Incident in an Old Haunt (Showcase '95 #12). A super-short Shade piece, but it's nice both to remind us of his core nature and to contrast it with a super-demon [8/10]. 
 Encounters (17). There's a lot to like in this Day in the Life issue, but I think it's the final couple of pages and Shade's attitude therein that really make it shine [8/10]. 
 Times past: First Joust (18). This is interesting mostly for showing how Ted interacted with Opal City in his time. We didn't *really* need a full issue to see why these five people met their doom in Sins of the Child, nor was it that interesting to see Ted and the original Mist "joust". But it was an enjoyable story [6.5/10]. 
 Talking with David '96 (19). Like the previous Talking, this one has moments of touching characterization and long dull bits (here, the pirate fight) [6/10]. 
 Day & Night, Dark & Bright (Showcase '96 4-5). Nice to get some backstory on Shade's changing character and some more insight into Culp, but beyond that, there's not a lot of depth in this short two-part story [6/10]. 
 (Though I'm very pleased to have the Showcase stories, all said the overall arc really grinds to a halt in the first 100 pages of this volume, because of all the diversions.) 
 Sand and Stars (20-24). This is a spectacularly good arc, which is nice after some disappointments. Robinson captures the essence of Wagner's Sandman Mystery Theatre beautifully, and also does a great job of capturing the characters of the protagonists decades later. Wesley's arc of courage refound is the best part of the story; Jack is almost an afterthought. The epilogue with Jack and the Mist in #24 is every bit as good because it humanizes the Mist and says a lot about Jack's character, not necessarily all good [10/10]. 
 Legends of the Dead Earth (Annual 1). Robinson totally subverts the Dead Earth's concept by telling stories of *our* past, and as a result this annual is great, rather than worthless like most of the Dead Annuals Annuals from this year. Gavin's story is terrific, especially with its twist at the end, and it's a nice setup for the future. The story of the first Starman and O'Dare is quite enjoyable too. And Robinson even manages to get great mileage out of the frame itself [8+/10]. 
 To Hell and Back (24-26). This is a fine adventure, though not up to the level of some of the more amazing arcs. The last issue is the best, with Matt, Shade, and Jack meeting their temptations in Hell, even if the end is a bit obvious. A nice ending too [7.5/10] 
 Christmas Knight (27). A sappy story, but an enjoyable one [8/10]. 
 Times Past: 1976 (28). A nice look at Mikaal's origins, and a really cool integration of him into the '70s scene. However, the main plotline doesn't hold up to the trappings [6.5/10]. 
 The Return of Bobo (29). There's not a lot to this story, but it introducing an interesting new character, has some nice continuity, and has a few great moments [8/10]. 
 Overall, this volume is a bit more scattered than its predecessor, but it's still pretty great and holds up quite well.