This is a very deeply creepy story. This single page lays out pretty much the entire situation in one beautifully designed diagrammatic drawing. The level of detail adds verisimilitude to the scenario. The man’s tan lines tell as much of the story as the length of chain on the floor at the foot of the bed. This is pure setup, and it’s glorious to look at.

From here, the story takes a dark turn. The woman reveals that she has kidnapped the man because she has accidentally mutated herself and needs a regular intake of fresh blood. And then she tries to have sex with him, with predictable results.

Unfortunately, this is a pretty cliched setup, but the gender flip adds an interesting twist. A portion of that ties directly to the man’s horrified reaction to the fact that something like this is happening to him. Another part is the fact that such a severely unsexy story is the first entry in something that is explicitly billed as an Erotic special.

It defies all manner of expectations, to be honest.

(Heavy Metal Erotic Special #2, Summer 2002- Page 8 Lifeblood – Human Contact by Fisher and O’Connell)