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Showcase Presents: The Flash #1
Showcase Presents: The Flash, Vol. 1
Written by Robert Kanigher, John Broome and Gardner Fox Art by Carmine Infantino, Joe Giella and various Cover by Infantino & Giella Over 500 pages of classic adventures are included in this value-priced volume! The Fastest Man Alive stars in these fantastic tales from late 1950s and into the 1960s! This collection features The Flash in battle against the Mirror Master, the Trickster, Captain Cold and many other villains! - 512 pg, B&W,
Collects :
Silver Age Flash stories from:
Showcase #4, 8, 13, 14
The Flash #105-119
Golden Age Flash story from Flash Comics #104
Collects :
Silver Age Flash stories from:
Showcase #4, 8, 13, 14
The Flash #105-119
Golden Age Flash story from Flash Comics #104
512 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
12 people are currently reading
131 people want to read
About the author
Robert Kanigher
584 books8 followersSee also as Bob Kanigher
One of the most prolific writers in comics, particularly in the Silver Age. He took over scripting duties on Wonder Woman after William Moulton Marston's death, and handled the character's transition from the Golden to the Silver Age. He also created Barry Allen, the second Flash, for editor Julius Schwartz's superhero revival of 1956, as well as writing and editing DC's pioneering war titles.
His creations include Sgt. Rock, the Unknown Soldier, Barry Allen, Ragman, the Losers, Black Canary, the Metal Men, Poison Ivy, Enemy Ace, the Suicide Squad, and Rex the Wonder Dog.
One of the most prolific writers in comics, particularly in the Silver Age. He took over scripting duties on Wonder Woman after William Moulton Marston's death, and handled the character's transition from the Golden to the Silver Age. He also created Barry Allen, the second Flash, for editor Julius Schwartz's superhero revival of 1956, as well as writing and editing DC's pioneering war titles.
His creations include Sgt. Rock, the Unknown Soldier, Barry Allen, Ragman, the Losers, Black Canary, the Metal Men, Poison Ivy, Enemy Ace, the Suicide Squad, and Rex the Wonder Dog.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
February 18, 2025
My Golden Age for comic books. The artwork, mostly by Carmine Infantino and Joe Giella, is superb. The stories by John Broome have a very colorful set of villains and always highlight The Flash's resourcefulness and ingenuity. Bottom line: such fun reads.
September 12, 2025
‘Showcase Presents The Flash: Volume 1’ has stories from Showcase # 4, 8, 13 and 14 and from Flash # 105-119. Apart from the special feature, see below, this takes us from 1956 to early 1961. Eisenhower was President, the dollar was worth something, America was the world’s creditor and, apart from a few threatening communists abroad, all was right with the world.
The book opens with ‘The Rival Flash’, a story from Flash Comics # 104, February 1949 with a script by Robert Kanigher and art by Carmine Infantino and Frank Giacoia. This features the Golden Age Flash, Jay Garrick, in a story where bad guys copy his powers. It is interesting to see how Infantino’s art has changed seven years later in Showcase # 4, October 1956 with ‘Mystery Of The Human Thunderbolt’ in which police scientist Barry Allen is struck by lightning while standing next to some chemicals in his laboratory and gets super-speed. This was also written by Robert Kanigher but inked by Joe Kubert, as was the second story. This combination of two acknowledged masters makes for very good work. Over the next few issues, Infantino developed a very clean, spacious style but there are subtle differences depending on the inking. Most of it is by Joe Giella, which is fine, but I liked the work of Frank Giacoia and Murphy Anderson better. Infantino used a lot of wide narrow panels, useful for showing the speed trail where the Flash has been.
The stories are entertaining, too, in their way. Being able to run fast would not normally be a very useful super-power but it is transformed utterly by DC pseudo-science. The chief pseudo-scientist is writer John Broome, who has the Flash running fast enough to time travel in only the second story. When launched into space by the Master of the Elements in Showcase # 13, the Flash manages to vibrate himself to get caught in the Moon’s gravitational pull, swing around it and return to Earth. His only protection was his costume but he was able to hold his breath as it only took a minute. By running very fast, he can pass straight through solid objects leaving them intact. (Don’t try this at home!) By spinning very fast, in The Flash # 107, he can slip through the solid Earth down into the hollow interior where the Bird People live. However, when he runs too fast down there the strange atmosphere, called Mola, solidifies around him so he is trapped and has to suffer the gloating of the super-intelligent gorilla that tricked him. The villains, you see, are equipped with similar John Broome pseudo-science so good and evil are pretty evenly matched. In The Flash # 106, the Pied Piper can stop him dead with a vibratory aura and the Mirror Master can shrink himself and Flash to three inches high by clever use of mirrors in The Flash # 109. It was marvellous what you could get away with in those innocent days.
An interesting aside about gorillas. They featured frequently on DC covers of this issue and I read somewhere online, admittedly a world of unverifiable half-truth, that top DC men used to study the sales figures in tandem with the covers. Someone noted that covers with gorillas on sold better and so demanded more gorillas. I also read an interview with John Broome in which he said the covers were sometimes drawn first and he had to come up with a story to suit. So a DC boss orders Infantino to draw a cover with a gorilla on and Mister Broome has to dream up a plot featuring said ape. I don’t think this is how Joseph Conrad used to work.
Anyway, like most heroes, the Flash has a girlfriend, Iris West, a reporter on Picture News. The running joke is that Barry Allen is always late for their dates and she calls him the slowest man alive. This was in the days before soap opera took hold in comics so they have the odd tiff about Barry’s perpetual tardiness but are not forever falling in and out of love in true romantic style. Frankly, it’s a bit of a relief.
Iris has a young nephew called Wally West, who is president of the Flash Fan Club in his home town. She brings him to Barry, a friend of the Flash as far as she knows, so that he can introduce the boy to his hero. The Flash soon appears and Wally asks him how he got his power. The Flash takes him into a laboratory full of chemicals and explains that he was standing in such a laboratory when lightning struck. Then…lightning strikes! Wally West is bathed in electro-chemical soup and gets super-speed, too, just like his hero. The Flash calls it a billion to one chance but I suspect it is slightly more than that. Wally talks about the ‘cats’ back home to show he is young and says ’jumping jets!’ and ’jeepers weepers!’ when he is surprised. This is certainly preferable to the language heard in modern playgrounds.
In The Flash # 112, the Elongated Man first appears in another burst of wondrous science. Ralph Dibny was fascinated by India rubber men in the circus and, after long research, he noticed that they all drank Gingold soda water, one ingredient of which is the juice of a little known tropical fruit. Ralph isolates the essence of the fruit by chemical means and drinks the resulting potion. Afterwards, he gets very stretchable and starts to upstage the Flash in super-heroics but they become friends in the end.
This is an interesting document in comics history. Not as interesting as the original four colour comic, of course, but a lot cheaper. The revival of the Flash in the second half of the 1950s is regarded by fans and professionals alike as the beginning of the Silver Age of comics. I don’t know which age we’re in now – the Bronze? – but I grew up in the ‘Silver Age’ so this is my era. Furthermore, since I mostly read the products of a rival company in the sixties, these ‘Showcase’ editions give me the chance to catch up on the stuff I missed. I sometimes feel that I didn’t miss much, to be honest, but they provide a useful back story for the better stuff DC started doing in the seventies.
The book opens with ‘The Rival Flash’, a story from Flash Comics # 104, February 1949 with a script by Robert Kanigher and art by Carmine Infantino and Frank Giacoia. This features the Golden Age Flash, Jay Garrick, in a story where bad guys copy his powers. It is interesting to see how Infantino’s art has changed seven years later in Showcase # 4, October 1956 with ‘Mystery Of The Human Thunderbolt’ in which police scientist Barry Allen is struck by lightning while standing next to some chemicals in his laboratory and gets super-speed. This was also written by Robert Kanigher but inked by Joe Kubert, as was the second story. This combination of two acknowledged masters makes for very good work. Over the next few issues, Infantino developed a very clean, spacious style but there are subtle differences depending on the inking. Most of it is by Joe Giella, which is fine, but I liked the work of Frank Giacoia and Murphy Anderson better. Infantino used a lot of wide narrow panels, useful for showing the speed trail where the Flash has been.
The stories are entertaining, too, in their way. Being able to run fast would not normally be a very useful super-power but it is transformed utterly by DC pseudo-science. The chief pseudo-scientist is writer John Broome, who has the Flash running fast enough to time travel in only the second story. When launched into space by the Master of the Elements in Showcase # 13, the Flash manages to vibrate himself to get caught in the Moon’s gravitational pull, swing around it and return to Earth. His only protection was his costume but he was able to hold his breath as it only took a minute. By running very fast, he can pass straight through solid objects leaving them intact. (Don’t try this at home!) By spinning very fast, in The Flash # 107, he can slip through the solid Earth down into the hollow interior where the Bird People live. However, when he runs too fast down there the strange atmosphere, called Mola, solidifies around him so he is trapped and has to suffer the gloating of the super-intelligent gorilla that tricked him. The villains, you see, are equipped with similar John Broome pseudo-science so good and evil are pretty evenly matched. In The Flash # 106, the Pied Piper can stop him dead with a vibratory aura and the Mirror Master can shrink himself and Flash to three inches high by clever use of mirrors in The Flash # 109. It was marvellous what you could get away with in those innocent days.
An interesting aside about gorillas. They featured frequently on DC covers of this issue and I read somewhere online, admittedly a world of unverifiable half-truth, that top DC men used to study the sales figures in tandem with the covers. Someone noted that covers with gorillas on sold better and so demanded more gorillas. I also read an interview with John Broome in which he said the covers were sometimes drawn first and he had to come up with a story to suit. So a DC boss orders Infantino to draw a cover with a gorilla on and Mister Broome has to dream up a plot featuring said ape. I don’t think this is how Joseph Conrad used to work.
Anyway, like most heroes, the Flash has a girlfriend, Iris West, a reporter on Picture News. The running joke is that Barry Allen is always late for their dates and she calls him the slowest man alive. This was in the days before soap opera took hold in comics so they have the odd tiff about Barry’s perpetual tardiness but are not forever falling in and out of love in true romantic style. Frankly, it’s a bit of a relief.
Iris has a young nephew called Wally West, who is president of the Flash Fan Club in his home town. She brings him to Barry, a friend of the Flash as far as she knows, so that he can introduce the boy to his hero. The Flash soon appears and Wally asks him how he got his power. The Flash takes him into a laboratory full of chemicals and explains that he was standing in such a laboratory when lightning struck. Then…lightning strikes! Wally West is bathed in electro-chemical soup and gets super-speed, too, just like his hero. The Flash calls it a billion to one chance but I suspect it is slightly more than that. Wally talks about the ‘cats’ back home to show he is young and says ’jumping jets!’ and ’jeepers weepers!’ when he is surprised. This is certainly preferable to the language heard in modern playgrounds.
In The Flash # 112, the Elongated Man first appears in another burst of wondrous science. Ralph Dibny was fascinated by India rubber men in the circus and, after long research, he noticed that they all drank Gingold soda water, one ingredient of which is the juice of a little known tropical fruit. Ralph isolates the essence of the fruit by chemical means and drinks the resulting potion. Afterwards, he gets very stretchable and starts to upstage the Flash in super-heroics but they become friends in the end.
This is an interesting document in comics history. Not as interesting as the original four colour comic, of course, but a lot cheaper. The revival of the Flash in the second half of the 1950s is regarded by fans and professionals alike as the beginning of the Silver Age of comics. I don’t know which age we’re in now – the Bronze? – but I grew up in the ‘Silver Age’ so this is my era. Furthermore, since I mostly read the products of a rival company in the sixties, these ‘Showcase’ editions give me the chance to catch up on the stuff I missed. I sometimes feel that I didn’t miss much, to be honest, but they provide a useful back story for the better stuff DC started doing in the seventies.
October 3, 2017
A nice collection of early Flash comics - filled to the brim with the right amount of silliness you would expect. Since I have developed a fondness for the Flash (and have always had a fondness of enjoyably goofy things), this was a treat. I'm eagerly awaiting the second volume *u*
May 17, 2018
Infantino's art is great. But as usual, John Broome's plots are so outlandish and childishly fantastical as to suck any drama out of them.
May 25, 2018
My first entry into the Flash universe. I was surprised at the variety of villains.
February 5, 2014
Some will identify the launch of the Fantastic Four and Spider-man with the start of Silver Age of Comics. That's not quite right. It all began with the Silver Age Flash (Barry Allen) who was introduced in Showcase #4.
This book collects the last story featuring the Golden Age Flash Jay Garrick last appearance in his 1949 Magazine (Flash #104) along with Silver Age Flash tryouts in Showcase #4, #8, #13, and #14 (1956-58) and then the new Flash continuing bi-monthly series from 105-119.
There's a lot to like about the book. Many of the best Flash villains are introduced in this book including Captain Cold, Gorilla Grodd (called only Grodd in these stories), Mirror Master, Dr. Alchemy, the Weather Wizard, the Trickster, and Captain Boomerang. The first four of these had multiple appearances, so early on there was a great sense of what the Flash's rogue's gallery would be like, and Grodd clearly stood out as more evil from the rest.
The Silver Age Flash also followed the tradition of the Golden Age version by not having book length stories. Instead, the Flash introduced back up characters. Wally West was introduced as Kid Flash in Flash #110, Ralph Dibney as the Elongated Man in Flash #112, and three dopes Winky, Blinky, and Noddy were introduced in Flash #117.
After his introduction, Kid Flash actually had five solo adventures in which Barry Allen didn't appear accept perhaps as a cameo. The early Kid Flash wore a uniform just like the adult version only smaller. The adventures are typical light kid fare.
The Elongated Man stories are fun as the Flash actually gets jealous of him. The Elongated Man adventures are team ups with the Flash and mostly light. It's worth noting that Elongated was introduced more than a year before Marvel's Mr. Fantastic.
The Winky, Blinky, and Noddy characters were without a doubt the stupidest concept re-introduced. They were originally in the Golden Age Flash Comics and really infantile characters who probably gave us a hint as to why Marvel had its early 1960s ascendancy.
However, they weren't enough to spoil this book. It introduced some great concepts and characters. The Flash's powers remain impressive as does his mighty rogues gallery stands the test of time nicely. Ironically, my favorite story in this book wasn't a story with a rogue, but "Around the World in 80 Minutes" (Showcase #13) which features the Flash circling the globe in 80 minutes for the heck of it, with the goal of making it back in time for his ever-late alter ego to make a date with the temperamental Iris West. Along the way, he has to solve several desperate problems and fend off several grateful maidens.
It's a story that represents the fun and light-heartedness of this collection. While characterization remains weak, this is groundbreaking stuff that launched a whole new age of comics and that makes it a worthwhile read.
This book collects the last story featuring the Golden Age Flash Jay Garrick last appearance in his 1949 Magazine (Flash #104) along with Silver Age Flash tryouts in Showcase #4, #8, #13, and #14 (1956-58) and then the new Flash continuing bi-monthly series from 105-119.
There's a lot to like about the book. Many of the best Flash villains are introduced in this book including Captain Cold, Gorilla Grodd (called only Grodd in these stories), Mirror Master, Dr. Alchemy, the Weather Wizard, the Trickster, and Captain Boomerang. The first four of these had multiple appearances, so early on there was a great sense of what the Flash's rogue's gallery would be like, and Grodd clearly stood out as more evil from the rest.
The Silver Age Flash also followed the tradition of the Golden Age version by not having book length stories. Instead, the Flash introduced back up characters. Wally West was introduced as Kid Flash in Flash #110, Ralph Dibney as the Elongated Man in Flash #112, and three dopes Winky, Blinky, and Noddy were introduced in Flash #117.
After his introduction, Kid Flash actually had five solo adventures in which Barry Allen didn't appear accept perhaps as a cameo. The early Kid Flash wore a uniform just like the adult version only smaller. The adventures are typical light kid fare.
The Elongated Man stories are fun as the Flash actually gets jealous of him. The Elongated Man adventures are team ups with the Flash and mostly light. It's worth noting that Elongated was introduced more than a year before Marvel's Mr. Fantastic.
The Winky, Blinky, and Noddy characters were without a doubt the stupidest concept re-introduced. They were originally in the Golden Age Flash Comics and really infantile characters who probably gave us a hint as to why Marvel had its early 1960s ascendancy.
However, they weren't enough to spoil this book. It introduced some great concepts and characters. The Flash's powers remain impressive as does his mighty rogues gallery stands the test of time nicely. Ironically, my favorite story in this book wasn't a story with a rogue, but "Around the World in 80 Minutes" (Showcase #13) which features the Flash circling the globe in 80 minutes for the heck of it, with the goal of making it back in time for his ever-late alter ego to make a date with the temperamental Iris West. Along the way, he has to solve several desperate problems and fend off several grateful maidens.
It's a story that represents the fun and light-heartedness of this collection. While characterization remains weak, this is groundbreaking stuff that launched a whole new age of comics and that makes it a worthwhile read.
February 28, 2013
I like Barry Allen as the Flash. He's a scientist who fights crime by running really fast (I jog MUCH more slowly, but we still share an avocation). As far as side character girlfriends go, Iris West is kind of neat (she's a hot shot reporter). The Flash converts the Elongated Man to a superhero type in this book (making him a B-level superhero for all eternity). There's some cool aspects.
So why is the writing so d***?
All of those "neat things" are the only reason this isn't rated at 1! Flash overcomes his bad guys with dumb tricks and worse dialogue. There are some cool semi-famous villain origins in this one (Gorilla Grodd, the genius/primate, Captain Cold, the guy with cold, Weather Wizard, the guy with weather, etc.), but the stories are mush.
The origin of "Kid Flash" is an interesting first, but his stories are abysmal. Cheesy and forgettable, plus oddly anti-progress. He hates go-carts that go "too fast for kids" in one ish, and captures a gang of beatniks in another. Very strange...
If you like comic book history, fine. Otherwise, move on until a little later into DC's real "silver age".
So why is the writing so d***?
All of those "neat things" are the only reason this isn't rated at 1! Flash overcomes his bad guys with dumb tricks and worse dialogue. There are some cool semi-famous villain origins in this one (Gorilla Grodd, the genius/primate, Captain Cold, the guy with cold, Weather Wizard, the guy with weather, etc.), but the stories are mush.
The origin of "Kid Flash" is an interesting first, but his stories are abysmal. Cheesy and forgettable, plus oddly anti-progress. He hates go-carts that go "too fast for kids" in one ish, and captures a gang of beatniks in another. Very strange...
If you like comic book history, fine. Otherwise, move on until a little later into DC's real "silver age".
April 3, 2017
Ah Silver Age comics, you are so frustrating.
This is a lot of fun, the art has a classic feel and the stories themselves are a lot more grounded and accessible than a lot of the modern mega-event, universe-engulfing, monster-crossover bonanzas. This is back when superhero comics had the same quality that makes smaller publisher comics all the rage today: self-contained stories and well-developed characters. It's not rocket science, DC and Marvel, please get back to this in some form or fashion...
However, for all of the good, the writing is just.... it's just awful. It made this a one-time read for me, which is a shame. But this is some classic Barry Allen action in its truest form and if that's as much of a draw for you as it was for me then you will at least get some joy out of this.
This is a lot of fun, the art has a classic feel and the stories themselves are a lot more grounded and accessible than a lot of the modern mega-event, universe-engulfing, monster-crossover bonanzas. This is back when superhero comics had the same quality that makes smaller publisher comics all the rage today: self-contained stories and well-developed characters. It's not rocket science, DC and Marvel, please get back to this in some form or fashion...
However, for all of the good, the writing is just.... it's just awful. It made this a one-time read for me, which is a shame. But this is some classic Barry Allen action in its truest form and if that's as much of a draw for you as it was for me then you will at least get some joy out of this.
November 15, 2009
When I got this for my birthday I was worried. The primary author listed is Kanigher who really annoyed me with his stories in Wonder Woman Volume 1 and Haunted Tank. Luckily he only writes the first few stories and the bulk are done by other scribes.
The first story in this volume is a (the last?) Golden Age Flash story from 1949. The second is the origin of the Silver Age Flash from 1959. When Barry Allen gains his powers he takes inspiration from the Golden Age Flash and adopts his new identity. It was neat of DC to include the Golden Age story.
I particularly liked the Gorilla Grod stories.
The first story in this volume is a (the last?) Golden Age Flash story from 1949. The second is the origin of the Silver Age Flash from 1959. When Barry Allen gains his powers he takes inspiration from the Golden Age Flash and adopts his new identity. It was neat of DC to include the Golden Age story.
I particularly liked the Gorilla Grod stories.
January 7, 2009
Huge, huge fun. I'm a big fan of the Flash, and as a comic geek I was always the type who wanted comics for reading purposes more than for bagging&boarding and boxing&hoarding. So these Showcase volumes are a godsend. The stories in this volume lay the foundation not only for the Silver Age Flash, but for the Silver Age of comics as a whole. Imaginative fun and fast-paced adventure, in the days where all you needed to triumph over evil was a ring to keep your costume in, a good working command of Science!, and the power to run at the speed of light.
February 7, 2017
Great volume! The book starts with a Jay Garrick Golden Age story. Next is Barry. They really were inventive in these early stories. The Rogues Gallery is pretty full by the end of the volume. Kid Flash, Elongated Man, and Sue join the book as well. Nice mix of superheroics and science fiction. Fun stuff.
April 5, 2015
Honestly, if this collection was in colour it'd be 4 stars without hesitation. The art is really fantastic so if the stories are silly (which is putting it kindly for some of these adventures) it hardly matters.
September 27, 2010
Listening to the Tom vs. the Flash podcast helped make these golden-age stories extra fun.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews