his own stuff: novels for the Black Library and comic strips for 2000AD, and Andy is an inker on such books as Infinite Crisis and FF, so it's always fun to get together every other week and thrash out some stories. It's more like fun than work. Kev's great, his art and storytelling are second to none. He also has a fantastic feel for science fiction, his design sense and imaginative settings are fabulous. Having worked with him on Legion, where he produced some great fill-in issues, we're delighted to start a project from the beginning and are eager to see his interpretations of some of the sequences we've got planned!

Given your past success with science fiction comics, what is it about the genre that you find interesting?

There are no limits in sci-fi, everything is up for grabs: you can create whole universes and entire races of exotic beings to populate them. I guess it's a God complex we've both developed and are thankful we get to play it out in our work, it makes the streets of London a safer place!