Set Description:
Synopsis: We own just 36 of the 62 books in this set, consisting primarily of the Flash, GL, Aquaman, Atom, Metal Men, Teen Titan, and Spectre try-out issues, all of which became their own titles.
Background: Showcase was a comic anthology series, which was first published by DC Comics in March 1956. It is generally regarded as the most successful of such tryout series, having been published continuously for more than 14 years, launching numerous popular titles, while maintaining a considerable readership of its own. The series ran continuously until September 1970, suspending publication with issue #93, and then was revived for eleven issues from August 1977 to September 1978.
Showcase featured characters in either one-shot appearances or brief two- or three-issue runs as a way to determine reader interest, without the financial risk of featuring "untested" characters in their own ongoing titles.The series featured the first appearance of several major characters including the Silver Age Flash, the Challengers of the Unknown, Space Ranger, Adam Strange, Rip Hunter, the Silver Age Green Lantern, the Sea Devils, the Silver Age Atom, the Metal Men, the Inferior Five, the Creeper, Anthro, Hawk and Dove, Angel and the Ape, the Silver Age Spectre, and Bat Lash.
In 1962, DC purchased an adaptation of the James Bond novel and film Dr. No, which had been published in British Classics Illustrated, and published it as an issue of Showcase. It was the first American comic book appearance of the character.
Showcase stood out from other tryout series in that it maintained its own readership, as readers who liked a feature would buy the series when it came out, but would often continue buying Showcase as well.
Our Collection: Until very recently, we never bought any Showcase issue that was not for another set. But as time has gone by ,my son and I have gained more of an appreciation for this title and are beginning to pick up a few more Showcases when available. I am not sure how far we are going to take it, as some of the issues we would need yo ever complete the set are very expensive in high grade, but the books are on our radar.
2024: Well, we now have crossed the threshold of having more than half the books in this one. This one still has a very long ways to go, but it does feature 25 highest graded examples, 14 of which are single highest graded. So what we have isn’t chopped liver.
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| Slot: |
Showcase 4 |
| Item: |
Showcase 4 |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
1032387001
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Owner Comments
This is the biggie and probably one of the more rapidly appreciating books in the comic book world. It features the introduction of Barry Allen, the Flash, and Central City.
The book contains two stories: “The Mystery of the Human Thunderbolt” and “The Man Who Broke The Time Barrier”.
The first story introduces readers to Barry Allen, a police scientist who is doused with chemicals that are struck by lightning. Barry soon finds that he has been endowed with super-speed and creates a costume which contracts and hides in his ring). He takes on the name of his favorite comic book character: The Flash.
In his first mission as the Flash, Barry goes after the criminal known as the Turtle Man, dubbed the world's slowest man. The Turtle Man tries to rob a bank. However, he is ultimately thwarted by the Flash, despite the fact that his super-speed often worked against him going after the plodding Turtle Man. Ultimately, the Flash captures his opponent and turns him over to the police.
In ‘The Man Who Broke The Time Barrier”, Central City is hit with a number of strange crimes where a series of items begins vanishing from people's possessions. Barry Allen becomes involved as the Flash when a beaker he's experimenting with vanishes as well. Tracking down the culprit puts Barry up against Mazdan, a criminal from the future who was supposed to be sent to the 50th Century to serve his sentence on a desolate Earth but was sent to the past by mistake instead.
Able to avoid Mazdan's weapon, Flash captures the crook. However, he manages to break out of prison using his superior scientific knowledge. Catching up with Mazdan again, the Flash tries to capture him again but stops when Mazdan petitions the Flash to allow him to return to his own time. Instead of allowing him to go in his own time capsule, the Flash instead breaks the time barrier by running at super speed, turning Mazdan over to the authorities in the future. Mazdan is sent to the correct era to serve out his punishment. The Flash then returns to his own time and resumes his civilian life once more.
This copy is a very clean 9.2, one of the top 5 graded overall and certainly the best we can afford in today's market. We acquired the book from Vintage Comics, who is an old friend and knew I wanted a better copy. He bought the book raw and I received it directly from CGC. It is thus one of the few books in our collection, which has never been owned by anyone else as a graded book. As an aside, I really wish I had done an all-cash deal and not traded by Nick Cage copy as part of the transaction, which because of the appreciation of this book would be more valuable today than the 9.2 was when I bought it. But I have never been that smart LOL.
2024 Update: Of course, the big Flash news over the last year was that the 9.6 copy of this issue sold not once but twice. The first sale was a private brokered one for about $1.5 million. The buyer then flipped the book at auction for a loss of roughly $700,000 ($900,000 sales price). Obviously, it was not a wise investment, but the owner was reportedly a whale who had bought every major key in sight and then flipped them all. He undoubtedly lost more than he made, but I am told that he is so rich that it was all immaterial.
But what all those purchases and sales will mean to the market long-term is hard to know? Will they tend to chase the silly investor money out of the market, which would mean a big downtick for the major keys? Stay tuned……
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| Slot: |
Showcase 6 |
| Item: |
Showcase 6 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
4355994001
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Owner Comments
Issue #6 from 1957 features the Origin and first appearance of the, Challengers of the Unknown (Rocky Davis, Prof Haley, Red Ryan & Ace Morgan). Our 8.5 is tied for second highest graded trailing several 9.0s. We acquired the book in an effort to complete a mini-Showcase run of Issues #4-14 in the 4/4/2024 Heritage Auction.
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| Slot: |
Showcase 7 |
| Item: |
Showcase 7 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
4364134011
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Owner Comments
Issue #7 features the second appearance by the Challengers of the Unknown and appearances by June Robbins and ULTIVAC. Our 9.4 is the single highest graded copy in the census. We acquired the book from the 4/6/2024 Heritage Auction.
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| Slot: |
Showcase 8 |
| Item: |
Showcase 8 |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
1198563002
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Owner Comments
Showcase #8 represents the second try-out issue of the SA Flash. It is unique in that regard, in that almost all try-out issue of superheroes run consecutively. Notably one of the two stories in the book introduces the DC world to Captain Cold, alias Len Snart, who will be a recurring Flash villain.
Len Snart was a down on his luck guy until one day, after reading a newspaper story that theorized that a cyclotron could possibly stop the Flash, Snart breaks into a science lab and uses the Cyclotron on a weapon of his own devising. Mostly by accident, Snart creates a freezing weapon that leads to the birth of his costumed identity: Captain Cold.
As Cold, Snart hopes to use his cold gun (and its abilities to create mirages) against the Flash and defeat the worlds fastest man. Going up against the Flash, Captain Cold's weapon works at first disorientating the Flash. However, Flash figures out the truth behind Cold's powers and is able to stop him by spinning him around at super speed, and turns him over to the police.
This copy is highest graded and one of only two 9.2s. It probably the toughest book in the whole run as the next best copies are 8.0s. The book was purchased from CL in a brokered transaction in 2014. It wasn’t cheap LOL.
2024 Update: A lot has changed since I wrote the description above as now there are two 9.0s in the census. The other 9.2 also came to auction and sold for just slightly more than I paid for my 9.2. So I guess one can opine, based on that sale, that these books have been pretty much trading water value-wise. But then again, there is the recent Showcase #4 9.6 sale to consider-actually two sales. Does it reset the whole market?
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| Slot: |
Showcase 9 |
| Item: |
Showcase 9 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
0000902002
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Owner Comments
It’s not one of my favorite covers by any means, but Showcase #9 is the first Lois Lane tryout issue, featuring appearances by Superman and Lana Lang. As such it perennially ranks as one of the top 50 Silver Age Keys. Our 9.2 is the single highest graded copy in the census and has been for many years, since it was first graded in 2002. We acquired the book in January 2024 from another private collector.
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| Slot: |
Showcase 10 |
| Item: |
Showcase 10 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
0710525009
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Owner Comments
Issue #10 is the second Lois Lane try-out issue and my favorite of the two Lois Lane Showcases. Our 9.4 was acquired from a private collector in the same transaction with the Showcase #9 9.2 and is the single highest graded example in the census with no 9.2s.
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| Slot: |
Showcase 13 |
| Item: |
Showcase 13 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
4068910015
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Owner Comments
This time there was a gap of four issue until Flash makes another appearance in Showcase #13. It seemed the Flash was going to make annual appearances, as Showcase #4 was published in 1956, Showcase #8 in 1957, and Showcase #13 in 1958. Obviously DC was not yet fully committed to SA superheroes.
As in Showcase #4 and #8, this issue contains two stories: “Around the World in 80 Minutes” and “Master of the Elements”. In the first story, after taking Iris on a date to see the film "Around the World in 80 Days", Iris muses how long it would take Flash to run around the world before reminding Barry that they have a date and he shouldn't be late.The next day Flash races to Paris to stop the Black Cat from blowing up the Eiffel Tower, travels to Egypt to saves Princess Tara from El Claw, stops an avalanche near Mt. Everest, and stops a pirate submarine. After recovering the crew targeted by the pirate sub, they tell him it's Tuesday. Fearing he's late for his date (Which was for Monday evening) Flash races back to the States and changes into Barry Allen, and finds to his relief that it's still Monday on his side of the world and he's just in time for his date with Iris.
The second story introduces us to Mr Element, a scientist with a bipolar personality. Interestingly, he discovered the Philosopher’s Stone many years before JK Rowland. Needless to say, Flash still always wins.
Our 9.4 is currently the single highest graded example in the census and has been for well over a decade. We have known about it for at least 10 years when we lost it in a Heritage Auction to a collector in Europe. We finally got a second shot at it in the 9/9/2021 Heritage Auction, which was where we acquired it. We paid more than we wanted for sure, but it raised the floor of this set from 8.5 to 9.2.*
2023 Update: Now this one really hurt. After finally acquiring a book we had coveted for more than a decade, our 9.4, which was two grades above the next copy, has been unseated by a 9.6. That one certainly came out of nowhere. If there was ever something that could make me quit collecting comics, this one is probably it.
2024 Update: The OW 9.6 copy of this issue is still on the market as of June 2024 at roughly twice what we paid for our WP 9.4 above. Pricing books like this is extremely difficult, as there are so few of them. Is a 9.6 coming in on top of a 9.4 worth twice what the 9.4 was worth or does the 9.4 lose half of its value since it has lost its single highest graded status? Because WP books are at such a premium, I tend to think that the relationship should be closer than it is now. Assuming the overall market for these books remains constant, I do think the 9.6 is worth more than the 9.4 was, but I also think the 9.4 loses some value since it is no longer getting that single highest graded premium. My best guess is that my book lost about 25-30% of its value and that the 9.6 should be roughly double that, maybe a little less because of PQ. If I am right, then the 9.6 is priced about 35% over market, in which case it may be available for awhile unless the price is reduced or they send it to auction. But in cases like this, fair market value can be determined by one buyer’s willingness to pay whatever for a unique book, who knows? I will add that the asking price of the Showcase #13 9.6 is also almost twice the auction price paid this month for the Flash #110 9.6, which is a key issue since it introduces Wally West as Kid Flash. That book is not only single highest graded, but there are no 9.4s either. I think a case could be made that the Flash #110 9.6 should be worth more than the Showcase #13 9.6.
I just know that I am not willing to make the trade at this time at that price. After all, I still have three Flash Showcase graded 9.2, it down not raise the overall floor to my set.
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| Slot: |
Showcase 14 |
| Item: |
Showcase 14 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
2085687003
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Owner Comments
Flash’s appearance in Showcase #14 is notable in that it is the time that there is no break between Flash issues and the last Flash Showcase appearance.
In the feature story, “Giants in the Time World”, a new jet is captured by a UFO during a test run. Witnessing the abduction on his wrist watch, Barry changes into the Flash and chases after the ship aboard a rocket, but the ship disappears. Realizing that it must have traveled through time, Flash speeds through the time barrier and ends up in a strange world where the people start out small but grow in to giants. Told that he is in the fourth-dimension, the giants tell the Flash that they intend to invade the Earth and take it over. Braking free of the hour-glass they have imprisoned him in, the Flash saves Iris and destroys the giant's invasion fleet with speed-vibrations, before returning himself and Iris to their own dimension.
Our 9.2 is the single highest graded copy example in the census. We acquired the book from a private collector in Canada in August 2022. To finance that acquisition, we sold our 9.0 copy of this issue at Auction.
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| Slot: |
Showcase 20 |
| Item: |
Showcase 20 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
3800804001
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Owner Comments
Showcase Issue #20 features the introduction of Rip Hunter, Time Master, Our 9.4 is tied for highest graded with one other copy. We acquired the book primarily for our Showcase set from the 4/4/2024 Heritage Auction. However, we do have some interest in putting together a Rip Hunter set, if the books become available.
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| Slot: |
Showcase 22 |
| Item: |
Showcase 22 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
1027965002
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Owner Comments
Showcase #22 is the debut issue of the Silver Age Green Lantern, Hal Jordan, and one of the major Silver Age keys. With a career spanning from the 1940 release of All-American Comics #16 (and the Golden Age Green Lantern title) to the Silver Age relaunch of the series in Green Lantern #1, the groundbreaking O’Neil and Adams run starting in Green Lantern #76, through the controversial “Emerald Twilight/Dawn” story arc and right up to the recent blockbuster “Blackest Night”, Green Lantern is one of the most popular and dynamic characters in the DC Universe. Green Lantern is also just the third major DC hero to be featured on the silver screen-OK Ryan Reynolds was probably better as Deadpool, but poor Flash is still waiting.
Time has not been kind to my issue. When I acquired this book in the 3/13/2012 ComicLink auction, it was one of the three highest graded copies. Needless to say, it was not cheap. Shortly thereafter, in August 2012, a 9.2 emerged as was also auctioned off on ComicLink. It made about $20,000 more than I paid, a relative bargain. That book has had quite a history. It was purchased by a friend of mine who sold it for more than twice what he paid in 2017. But since then, the book has bounced around several auctions and just sold again for $87,000 plus the buyer’s premium on Heritage in their May 2020 auction. That is still more than what the book made when it first emerged in August 2012, but considerably less than what my friend sold it for in 2017. Of course, one major problem for that book now is that it is no longer highest graded, as out of nowhere a 9.4 has popped onto the census. Nobody I know has seen that book or knows its origins. But all this means that my book, which started out highest graded when I bought it in March 2012, is now tied with three other books for third highest graded with a single 9.2 and 9.4 above it. Oh well, it is still top six, at least for now........
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| Slot: |
Showcase 23 |
| Item: |
Showcase 23 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
0018765012
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Owner Comments
Showcase #23 is a rare one. It marks the second appearance of the SA Green Lantern and, IMHO, the most interesting of the three Showcase covers #22-24. Our WP 9.4 was owned for many years by a good friend and fellow collector and is the single highest graded copy. We acquired it in the December 2020 CL auction.
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| Slot: |
Showcase 24 |
| Item: |
Showcase 24 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
1059545009
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Owner Comments
The last of the three Green Lantern try-out issues, this book is tied with six others as highest graded as of 5/2020.
Purchased in the 12/4/2014 ComicConnect auction.
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| Slot: |
Showcase 26 |
| Item: |
Showcase 26 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
1031152009
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Owner Comments
Issue #26 features the fourth and final appearance of Rip Hunter, Time Master. Our book comes from the Savannah Collection and is tied for third highest graded. While we normally try to confine our acquisitions to first or second highest graded copies, the census for this one is rather low and it is a pedigree. Moreover, it did not cost an arm and a leg. We acquired the book from the 6/20/2024 CL Auction.
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| Slot: |
Showcase 30 |
| Item: |
Showcase 30 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
1345315004
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Owner Comments
Showcase #30 marks the first Aquaman try-out issue. Of course, it should be noted that Aquaman was previously introduced to the DC Universe as a member of JLA in Brave & Bold #28. And even before that, Aquaman back-up stories frequently appeared in Adventure Comics, although he made no cover appearances.
In the story, "The Creatures from Atlantis", Aquaman and Aqualad come to the rescue of a cargo ship that's been struck by lightning. When Aquaman finds that the cargo hold broke open and crates carrying a new type of poison are drifting out of the ship, Aquaman and his undersea pals collect all the boxes. Ordering Aqualad to bring all the cargo to shore, Aquaman then returns to his home where he finds fish with a telepathic message from Atlantis asking for help. Thinking of Atlantis, Aquaman recounts his origins: How his mother was an exile from Atlantis who bore a child with a lighthouse worker. As he remembers how his mother revealed his true nature on his death bed, Aquaman decides to go to Atlantis to find out what he's needed for. Upon his arrival, he is suddenly attacked by two giant humanoid sea-monsters.
Brought into the city, Aquaman sees that the people of Atlantis have been enslaved by this race of amphibious sea-creatures. When trying to demand answers by one of the leaders of these creatures, Aquaman is sentenced to work on the same device the other Atlantians are working on. There he finds out from one of the workers that these creatures came from a "hole" that appeared in the water. Sometime later, Aquaman attempts to start a revolt by summoning an army of sea creatures to come to his rescue, however, the creatures have blow guns which they use to turn back the attackers. Later, hiding in a tube close to the creatures, Aquaman learns the truth: They are criminals from another dimension who are building a device that would melt all forms of resistance from the surface world in their bid to conquer the entire planet Earth. Spotted by the creatures, Aquaman is locked up in a cell, but manages to contact his undersea friends, who summon Aqualad with a swordfish to spring Aquaman out of the jail.
Racing to the surface to stop the creatures who are out on a test of their new weapon, Aquaman, Aqualad and an army of sea life attack the monsters. However, they do not stop the creatures from testing their weapons. After a number of attacks, Aquaman orders an army of sea gulls to drop bombs on the creature's vessel rendering it inoperable. The fleeing creatures enter an undersea forest, where Aquaman manages to grab hold of their dimensional device and uses it to send them back home. Once the people of Atlantis are free, they reward Aquaman with a Hero of Atlantis medal before Aquaman and Aqualad return to their home in the sea.
Our WP 9.4 is one of four highest graded copies in the census and also comes from the Bethlehem Pedigree Collection. We acquired it off the CL Exchange on 11/2/2017.
2024 Update: One of the other 9.4 copies of this issue was recently sold on Heritage and made only
I should note the price anomalies between the Aquaman Showcase tryout issues and those for Flash, Green Lantern, Atom and Metal Men-as well as the Brave and Bolds for Hawkman and JLA. Of those seven titles, I would say that the first Showcase or Brave and Bold try-out issues are more valuable, in some cases a multiple, of the first solo issues of the character or team in question. That is not the case with Aquaman. A Showcase #30 9.4 is as rare as an Aquaman #1 9.6 and predates it in publication, but the Aquaman #1 has been the more valuable book in the marketplace and receives twice the registry points. While there are no Showcase #30 9.6s as of this writing, a 9.6 would still be less valuable in terms of registry points than a similarly graded Aquaman #1, even though it would be much rarer. I can only surmise that the reason the Aquaman Showcases are not more highly valued is that they are not first appearances. Rather, Aquaman’s first appearance is as a member of the JLA in Brave and the Bold #28. By contrast, the Flash and GL Showcase try-out issues predate B&B #28.
2024 Update: One of the other 9.4 copies of this book was auctioned on Heritage in June 2024 and made only $17,000 plus the BP, or $20,400. As someone who already owned a copy, I thought it was a disappointing result, although not low enough for me to dive in and buy it, as we had other targets. (Of course, it was still over three times the registry points awarded by CGC.) I am not sure whether the poor result was attributable to the lack of success of the second Aquaman movie or what? The five single highest graded Aquaman issues that sold in the same auction did relatively better, but when one compares the auction price of the Showcase #30 to what highest graded first try-out issues of other characters have made, it remains one of the least loved titles in the marketplace. It would be interesting to see what one of the Aquaman #11 9.4s would do now at auction, as the last sale there was about 50% higher than the Showcase #30 9.4 made. My guess is that book would be cheaper now, especially since it was the single highest graded copy when it was auctioned and no longer is.
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| Slot: |
Showcase 31 |
| Item: |
Showcase 31 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
1272979001
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Owner Comments
Showcase #31 in the second Aquaman try-out issue from 1961. In the story, "The Sea Beasts From One Million B.C."
Aquaman and Aqualad spot a ship being attacked by a giant sea monster, and with the help of their undersea friends manage to save the ship from being sunk. Without the ship to trash, the sea monster makes a getaway, and before the two heroes can go after it, they're signaled to board a ship. There Aquaman is asked to see Professor Richards, a famous zoologist. Agreeing, Aquaman goes to the scientist, leaving Aqualad to continue their patrol.
Arriving at Dr. Richards' lab, the doctor explains to Aquaman that he had finally perfected an evolution ray that could evolve or devolve any living thing, however upon showing it to his assistant, John Cook, he was soon held at gun point as his assistant stole the device. Aquaman realizes that the evolution device was what created the sea monster he saw earlier, the doctor shows Aquaman how to set the gun to reverse the damage it does and Aquaman sets off to find Cook. Returning home sharing his findings with Aqualad, the two set out to look for Cook who is hiding out in the ocean. Upon finding him, Cook uses the device to devolve some sea creatures and sets them to attack Aquaman and Aqualad. The two summon an army of sea creatures to help them fight off the prehistoric monsters, however Cook then uses his weapons to change that army into prehistoric creatures as well.
With Aquaman and Aqualad preoccupied with battling prehistoric sea creatures, Cook sends a number of the monsters to attack a nearby ship, prompting Aquaman and Aqualad to save the passengers, and Cook steals the cargo on board. Aquaman tracks down Cook's secret underwater cave and knocks him out. Switching the evolution ray to evolve the sea creatures, Aquaman begins changing his undersea friends back to normal, however the device is jammed and the sea creatures are evolved into their future evolutions before Aquaman can shut the device off. Before he can fix the error he made, he and Aqualad are attacked by a giant future-evolved blow-fish.
Shooting the blow-fish with a harpoon gun, Aquaman and Aqualad take Cook to the surface where they find that these future sea creatures are attacking everything in sight. They save the crew of a ship and take them (and Cook) to shore, where Aquaman comes up with an idea. He rides on a rope being pulled by a large flock of sea-gulls and lures the future sea creatures back out to sea where they eventually turn back to normal.
With Cook arrested, Aquaman tells the police that he saw that the blow fish they had harpooned earlier had reverted back to its original state, and surmised that the others would do so as well shortly.
Our 9.6 has been the single highest graded copy since it was first graded by CGC in May 2018. The book was initially put up for auction that year, but did not reach its reserve. We acquired the book shortly thereafter in an after-auction private transaction fronted by Pedigree Comics. I am honestly not sure if there was another owner or whether Doug owned the book himself, but we have been the only registered owner of this one.
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