The Anti-Hero, c/d?

However, if we are to accept that Deathstroke is as badass as his reputation professes, that kinda throws a pall on the Identity Crisis conceit that the JLA tossed the lobotomized Dr. Light to the Teen Titans to give them a villain that wouldn't hurt them. Well, it doesn't negate that the JLA may have done that, but it does sort of weaken the argument that they needed it, if they could hold their own against a non-lobotomized stone-kold one-eyed killer.

anti-villain = someone who does good things to achieve evil end???

The suicide squad are forced to do heroic things, even though they are baddies - so that makes them anti-heroes still

black adam was an anti villain in that he joined the JSA just so he could recruit people to help invade his country.

I never understood the Lobo hating from people like Grant Morrison, who are openly against boring grim n gritty clichés. I mean, Lobo's supposed to be a parody of all those clichés, maybe not too much of a subtle one, but quite funny when Giffen was behind it. Who could take something like "Lobo's Back" seriously?

If anti-heroes exist and do not equal villains, then do we have anti-villains too, who end up doing good for all the wrong reasons?

Hey, it has happened with Catwoman and Venom. And the Suicide Squad not only was a team of super-villains, but they also did "good" for selfish reasons.

I think the official line about Captain America is that he doesn't kill, ever, (please don't mention the war, as being hit in the face by a shield often offends). This has inevitably led to several people giving Captain America a crisis over this contradiction (because there are'nt a lot of interesting stories you can do with him).

One could say that, being a vampire, he wasn't really alive, but I bet he bled when Cap's shield slit his throat.

gollum!!

The current Capt. Am. series (the only CA stuff I've read) is pretty upfront with the "realities" of WWII, particularly as they pertain to Bucky.

ok. now first things first i'm not a comics fan so my insights are probably lacking. however my brother is and he got me to read watchmen. why is everyone saying that it has an unhappy ending. doesn't adrian make the world a better place? i'd see life without war as a great thing. also why does the comedian get such a bad rap. rape my ass jupiter was all over him. then he gets killed for doing his job well. he slipped up in 'nam but other than that the guy is a lot more morally sound than rorschach. anyway that's my rant over apart from one question which i hope someone will answer for me. what's the deal with ozymandis' cat. is he sleeping with it?

But I've thought about this since - how important is it that a Superhero is a likeable character? Batman is the best example. Undeniably cool, admirable etc. But an arsehole. Again, this makes him cooler. But he treats many of his peers like children, is rude to almost everyone, (justifiably) arrogant and a control freak. Spiderman - in contrast - is enormously likeable, for his wit and self-deprecation, his humanity I suppose. Both of these characters are so clearly embedded in popular culture as Heroic archetypes that I guess it ceases to matter whether or not they are likeable.
But Superman is an interesting character - I've aways found him a little smug, a little self- righteous. This is exploited by Miller in DKR, where it is satisfying to see him get beaten by Bats, who is at least an honestly dislikeable character (i.e. he doesnt pretend to be a nice guy).
I'm rambling..