Todd McFarlane's original cover art for The Amazing Spider-Man #300 is expected to sell for more than $250,000 when it goes up for auction later this month.

The 1988 issue not only marked the 25th anniversary of the Marvel comics series but also the first full appearance of Venom, the popular villain created when Spider-Man's black symbiote suit merged with Eddie Brock. The cover is signed by McFarlane three times on the front, and includes a handwritten note on the back from the artist (presumably to series editor Jim Salicrup).

“No artist of the Modern Age has had a bigger impact on Spider-Man than Todd McFarlane,” Todd Hignite, vice president of Heritage Auctions, said in a statement. “He defined the character for an entire generation. We've sold some of his great Spidey covers in the last several years – including one that is still tied for the record of most expensive piece of American comic art of all time – but none more iconic than this cover, an absolute classic.”

McFarlane's original cover art for The Amazing Spider-Man #328 was sold in 2012 by Heritage Auctions for a record $657,250.

Online bidding for this cover art has reached $110,000.  The auction will be held Nov. 20-22 in Beverly Hills.