This week's issue of Entertainment Weekly includes a one-page feature on 'The Toys of Summer,' which spotlights six different movie-related toys including two of NECA's Kill Bill Action Figures, two of Jakk's Pacific's Van Helsing Action Figures, Toy Biz's 18' Spider-Man and Diamond Select's Alien vs. Predator Plushies. 

The toys are shown in full color and EW's Marc Vera rates them all for play value, (which is sort of tongue-in-cheek since the accompanying text acknowledges the collector-orientation of these toys by stating, 'we take the toys out of the box so you don't have to'). 

Vera low-rates NECA's Bride figure in spite of the fact that the brilliant likeness of Uma Thurman should have a strong appeal to the toy's target demographic.  The author makes amends by giving the highest rating to the blood-spurting Crazy 88 Figures, but The Bride, resplendent in her blood-spattered yellow Bruce Lee costume, deserves better.

The 18-inch Spider-Man figure comes with an amazing 67 points of articulation, which is good enough for a play value of 4 (out of a possible 5), a rating that the new 'glowing heart' Frankenstein from Jakks Pacific's Van Helsing collection also earns.  Diamond Select's soft and cuddly 'plushies of death,' from the Alien vs. Predator epic, are perhaps the most daring of these offerings -- a great example of casting against type. 

The good news for retailers is that EW's savvy, full page spread should reach a lot of consumers who never have a chance to check out the hardcore toy magazines, but who just might be interested in these dynamic and diverse movie-related toy offerings.