The Frank Miller cover art for 1986's Dark Knight Returns #2 - an iconic cover in the celebrated Batman series - will sell as part of Heritage Auctions' August 1-3 Comics Signature Auction in Dallas.

Frank Miller's interpretation of Batman changed the face of modern comic books

The cover has not yet been given an estimated value, though the original artwork for the cover of the Dark Knight Returns #3 sold for almost $450,000 in 2011.

"For fans of modern comics, this drawing is where everything really begins," commented Heritage's Todd Hignite.

"This moment defines Miller's Dark Knight, and the modern day perception of Batman, like no other drawing.

"It represents not only one of the most memorable images from the 1980s, but from Batman's entire illustrious history.

"Miller's revolutionary Dark Knight radically altered the direction of comics with its prestige miniseries format, combined with the fact that it was one of the first modern mainstream features to put a gritty noir patina on the squeaky-clean Silver Age hero mythos previously exemplified by DC."

The Dark Night Returns cover will be joined in the sale by a 9.2-graded copy of Batman #1 from 1940, which is expected to sell for around $850,000 - the price achieved by a similarly graded example in 2012.

In June, a man found an extremely rare copy of Action Comics #1 - which stars Superman for the first time - in the walls of a house he was renovating. After selling that issue for $175,000, it has recently been reported that he has found a second issue.

Paul Fraser Collectibles has some stunning comic art and illustrations for sale.