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How did the new Flash help begin the Silver Age of comics?

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Christopher Reeve as Superman flies over a city at night, wearing a blue suit with a red cape and yellow belt, from the 1978 film Superman. — Superhero Christopher Reeve in *Superman* (1978).

The introduction of the new Flash, Barry Allen, in Showcase #4 (October 1956) is widely credited with marking the beginning of the Silver Age of comics.12

During the early 1950s, the popularity of the superhero genre had waned significantly, having been largely supplanted by horror, true crime, and funny animal comics. Under the direction of editor Julius Schwartz, the new Flash series revitalized the genre by mixing action, style, and imagination, offering a fresh alternative to existing comic and television fare.21

The character, a police scientist who gained super-speed after being struck by lightning and doused in electrified chemicals, was portrayed with a sleek sophistication by artist Carmine Infantino. The runaway success of this title proved that superheroes could still be commercially viable, preventing the potential extinction of the genre and sparking a broader rebirth of superhero comics.21