WOW. Just when everyone thought the Spider-Man #1 cover might grab the record, the 1990 Amazing Spider-Man #328 by Todd McFarlane cover beats it by a long shot — and becomes the new record holder for a piece of American comic book art, closing just moments ago at Heritage Auctions for $657,250.

The new record was set during the auction of what is being billed as "The Shamus Modern Masterworks Collection", an impressive group of 1990s-era art accumulated by Wizard founder Gareb Shamus's father Martin Shamus.

I have to say I haven't been this surprised by a result since the previous record was set in May 2011 by the iconic splash page of Batman and Robin from The Dark Knight Returns #3, penciled by Frank Miller and inked by Klaus Janson, which sold for $448,125. The Frank Frazetta cover of EC title Weird Fantasy #29 sold for $380,000 in 2010.

