Music: FLYPAPER

 Music of 2025, #107:  FLYPAPER

FLYPAPER - Oh Well

Music: THE LEMONHEADS

 Music of 2026, #106:  THE LEMONHEADS

The Lemonheads - Deep End

The Lemonheads - In The Margin

Book Review: HARMED AND DANGEROUS by Jasper Bark

HARMED AND DANGEROUS by Jasper Bark (Crystal Lake Publishing, to be released February 20, 2026) HARMED AND DANGEROUS is very inventive, a time travel story like no other. What if you could go back in time and change the past? The task could prove to be even more difficult, if you were only visiting the past through the eyes of another person living in that timeline. That's the premise of the novel and it enters into horror and Twilight Zone territory when the time traveler learns about what may have caused childhood trauma, as the viewpoint is through the eyes of a serial killer. Worse yet, the killer has a connection to Kyra, the main character.  Bark pulls readers into this world almost effortlessly, as Kyra and other characters in the story are engaging and easy to empathize with. He understands every character's point of view and shares it with us. The author describes this work as a Southern Gothic, paranormal thriller - - which says it best. Indeed. As it winds its way through ever-meandering and engaging side trips, I came to love these characters and worry about them fiercely. Near the end the tale morphs into what it may always have been about at the core - - a heart-warming story about the importance of family. EXTRA NOTES  I love the imagery in Chapter 1: Constance lumbered down the aisle, stretching and yawning to shake off the sleep. Kyra was dragged along in her wake, like a minor planetary body, uncertain how to break out of Constance's orbit. Stepping from the bus was like crossing a threshold. The cool, sterile air of the bus was replaced by the dirty, humid fug of New Orleans. The heat was so intense Kyra could taste it at the back of her throat, like cayenne pepper in a gumbo. Her pores yawned open and sweat soaked into her parched clothes. She was pulled along in Constance's wake instead, like an errant piece of luggage, or a helium balloon losing its buoyancy. Bark seems to know his way around Louisiana or he's just a great researcher as the background of this story feels very realistic. (I'm assuming Bark still resides in the U.K.) It is impossible not to notice the symbolism and inclusion of so many 'eyes' in various forms. Even the main character's name, Kyra, which is pronounced k-EYE-rah. More cool word imagery . . . . Kyra had flown up the stairs like a cinder carved by the inferno of her rage. She just wanted this pain and anger to let up, to leave her alone so she could breathe for a few minutes. But it didn't. It built and built inside her. A pressure with no valve and no release. The burn an open wound, soothed by the night air, throbbed its morse code of pain. Thanks to Jasper Bark and Crystal Lake Publishing for providing an advance digital review copy. I wrote this review without obligation.      The publisher's information:

Harmed and Dangerous by Jasper Bark will be released February 20th. Kindle pre-order is live! Put yourself in Kyra’s place.   You're seventeen years old, lost and alone in a remote town in Louisiana. You're searching for the birth parents you never knew. The heat is crippling. The river often floods, washing houses away and lifting corpses from the ground. The locals treat you with suspicion. You don't belong here. They're hiding something. All over town, in nooks and hidden alcoves, there’s evidence of a forbidden faith. They keep the old ways here, but no one will tell you what they are.

There's an intangible presence following you. Hiding in your peripheral vision. You can't see, hear or touch it, but you know it's there, waiting for its chance to claim you. Then the episodes start.   Your vision goes and when it returns you're seeing the world as it was fifteen years ago. Physically you're in the present, but everything you see happened a decade and a half ago. Suddenly you realize.   You’re seeing through the eyes of the serial killer who murdered your birth mother. He takes control of you, forcing you to watch as he stalks and brutally murders her.   And there’s nothing you can do to stop him. Because he died by lethal injection more than a decade ago.

MY WEEK IN COMICS - - - February 15, 2026

Editor’s Note: I’ve encountered a tech glitch on my blogspot account. Admittedly, I’m not tech savvy and have learned my way around various apps through trial and error. Blogspot is part of Google, and at present Google is blocking any attempts to insert stored cover images from my laptop. I have yet to figure out how to correct this and the Google help pages aren’t really showing me the way.

Sometime in the future I will either correct this or have to make a decision whether to continue posting reviews. Without images, I feel they are less likely to be reader-friendly. 

#64-#68 =  GODZILLA: HERE THERE BE ALIENS #1-#5 by Frank Tieri and Angel Hernandez (IDW Publishing,May-October 2025) 

While this mini-series could be read on its own and fully enjoyed, it is the concluding arc of Frank Tieri’s GODZILLA: HERE THERE BE DRAGONS trilogy. 

   While I did not appreciate this as much as previous versions it is still one of the better Godzilla series out there. Too many of them are just smash ‘em up epics. This one has much more substance, depth, and even interesting character development.

However, part of my feeling may be related to the absence of the great Inaki Miranda on art, who really brought some amazing detail to the settings. Angel Hernandez’s style is simpler, although he really excels at depicting various kaiju monsters in large panels throughout this series.

   Flash forward to the 1950’s and the presence of UFOs in the night sky. It’s the Xilien invasion force. They have been on Earth as shape-shifters during the time of HERE THERE BE DRAGONS: SONS OF GIANTS (second arc of the trilogy) and have infiltrated into U.S. government. Main character Jones is laughed out of a government hearing and his special project is in jeopardy. Disillusioned, he is contacted by Dr. Kyoto and forcibly welcomed into the ranks of the Sons of Giants, who have been preparing for the Xilien invasion. 

 Godzilla is presently on a rampage and finally has the attention of government. A prefect time for the invasion. The Xiliens control Mechagodzilla who joins the battle. The Sons of Giants counter with Jet Jaguar, a Godzilla-sized android originally designed by Benjamin Franklin (former member of Sons of Giants).

  Before this ends, a boatload of kaiju enter the fray, including Gigan, Space Godzilla, Hedorah, Mothra, etc. Things get wild when the Simians reveal themselves, life-long foes of the Xiliens. They look like characters straight from PLANET OF THE APES.

It’s a crazy story that touches upon Godzilla mythology from back in feudal Japan days. Tieri wraps up his trilogy in very entertaining fashion.  FOUR STARS.

#69 =  WADE WILSON: DEADPOOL #1 by Benjamin Percy and Geoff Shaw (Marvel Comics, April 2026) 

I’m not a huge fan of Deadpool, but I picked this up based on the reputation of writer Benjamin Percy, whose fiction I appreciate. (Check out his print novels.) I was rewarded for my efforts by some stunning colorful art from Geoff Shaw.

   I was a regular follower of Deadpool during his very first series in the 1990’s. Then, as other writers took a turn at the character the humor and situations became a little too juvenile and sappy for my tastes. So I only read Deadpool stories randomly.

    Fans of the original as well as later iterations of Deadpool can relax, as Percy isn’t going to upset the applecart. The humor is still here, but seems a little reined in, and more adult.  Blind Al (a familiar and welcome character) is back. Deadpool still breaks the fourth wall and talks to the reader, in a confessional tone.

      The situations are as wild as ever. The mercenary’s first assignment  (from crime lord Hammerhead) is to take out a drug gang using cows to smuggle drugs, Deadpool’s entrance is not to be missed.

     The issue ends with Deadpool getting a cryptic message about a terroristic group of clowns threatening to murder a trainload of passengers. It’s Wade Wilson’s chance to be a hero for once. 

      During the story Percy lays some plot threads that something deep may be troubling Wilson. There’s more here to explore, and this is worth watching. FOUR STARS.

#70 =  THUNDARR THE BARBARIAN #1 by Jason Aaron and Kewbar Baal (Dynamite Entertainment, February 2026)

I confess to feeling nostalgic for the old Jack Kirby-created cartoon series on which this is based, so I picked this up on impulse - not expecting much but at least satisfying that nostalgic itch.  

   Both story and art surprised me. A well-written and vividly illustrated action-adventure story - pure escapist entertainment. 

    Here’s the promotional blurb:

When a runaway planet hurtled between the Earth and the Moon, cosmic destruction was unleashed - and mankind's proud civilizations were cast into ruin! Two millennia later, the planet is nearly unrecognizable - a harsh and savage realm where sorcery and super-science both reign over the powerless masses.

Now, rising up from their ranks, one man is breaking the bonds that restrained him. With the help of his faithful companions, Ariel and Ookla the Mok, he has dedicated his life - and the power of his mystical blade, the Sunsword - to liberating his world from the forces of evil. His name is Thundarr.

   I”ll probably stick around for a few more issues. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.

Music: SHARP PINS

 MUSIC OF 2025, #105:  SHARP PINS

Sharp Pins - Popafangout

Sharp Pins - (I Wanna) Be Your Girl

Sharp Pins - Queen OF Globes & Mirrors

Video: LINCOLN LAWYER, Season Four

LINCOLN LAWYER SEASON 4 on NETFLIX: I've watched them all, and this is the best season yet. Mickey Haller is framed for murder and it looks bad for him. This is the most suspenseful, dramatic season yet and it takes an even more complex turn near the end. Ten episodes. Worthy of the binge. FOUR STARS.

Lincoln Lawyer Official Trailer

UNDER THE RADAR Looks For More Music Lovers

 EDITOR'S NOTE:  You don't get much more 'indie' than a music magazine put out by a husband and wife, truly a labor of love. I've been reading and supporting (with subscriptions) UNDER THE RADAR for more than 20 years now. Read below to find out more about it and take advantage of some special offers. Highly recommended. Good features, interviews, and album reviews.

50% Off Subscriptions and Back Issues! Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser.

Happy Valentine’s Day from Mark and Wendy at Under the Radar. Yes, we know it’s a bit of a Hallmark holiday and can be a tough day for some, but it’s still nice to pause and acknowledge the people you care about. We don’t even remember what we did on our first Valentine’s Day 25 years ago—we’d only been dating about two and a half months, and the first issue of Under the Radarwas still more than nine months away. Over the past two and a half decades, it hasn’t always been easy balancing our work life with our romantic life (and eventually co-parenting), but we’ve made it work through love, mutual support, and a fair amount of stubbornness about keeping a print magazine alive when the world keeps telling us to move on. This Valentine’s Day, we’re putting the finishing touches on our 75th issue. Wendy is tweaking the layout on one of the two cover stories, and Mark is giving the other one a final read-through. Not exactly candlelit-dinner energy, but very on-brand for us. It’s still not easy to keep a fully independent print music magazine going, but we’re committed to staying the course for as long as we can. If you haven’t subscribed yet, or if your subscription has lapsed, we’d love for you to join us. Subscriptions are still 50% off. (And for those of you who’ve subscribed recently: we’re almost done with the new issue and truly appreciate your patience.) Subscribe for 50% off here. Or here (50% off with promo code BLACKFRIDAY2025). Below are promo codes and more info on the sale. Subscribe We’re offering 50% off print subscriptions—as low as $2.49 per issue—with the code BLACKFRIDAY2025 (valid worldwide on both four-issue and eight-issue subscriptions). Back Issues All back issues are 50% off with the code UTRBACK50.   Covers of Covers CD Also 50% off: Covers of Covers, our 20th anniversary 2-CD set featuring exclusive tracks by Piroshka, Peter Bjorn and John, Cassandra Jenkins, Grandaddy, Water From Your Eyes, Kevin Drew (Broken Social Scene), James Yorkston, and more. Grab the CD here, or get the CD + 20th Anniversary Issue bundle here. Use the promo code UTRCD50 for the CD. Our current issue (Issue 74) is 50% off here. Issue 73 is 50% off here. Issue 72, The '90s Issue, is 50% here. Issue 71 is 50% off here. Issue 70 (the My Favorite Movie Issue) is 50% off here. Issue 69 (the 20th Anniversary Issue) is 50% off here. Issue 68 (The Protest Issue) is 50% off here. Issue 66 (the My Favorite Album Issue) is 50% off here. All our other back issues are available here (use promo code UTRBACK50).  If you want a deeper look at how Under the Radar survived the last 20+ years—through births, deaths, cross-country moves, and a rapidly changing media landscape—read our behind-the-scenes secret origin story, written for our 20th Anniversary Issue in 2021. New subscriptions start with Issue 75, The ‘90s Issue Part 2, with new conversations with Pulp, Suede, Garbage, Air, De La Soul, Slint, the cast and creators of the acclaimed TV show Homicide: Life on the Street, and Clueless’ director Amy Heckerling, and more. It also features our first ever list of the best albums of the 1990s. This year we also plan to put out a special 25th Anniversary Issue, which you’ll receive if you subscribe now. New subscribers will be sent an email with complimentary codes to access the digital versions of the last two issues of Under the Radar to read while you wait for the next print issue to arrive in the mail. Below is a look inside the magazine, with some spreads from previous issues, as well as some of our original photography and some of our previous magazine covers. We’ve always shot our own covers with our own photographers since Issue 1. Plus there are some behind-the-scenes photos. Mark and Wendy in the hallway of their Los Angeles, CA apartment building where they started Under the Radar, early 2000s. (Self-Portrait) Elliott Smith in Los Angeles, CA in 2003. (Photo by Wendy Lynch Redfern)   Subscribe to Under the Radar’s print magazine. Buy back issues. Advertise with Under the Radar. Support Under the Radar on Patreon.