This is the second appearance of the Silver Age Flash. Barry Allen first showed up four issues earlier in Showcase #4. DC felt they may have a hit on their hands, but they wanted the Flash to have another couple of try-out issues to see if anything was really happening. He ended up appearing in a total of four issues of Showcase before he got his own title. He was Showcase’s first success. There are many reasons for his eventual success, but chief among them has to be the fantastic art of Carmine Infantino and the writing of Robert Kanigher, Gardner Fox and finally, John Broome. Both Fox and Kanigher are credited for stories in this issue, Broome’s moment was a year or so away. So many collectors and historians focus on Showcase #4, that this great looking issue gets forgotten. The cover is a perfect example of simplicity in comic art. Infantino was one of the most consistent and important cover artists ever. His style was perfect for the character and for the time. The pages are off-white. The book is CGC-certified VF 8.0. According to the CGC census, this copy is tied with two others as the highest graded copy they have seen. It also has the first appearance of Captain Cold.