I attended my second Atlanta Comic Convention (ACC) today and despite the wet and dreary weather, I enjoyed myself and I believe my coworkers enjoyed the event too. I never have much of a budget for these types of events and I never have any plan for buying (unlike fellow attendees that come prepared with notebooks of missing single issues), but I did manage to purchase the first volume of The Movement. To be honest, I'm not too familiar with the series beyond the fact that Gail Simone wrote it until it was cancelled, but I really didn't purchase the item because of I was interested in the plot. Instead, I purchased it because it features a character named Katharsis (A/K/A Kulap Vilaysack), a winged character with exceptional strength and sword skills, who happens to be of Lao origin--making her (as for as I'm aware) the first Lao American superhero (or villain--her first appearance was as an antagonist in Batgirl) featured in a major comic series.
Personally, I think this is rather cool considering the only other Lao characters of any sort of renown in mainstream media are the Souphanosinphone family from King of the Hill. Of course, Katharsis may never reach the same level of notoriety as Khan and Khan Jr., but it is remarkable that the media is beginning to recognize individuals from the small landlocked country in Southeast Asia. And another cool thing about Katharsis is that she could serve as a character in which young Lao girls, like my two year old cousin Dannie, can look towards and say: "She's Lao like me!" I guess it's my hope that I can use Katharsis as means to inspire my little cousin that she be more because, believe me when I say this, she has a lot going against her.
Anyway, aside from the ACC, my coworkers and I stopped by Titan Comics in Gwinnett where I actually ending up spending more money there than at the ACC because that's what happens when one has sporadic relationship with comics throughout much of his life and has just now discovered that he may want to take this hobby a bit more seriously. Also, it's what happens when one focuses primarily on newer titles and volumes of a series.
Regardless, today was good and I do look forward to the next ACC and my next visit to my local comic book shop.
