Showcase #4, from October 1956, marked the dawn of a new era for the super hero genre. Considered the ‘Holy Grail’ of all Silver Age comics, this issue represents the very first super hero story of the Silver Age and featured the first appearance of BARRY ALLEN™ as THE FLASH™. The issue also introduced Barry’s wife, IRIS WEST™, for the first time.

This comic book’s significance and historical importance is unparalleled, noted for being an issue that may have saved the entire comic book industry from impending collapse as super heroes became an afterthought in post-war comic books. The striking cover by artists, Carmine Infantino and Joe Kubert, is also iconic, with many comic book artists through the years paying homage to the iconic artwork in their own works.