Lobo: Portrait of a Victim # 1 1993 NM-

Lobo: Portrait of a Victim #1 is a standalone one-shot comic book released by DC Comics on April 1, 1993 (carrying a May 1993 cover date). Written by longtime Lobo mastermind Alan Grant, with interior pencils by Val Semeiks and inks by John Dell, this issue delivers a hilariously dark, structurally unique story that looks at a typical, chaotic Lobo rampage entirely from the perspective of an ordinary, unfortunate bystander.

The Plot: A Very Bad Day for John Doe

The framing mechanism follows an ordinary alien named John Doe, who is currently recovering in a hospital bed wrapped head-to-toe in a full-body cast. As he lies there in agony, the story uses flashbacks to show exactly how he ended up in this condition:

• The Normal Routine: John Doe details a perfectly mundane, frustratingly typical day at home dealing with his nagging family. Desperate for a break, he decides to meet up with his friends at a local sleazy dive bar for a quiet beer.
• The Wrong Place, Wrong Time: Unluckily for John, the Main Man has picked the exact same dive bar to meet up with a date.
• The Fraggin' Fun: A typical barroom brawl erupts around Lobo's table, escalating instantly into a wave of over-the-top, ultraviolent chaos. Caught directly in the crossfire of Lobo's reckless disregard for life, John Doe is thoroughly pulverized.
• The Ultimate Insult: Back in the modern day, just as John Doe finishes recounting his harrowing story, Lobo casually walks into his hospital room. Claiming he is there to "process the insurance claim," Lobo proceeds to accidentally (and callously) inflict even more bodily harm on the helpless victim.

Tone & Artistic Style

Unlike traditional superhero comics, this book leans entirely into the pitch-black humor, fourth-wall breaking, and exaggerated slapstick violence that turned Lobo into a 90s pop-culture icon. It features an iconic, highly stylized painted cover by acclaimed artist Glenn Fabry.