Poison Elves, Volume Five: Sanctuary [Paperback]

Drew Hayes (Author, Artist)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2003 | Series: Poison Elves (Book 5)

Tired of his retirement, the criminal Lusiphur joins Sanctuary, the infamous assassin guild. There, he finds vast wealth, a safe haven, even the gorgeous assassin Cassy to romance. the charmed life never lasts long, though, and forces conspire to wipe out Lusiphur... including martial arts master Mr. Moto, brilliant detective Lt. Vido, rival assassin Lester, the ever-outlandish Purple Marauder, and a mysterious new organization moving into Sanctuary territory!

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Drew Hayes entered the comic book field in 1991 by self-publishing his cult-hit series, I, LUSIPHUR. Over the next four years he published 20 issues, changed the series’ title to POISON ELVES, and became known as one of the most singular and respected voices in the "self-publishing" movement. Then, in a bold transition, Drew brought POISON ELVES under the Sirius Entertainment banner, where his creative freedom has remained wholly intact. Meanwhile, POISON ELVES continues to be one of the most popular monthly independent comics in existence. Drew recently made it to issue #70 (bringing his total output to over 90 issues, many of which are collected in the seven POISON ELVES trade paperbacks) and he doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon. He currently lives in the Seattle area and attends as many rockabilly concerts as is inhumanly possible.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Sirius Entertainment (April 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1579890547
• ISBN-13: 978-1579890544
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 6.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,456,217 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book, and the ideal starting point for new PE readers., July 13, 2006

By 

Justin Gaines (Northern Virginia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Poison Elves, Volume Five: Sanctuary (Paperback)

Poison Elves Volume 5: Sanctuary is my favorite chapter (to date) in the Poison Elves saga. This hefty trade paperback collects issues 1-12 of the Sirius-published Poison Elves series, and begins the long running Sanctuary storyline.

For those of you unfamiliar with this excellent (and criminally underrated) series, Poison Elves is the story of an elf named Lusiphur. Now, before you get visions in your head of pretty-boy elves like Legolas or those Elfquest characters, you should know that Lusiphur (Luse, as he's known to the few people he likes well enough not to have killed) is not that kind of elf. He's a street fighting, hard drinking, mercenary/assassin described by his creator as (and I'm paraphrasing here) "having the temperament of a rattlesnake and the ability to deliver sarcasm faster than lightning hits the ground." Sound intriguing? Drew Hayes is a master storyteller, and besides getting a great non-traditional fantasy story, there is plenty of social commentary and very relevant, very cutting observations. Drew was doing this kind of thing long before Garth Ennis, Warren Ellis, et al made it commonplace. And his artwork is terrific too.

Besides being my favorite PE volume, I also think Sanctuary is the perfect jumping-on point for new readers. While it does make sense to start with Volume 1 (Requiem for an Elf), the early PE books are a bit rough around the edges, so to speak, and might not capture the reader as completely as this book no doubt will. Because a lot of new readers came on board with the first Sirius issue, this book serves as an excellent reintroduction to the cast of Poison Elves. You get a good idea of what makes Luse tick (and what mayhem he is capable of), you meet his friend Jace, and the first big PE epic kicks off. Essentially, Luse joins a secret guild of assassins and thieves, makes peace with what he does for a living, and finds love. All the while, an elite task force - which Jace is a member of - is relentlessly trying to bring down the guild. You just know all hell is going to break loose in volume 6!

I can't recommend this series, or this particular book, highly enough. When you're ready to take a break from "comics as usual", you owe it to yourself to check this series out.

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WOW!, November 30, 2004

By 

Lailoken (Ft. Hood) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Poison Elves, Volume Five: Sanctuary (Paperback)

OH My God, drew has done it again. He starts a beautiful story with his Antihero. Completly captivating.