THE FLASH #170

Cover shows moderate wear consistent with a mid-grade Silver Age book: a visible vertical crease/tear along the left edge running through the flame graphic, some spine stress with light color breaking, and mild surface wear at the corners. The book is in a protective sleeve, which limits ability to inspect for additional creasing or gloss loss, and the back cover and interior pages were not assessed. No major stains or missing pieces are apparent, but the edge tear and spine wear keep this out of higher grade ranges.

The Flash #170 (May 1966) is a Gardner Fox-scripted, Carmine Infantino-penciled issue that continues DC's Silver Age exploration of the multiverse concept Fox had introduced in Flash #123. Here Barry Allen crosses back into contact with Earth-Two, drawing in the Golden Age mainstays Doctor Fate and Doctor Mid-Nite alongside Jay Garrick to confront the recurring time-traveling rogue Abra Kadabra. Sid Greene's inking gives Infantino's clean, kinetic linework its characteristic Silver Age finish, and the issue stands as a good example of Fox's ongoing effort to knit together DC's two Earths through the Flash's own title.

Market data shows a typical Silver Age back-issue curve: values stay modest and fairly flat through the mid grades, with a small population of sales in the $50-$65 range from grade 2 up through 8, before climbing more steeply near the top of the census. The 9.6 tier has meaningful sales support clustering around $290, but the two 9.8 census copies have no recorded transactions, meaning the top of the curve is thinly populated and largely aspirational at present. This pattern is consistent with a well-collected but non-key issue: steady demand from Flash-run completists rather than speculative or key-driven buying.

This issue trades primarily among Silver Age Flash collectors building the Infantino/Fox run and JSA crossover enthusiasts drawn to the Doctor Fate and Doctor Mid-Nite guest appearance, rather than investment-driven buyers chasing a first appearance. Raw copies in low and mid grades remain widely available and inexpensive, making the book an accessible piece for run collectors, while certified copies at the top of the grading scale command a real premium purely on condition scarcity rather than character or story significance.