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On The Eve Of Flashpoint, The First Barry Allen Flash In Showcase #4 Sells For $100,000

Published Wed, 11 May 2011 02:43:50 -0500

Last updated Thu, 12 May 2011 20:36:01 -0500

A Showcase #4 CGC 9.2 has just sold via comicconnect.com and esquirecomics.com for $100,000. The comic is the first appearance of the Barry Allen incarnation of the Flash character.

The 1956 DC publication, with stories written by John Broome and Robert Kanigher, penciled by Carmine Infantino, and inked by Joe Kubert is almost universally regarded as the comic that started the Silver Age (you Martian Manhunter fans keep quiet for now). It led to numerous other character revivals and new characters at DC, and then the Justice League, which then caused Marvel to respond with Fantastic Four #1, and then the game was on.

It's always been one of the most expensive Silver Age books around, but it has lost a bit of luster in recent years as the key Marvel books of the era have overtaken it in the minds of many vintage collectors, and DC continuity twists have at times weakened the relevance of the first appearance of the second Flash to modern readers. And Showcase #22, the first appearance of Hal Jordan as Green Lantern, has been the hottest Silver Age DC book around over the past year for the obvious reason.

But with Flashpoint… just maybe some of that is about to change. This particular CGC 9.2 copy of Showcase #4 is actually the third best copy known. The census-topping CGC 9.6 copy went for $179,250 at Heritage Auctions in 2009.

Is Flashpoint about to reboot interest in the character among current readers and vintage collectors across the board? We're about to find out.