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| Slot: |
Showcase 4 |
| Item: |
Showcase #4 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC 9.2 |
| Cert #: |
1032387001
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Owner Comments
This is the biggie and probably the most rapidly appreciating book 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 I Oen, 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.
Unfortunately, I do not have a scan, but hope to add one soon.
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| Slot: |
Showcase 8 |
| Item: |
Showcase #8 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC 9.2 |
| 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.
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| Slot: |
Showcase 13 |
| Item: |
Showcase #13 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC 8.5 |
| Cert #: |
1157246001
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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 1957. Obviously DC was not yet fully committed to SA superheroes just yet.
As in #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.
This is currently the only book in this set where our copy is graded below a 9.0 by CGC. It is nonetheless one of the top 6 copies overall trailing a single 9.2 and a single 9.0.
Purchased from ComicConnect on 6/21/2013.
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| Slot: |
Showcase 14 |
| Item: |
Showcase #14 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC 9.0 |
| Cert #: |
1131201001
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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.
This copy is highest graded tied with two other 9.0s.
2020 Update: There has has been a substantial change in the census on this book. There are now three 9.0s and a single 9.2, even though I have seen no high grade copies on the market for years. I purchased my book on E-Bay more than 10 years ago. I hopefully will add a scan soon.
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| Slot: |
Flash 105 |
| Item: |
Flash #105 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC 9.4 |
| Cert #: |
1215045003
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Owner Comments
Flash #105 is the second most coveted book in the run and the first appearance of the Mirror Master.
In the feature story, at the Central City bank, Sam Scudder walks in with civilian clothes on and walks up to bank teller, Mr. J. Wilkins, to exchange larger bills for singles. As the banker is distracted, Scudder takes out a small pocket mirror to capture the individuals 'image' from all angles before leaving the bank.
Outside the city, Mirror Master develops the bank teller's image with his "camera mirror". Sam thinks about his original discovery of these gimmick mirrors when he was in jail years ago. He remembers he painted the wrong material onto a mirror and thought he had ruined it. When he looked into it and saw images the mirror was looking at earlier, he found that this mirror retained an image for several minutes before disappearing. Since leaving jail, he's improved his techniques and can now print 3-D images from the mirrors. He prints up a mirror image of Mr. J. Wilkins from the bank and sends him back to the bank to steal money for him.
Barry Allen, happening to be at the bank at the time, notices that there is something amiss about the manager as his hair is parted differently than before, and his wedding band is on his right hand, so he decides to follow him.
Barry transforms into the Flash to follow Wilkins but soon finds Wilkins moving just as fast as the Flash can. He soon finds himself at a secluded house. Flash finds many mirrors around the house and cannot tell which is the real Wilkins and which is just a mirror image. Flash grabs a paint bucket and starts painting the walls to remove the mirror illusions. Flash follows Wilkins into another room where he encounters a gigantic mosquito. By moving at the speed of light, the Flash causes a strange affect on the mosquito and disables it. Next the the Flash is chased by a Minotaur. He turns off the power in the house and the Minotaur instantly disappears. Flash finds the Mirror Master in the dark and quickly captures the crook and turns him over to the police. The Flash explains he realized these were items powered by light so if he turned of the power and lights, he figured his mirror creations would disappear.
This copy is the highest graded tied with two other copies. We acquired it in the Heritage auction of 2/22/2012.*
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| Slot: |
Flash 106 |
| Item: |
Flash #106 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC 9.2 |
| Cert #: |
1054014001
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Owner Comments
Issue #106 is one of our favorite SA Flash covers. It is also notable for the introduction of two new villains who will play recurring roles, Gorilla Grodd and the Pied Piper.
Gorilla Grodd hails from Gorilla City in Africa and possesses amazing intelligence and force of mind capabilities, powers allegedly granted him when he was exposed to a space-rock that landed in the African jungles. Grodd's mind took over the body of criminal William Dawson, who was in prison. When released, he traveled back to Gorilla City. Upon reaching his destination, Dawson's body devolved back into Grodd's original gorilla form. There, he saw and fell in love with Solovar's bride-to-be, Boka. Determined to have her, he designed a machine that caused his body to emanate neo-magnetic radiation. As a result, everyone who saw him instantly liked him. He arrived at the wedding procession, and Boka immediately became infatuated with him. They were married, and Grodd was declared king of Gorilla City. Not satisfied, he had the gorillas build him a plane, which he flew to Central City, where the humans quickly began adoring him, including the Flash. He began running for governor as the Statewide Party candidate, planning on continuing on to president after that. However, the Flash foiled Grodd's plan when he discovered that the neo-magnetic radiation could be counteracted by solar flare radiation, which he duplicated by vibrating his body at super speed to match the frequency. Afterwards, Grodd was easily apprehended.
Hartley Rathaway, alias the Pied Piper was born deaf to incredibly rich parents. After his hearing was medically restored, he was amazed by music and sound. He developed a vast knowledge of sonics, and using this knowledge, fought the Flash as the Pied Piper.
Bethlehem Copy-this is the single highest graded copy of this beautiful book featuring the first Pied Piper and Gorilla Grodd. Book was purchased from Worldwide Comics several years ago.
2021 Update: Well, this one is not starting out well. We bought our 9.2 many years ago and paid a princely sum since it was the single highest graded book. Every year I check the census and every year it has remained on top-that is until today. And the bad news is not only did it lose its status as single highest graded, it is now no longer even highest graded, as a 9.4 has appeared in the census. That one hurt.
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| Slot: |
Flash 107 |
| Item: |
Flash #107 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC 9.4 |
| Cert #: |
1042122002
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Owner Comments
Issue #107 again features two stories. One story, “the Return of the Super Gorilla” , entails Flash once again subduing Gorilla Grodd and returning him to prison in Gorilla City. The other story featured on the cover, “The Amazing Race Against Time” starts when, while trying to stop an out of control truck, Flash is beaten to the punch by a mysterious speedster who is even faster than he is. Flash soon finds that the speedster in question cannot remember who he is or where he came from. Flash takes him to the doctors to see if they can see anything wrong.
Iris tells her editor it would be a great publicity stunt to organize a charity race to see who's faster between Flash and the mystery man. Agreeing to participate in a race for charity, the mystery man beats the Flash in a race, even running backwards.
When they visit the doctor's office next, they perform shock therapy. The man's mind is restored and he loses his super speed. He tells the Flash his name is Kyri, a hominoid created by an alien race and sent out to patch a dimensional weak-spot on a distant planet. This weak-spot could allow invaders from another reality to attack.
Kyri has the Flash repair his ship and the two travel out to the planet and the Flash repairs the weak spot. Kyri thanks the Flash for his help and returns Flash home before leaving to return to his home planet.
This issue is one of two highest graded with only one 9.0 and a single 8.5 next in the census. At one time, we owned the three top copies of this iconic issue, but kept this one because we feel it is structurally superior. Despite its OW pages, it wins the eye test hands down.
Purchased in the August 2011 CL auction.
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| Slot: |
Flash 108 |
| Item: |
Flash #108 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC 9.2 |
| Cert #: |
1071457001
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Owner Comments
Issue #108 again contains two stories, one of which is Part Three of the Grodd Trilogy, in which once again the Flash captures the super ape and returns him to captivity.
In the cover story, the “Speed Doom”, the Flash walks into a trap set by Kee Feleg, a being from the world of Mohru. Kee Felag bombarded the Flash's feet with radiation that makes him unable to stop running. Felag's plan was to speed up the treadmill faster and faster until the Flash destroyed himself.
The Flash freed himself by running so fast he overloaded the machine and escaped. The Flash finds that fulgurites are being stolen by beings who are running at super speed. Following them through a dimensional barrier, he finds himself in the world of Mohru, where he learns from the Mohruvian police that the criminals of that world have gained super speed from stealing objects that have been struck by lightning to gather residual energy from the lightning strike to gain super speed. The Flash then helps the Mohruvian police force capture the criminal speedsters before returning to his own dimension.
High grade copies of this issue are exceedingly rare, with this CGC graded 9.2 currently being the single highest graded issue. There were once actually two CGC 9.2s and we owned them both, but sold the lesser copy, which the owner submitted to CBCS and received a 9.4 under their inflated grading system. All I know is that, having owned them both, this is the nicest copy in existence as of 9/2019.
Purchased in February 2014 CL auction.
2021 Update: And hits just keep on coming, as there is now another 9.2 in the census. We are only at Issue #108 and already two have gone down. Usually when a new high grade book emerges, you immediately see it in the market, but in the case of the new #106 and #108, I have seen neither so far.
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| Slot: |
Flash 109 |
| Item: |
Flash #109 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC 9.4 |
| Cert #: |
1294609009
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Owner Comments
The Mirror Master uses his mirrors to escape from jail and once again tackles the Flash in “The Teturn of The Mirror Master.” Confronting the Mirror Master, the Flash is shrunken down to a miniature size by one of the Master's gimmicked mirrors. Returning to his lab, the Flash uses a device to restore himself to normal and is able to capture the Mirror Master.
This issue is tied with two other 9.4s as highest graded with no 9.2s. It was acquired in the 11/17/2017 Heritage auction.
9/2019: I just discovered that there is now a 9.6 in the census, which makes it the first 9.6 after the Showcase #4. I am not sure the history of that book, as to date I haven never seen it. But needless to say, mine is no longer highest graded. Easy come, easy go.........
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| Slot: |
Flash 110 |
| Item: |
Flash #110 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC 9.2 |
| Cert #: |
1492987002
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Owner Comments
Issue #110 is a min-key, in that it introduces the world to Kid Flash, who will also become a founding member of the Teen Titans. As such, it is probably the fourth most valuable issue after Showcase #4, Flash #105 and Flash #123. It also features the first appearance of the Weather Wizard.
In “Meet Kid Flash”, Iris brings her nephew Wally to visit Barry. As soon as Barry learns Wally is a big fan of the Flash, he decides to introduce him. Left alone with the lad, Barry changes into the Flash and visits with young Wally. As the Flash is explaining how he got his powers, a lightning bolt bursts through the window and strikes chemicals on the cabinet, which land on Wally just as they did for the Flash two years prior, and much to their surprise, Wally has gained speed powers as well. Creating another Flash costume for Wally, Wally becomes Flash's sidekick Kid Flash. OK, it’s not the most original origin, but just go with it......
Th either story, “the Challenge of the Weather Wizard”, Flash tangles with Mark Mardon, a two-bit criminal who had a little bit of luck, who stumbled upon a scientific device, a wand that could localize weather, creating hail, lightning, and other destructive forms of weather. He used the wand countless times against the Flash as Weather Wizard, a member of the Rogues Gallery.
This copy is the highest graded and one of just four 9.2s. We have owned three of the 9.2s during our collecting career and this is the nicest.
This copy was acquired from Pedigree Comics in April 2018, in a negotiated transaction of which we also acquired a Flash #114 9.4 and a Flash #132 9.8, which at the times was single highest graded. We also swapped one of our two copies of Flash #110 9.2 as part of the transaction, as well as selling the third one.
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| Slot: |
Flash 111 |
| Item: |
Flash #111 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC 9.4 |
| Cert #: |
0029081014
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Owner Comments
This issue features the Invasion of the Cloud Creatures. Admittedly, this one might be considered a little hokey, but all superhero comics require a degree of suspension of disbelief. The idea is that there is a species of sentient Cloud Creatures created from the volcanoes. It goes something like this, earthquakes and volcanoes are a result of the inner earth having life wanting to hurt surface dwellers. These Cloud Creatures decide to make a direct attack on the human race, attacking US airforce bases.
Of course, our hero goes out to confront the Cloud Creatures. He attempts to spin a tornado at them but they increase their altitude avoiding his attack. The Flash gets the idea to skip cloud to cloud like a rock over water, to attack their center nucleus. When he does, it destroys the Cloud Creatures and they become ordinary rain clouds that drop rain over the area.
This copy has been the single highest graded one for over a decade now with white pages to boot! Moreover, as of 9/2019, there is also just a single 9.2.
Acquired in a private transaction in 2017.
2021 Update: Still King, at least that’s one.
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| Slot: |
Flash 112 |
| Item: |
Flash #112 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC 9.4 |
| Cert #: |
0993708002
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Owner Comments
Issue #112 is significant, in that it introduces the Elongated Man, who will become a DC stalwart. In the story “The Mystery of the Elongated Man”, Flash is at risk of losing the Central City Man of the Year award by the arrival of a new costumed hero named the Elongated Man. The Elongated Man is really Ralph Dibny, who as a young boy was interested in the abilities of Indian Rubber Men and learned the secret to their stretching abilities: a rare tropical fruit extract which is found in Gingold Soda Water. Extracting some of this fruit extract, Ralph gained amazing stretching powers and took on the costumed identity.
When a series of thefts occur in the city, Flash gets involved in their search, pitting him in a fight against the Elongated Man when the Flash believes him to be the crook. However, after the fight, Elongated Man takes Flash to the hideout of the real crooks, clearing his name. The two become fast friends, and at the end of their first adventure together they are both named Man of the Year.
This copy is highest graded and one of only two 9.4s with only a single 9.2 in the census. Acquired from CL on 3/18/2010.
9/2019: This is now the single highest graded copy of this book. I am not sure what happened to the other 9.4? My guess is that it was pressed and was downgraded to a 9.2. Oh well, that is one of the risks of pressing books, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, but I am happy with this one which to my knowledge has never been pressed.
2021 Update: Still King!
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| Slot: |
Flash 113 |
| Item: |
Flash #113 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC 9.6 |
| Cert #: |
2065130008
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Owner Comments
Just a gorgeous book, this is the first Trickster, James Jesse-I see what you did there LOL, appearance and the single highest graded example with WP. We acquired the book in the November 17, 2017 Heritage auction.*
2021 Update: Still King!
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| Slot: |
Flash 114 |
| Item: |
Flash #114 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC 9.4 |
| Cert #: |
1250785004
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Owner Comments
The Fastest Man on Earth squares off against the Coldest Man on Earth in the Big Freeze. For many years we owned a 9.2, which was the single highest graded copy of this issue. But recently another 9.2 and two 9.4s emerged from CGC, which represents a population explosion not seen in any other early Flashes. This book was the second of the two 9.4s and, hopefully, for this collector, the last we shall see for awhile, as upgrading these early books can be hazardous to your wallet. This book was acquired from Pedigree Comics in April 2018.
9/2018: there are now four 9.4s in the census with none higher. I am not sure why there has been such an explosion of highest graded copies of this one. I am just glad I did not buy the first one, as it went for $18,000 on Heritage, while subsequent 9.4s have sold for much less. (Reminds me of a line out of Braveheart-great movie, even if a historical mess LOL.)
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| Slot: |
Flash 115 |
| Item: |
Flash #115 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC 9.4 |
| Cert #: |
1130718007
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Owner Comments
Issue #115 features the second appearance of the Elongated Man. Our book is Bethlehem Copy and had the distinction of being the single highest graded copy for many years. However, the sole 9.2 copy of this book was recently upgraded to 9.4 much to my chagrin. At least it is still highest graded and one of two at this level with no 9.2s and just a single 9.0. We acquired the book from Worldwide Comics along with the #106 Bethlehem Pedigree copy, which fortunately is still atop the pyramid.
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