I have no opinion on him, specifically - have never read him (didn't read JLD, since it didn't sound like my thing) . Vertigo flavor (really, almost...
Times and parties change. Most democrats weren't exactly up in arms about fighting AIDS in the early 1980s, either. And Trump-like characters mostly...
The entire Kathy/Kate, Bette/Betty thing was really not fantastically done, IMO. Obviously it comes down to differing needs over 20+ (okay 60+) years...