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1st appearance of The Flash (Barry Allen) w/ origin; 1st app. Iris West; 1st Silver Age comic book; Comic Book Impact rating of 10 (CBI)


Showcase #4 isn't just the first appearance of the Flash (and forensic chemist Barry Allen). This classic comic is credited with launching the Silver Age of superhero comics that revived an entire industry. The troubling truth is that costumed heroes had become more of an afterthought in the struggling post-war comics industry. That all changed when Julius Schwartz dared to bring back the Fastest Man Alive..

Of course, the DC editor did more than swipe the Golden Age concept of the Flash. Schwartz's daring idea would lead to the notion of multiverses as DC merged their modern heroes and creations of yesterday. Showcase #4 also helped establish the playful DC spirit with a fun tale of our new Flash taking on a revamped version of the Golden Age's Turtle Man. Today, The Flash remains one of the industry's most beloved characters. There's already much anticipation for the speedster's next big-screen incarnation in the developing DC Extended Universe. Meanwhile, this classic book remains a constant collectible as a hero comic with a heroic place in the comics industry.


Artists Information

High School of Art & Design alum Carmine Infantino got his start in the industry working Timely, a precursor to Marvel Comics, where he would do spot work on anthology features, in his first work at DC he helped create Black Canary and began his long-running involvement with the Flash during his Golden Age era, as well as illustrating the original Green Lantern. After the post-war comic book slump Infantino collaborated with writer Robert Kanigher and editor Julius Schwartz to help bring back superheroes and launch the Silver Age by updating the Flash in the pages of Showcase, the reboot was a huge success and led to the superhero rebirth that has continued into the modern day, Infantino's ability to capture speed and movement on a page made his Flash believable and engaging. Carmine was promoted to Art Director and then Publisher at DC over the course of his illustrious career,

Joe Kubert (Sept. 18, 1926 - Aug. 12, 2012) began his career at the age of 13. He was also an art teacher and founder of The Kubert School. He is best known for his work on the characters like Sgt. Rock, Hawkman, Tor, Son of Sinbad and the Viking Prince.