I hope it's a belated April Fool, but unfortunately I can see it being true/Disney doing it. The story seems to link into the 1313 video game (although it is now presumed-cancelled), and the announcement of TCW's ending did talk about a new animated series "exploring a whole new Star Wars series set in a time period previously untouched in Star Wars films or television programming" (with no reference to the comic/novel Expanded Universe).
On the other hand, I have a couple of issues with this concept:
- First, it states that the story would introduce characters and themes crucial to the new trilogy. Considering Episode VII is expected to hit screens in less than two years, does that really give them time to create and broadcast a new animated series to lead up to it? At most they could get two or three seasons out of it.
- Second, the only original-trilogy cast members explicitly referenced are Leia and possibly Luke (being "The Shade"). What happened to Han/Chewie, Lando, etc? If this was designed to interest the older SW audience then why omit several of the more popular characters?
- Third, am I reading too much into these few pages, or are we going to have a "Kala, I am your Mother" moment with Leia's scandalous indiscretion being a one-night stand with Lando during the party on Endor?