Author Mark Millar (Kickass) has arguably worked with some of the greatest living artists currently working in the comics industry including Sean Gordon Murphy (Chrononauts), Frank Quitely (Jupiter’s Legacy), Goran Parlov (Starlight) and more. He’s even snatched DC’s Batman artist Greg Capullo (Spawn) for an upcoming project. Now the author is taking one of the most consistent names in comics with artist Stuart Immonen (Star Wars) for an upcoming original creator-owned project called Empress. The story follows a woman married to an alien dictator who must escape his clutches. In addition to providing for her own safety, the Empress must save her three children from the alien’s clutches.

“It’s interesting that this genre has tended to skew more Blade Runner and Alien, but Star Wars proves the market is so potentially enormous, especially given that those characters just came in and dwarfed the sales on all Marvel and DC’s top characters last year overnight,” Millar told THR.

In addition to Immonen, the creator is joining Empress with frequent collaborator and inker Wade Von Grawbadger (New Avengers) and another modern Marvel staple; colorist Ive Svorcina (Thor: God of Thunder). Marvel provided The Beat with preview pages and the solicitation for the first issue set to debut in-stores next Wednesday:

EMPRESS #1 (of 7) (FEB160939)

Written by MARK MILLAR

Art & Cover by STUART IMMONEN

Inks by WADE VON GRAWBADGER

Colors by IVE SVORCINA

Letters by PETER DOHERTY

Variant Covers by STUART IMMONEN (FEB160940),

SEAN GORDON MURPHY (FEB160942) and STEVE MCNIVEN (FEB160943)

Millarworld Exclusive Skottie Young Variant Available (DEC158595)

Sketch Variant by STUART IMMONEN (FEB160941)

Blank Variant Also Available (FEB160944)

FOC – 3/14/16, On-Sale – 4/06/16

Empress_1_Cover Empress_1_Immonen_Sketch_Variant Empress_1_Immonen_Variant Empress_1_McNiven_Variant Empress_1_Murphy_Variant Empress_1_Preview_1 Empress_1_Preview_2 Empress_1_Preview_3 Empress_1_Preview_4 Empress_1_Preview_5 Empress_1_Preview_6 Empress_1_Young_Variant