The characters from the original Star Trek TV series are to be reborn in a new 40th anniversary comic book project. Animation experts at Tokyopop in Japan have revamped beloved characters like Captain Kirk, Bones, Scotty and Spock for the colorful new venture, "Star Trek: The Manga."

Tokyopop artists have teamed up with top Trekkers and comic book writers to create five Star Trek episodes, based on the original TV series.

Series creator Luis Reyes says, "We've tried to make the individual stories resonate with the spirit of the original show, with (Star Trek creator) Gene Roddenberry's interest in social and political dynamics, with the fan fascination in the idiosyncrasies of these characters, and with the way the original series used science fiction as a sounding board for larger ideas."

The new Star Trek comics will be available next month.