Inverkeithing

My favorite anti-hero has to be John Constantine. From his first appearance in Swamp Thing to Hellblazer to the New 52 incarnation there is something fascinating and intriguing in his view of the world and his place in it. The reader is never sure of his intentions. Constantine’s actions, no matter how altruistic they may seem, inevitably serve his own, hidden, purpose.

I have found the WiR trope to be a factor in continuing to read a book or not. As a long-time comic reader, I can sense when something is not right and I abhor using the WiR as a plot device. It makes the writer look lazy, like a sort of deus ex machina, to advance a story arc. There is nothing more clichéd than the hero out for bloody revenge.
Unfortunately this plot device has started to bled into the otherwise decent TV adaptations of comics, especially Arrow and Flash.

There is another example of an overweight hero who simply does not care about his physical appearance. Armstrong, or Anni-Padda, from the Valiant title “Archer and Armstrong” is a hard drinking, promiscuous, overweight and out of shape immortal warrior. Armstrong’s hedonistic lifestyle and less than perfect body does affect his fighting ability.