Despite the best efforts of the people behind Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Voyager, and the last few feature films, Star Trek isn't dead yet. The forty-year flame that appeared to be snuffed out by Star Trek: Nemesis and that flickered ever-so-briefly during the last (and some would say only good) season of Star Trek: Enterprise, is once again making its fans dream of boldly going where no man has gone before.

While we're not talking warp speed yet, here's some of the indications that one should consider as proof of life:

The results experienced at the Christie's auction last weekend were nothing short of spectacular. The event brought in more than $7 million from more than 1,000 lots of props, costumes, models and miniatures, according to Reuters. The U.S.S. Enterprise-D special effects model, which was used in the series pilot for Star Trek: The Next Generation, sold to a private bidder for a record $576,000. With a take more than double the estimates, it's safe to say that interest in Trek is still around.

IDW Publishing has just announced a new Star Trek comic book line. Where once, particularly under DC Comics, Trek comics were the standard of licensed fare, it has been years since that was true. Now IDW, with its track record including CSI, Angel, Transformers, and 24, is going to take a run at them.

Diamond Select Toys has produced an appealing line of figures and props and drew huge crowds at their San Diego Comic-Con booth with their 40^th anniversary celebration hosting of Nichelle Nichols (Uhura from the original series).

Does this constitute full-fledged success once more for the franchise?

Not yet. There are numerous other promising signs, but another dog of a film could ice the comeback for a while, just as a hit could signal a return to the “normal” that kept Star Trek at the forefront for much of the last four decades of science fiction fandom.

Writer-director J.J. Abrams has signed on to helm the next feature film. Will it do the trick? Let us know what you think!