The Order of the Crimson Moon continues to unfold its retro-inspired narrative for collectors.
The latest buzz in the action figure world centers around The Order of the Crimson Moon, a fresh line from Fresh Monkey Fiction & Big Bad Workshop. This series, which nods towards vintage lines like Action Force and classic horror motifs, is stirring interest among collectors with its unique blend of nostalgia and innovation.
The Order of the Crimson Moon Figures
Two recent reviews from Action Figure Barbecue highlight “Order of the Crimson Moon” figures—focusing on a generic army-building cult member and Major Noir. The cult member figure is versatile for army building, with interchangeable hooded heads, allowing for varied displays whether collectors prefer them as nameless henchmen or as unique villains. Major Noir emerges as a promising addition, drawing inspiration from the vintage Palitoy toyline’s Action Force villains.
The figures are set within a 1974 Transylvanian horror scenario, involving a werewolf cult led by the devious Major Noir. This narrative setting offers rich, thematic opportunities for storytelling and collection on the themes of horror and vintage military fantasy. As this line expands, it further blurs the boundary between action figures and narrative storytelling, a trend seen more prominently as collectors seek deeper engagement with their collections.
Classic and Nostalgic Reimaginings
The Masters of the Universe and G.I. Joe lines continue to thrive on nostalgia and modern reinterpretations. Mattel’s recent release in the Masters of the Universe “Origins: The Powers of Grayskull” series features Gray, a character that harkens back to the 1980s planned expansion of the franchise. The character’s deep lore and transformation into He-Ro breathes new life into older story arcs, as noted by Action Figure Barbecue.
Similarly, Hasbro broadens the G.I. Joe Classified Series with Snake-Eyes III, also known as Dawn Moreno, underlining a narrative evolution that started in IDW Comics’ 2016 run. This variant honors both the classic Snake-Eyes and introduces a fresh character development trajectory, appealing to both longtime fans and new collectors.
Animated Influences and Character Preservation
McFarlane Toys’ Zatanna from “Batman: The Animated Series” and Mattel’s Raven from the “DC Universe Infinite Heroes” line highlight the ongoing enthusiasm for animated series-accurate figures. As discussed on ShesFantastic, Zatanna taps into nostalgic value, capitalizing on her limited appearance in the series but maintaining character fidelity in design.
Meanwhile, Raven continues to inspire as she seamlessly transitions from animated aesthetics to comic design, reflecting the dynamic shift seen in many DC figures where animation influences mainstream comics. Raven’s design evolution from a once “distracting” costume element to a now iconic look follows the collector community’s growing appreciation for such transformations, as covered by ShesFantastic.
This week’s releases and reviews signal a steady expansion and interweaving of nostalgia, narrative, and character-driven storytelling within the action figure market, inviting collectors to delve deeper into their hobbies and perhaps engage with broader thematic stories that their figures can embody.
