... I do wish they would use this opportunity to tell new stories rather than carving new paths on well-mapped ground.

I also worry that this means we'll be guaranteed a "fake-out" moment where they pretend to be killing Spock in parallel to the original, but then don't do it because it's too derivative.

However, I am still certain to watch it. I liked the first Abrams Trek movie quite a bit even though the plot holes were so large they literally flew spaceships through them.