Max Lord and Amanda Waller - favorite characterizations

[Tzigone]

I've seen the opinion in the past that both these characters were done wrong. That they were more ambiguous characters made more evil. In particular, I've also seen that Waller tends to bounce around on evilness (the same can be said for Deathstroke, I'm told, but despite the line the seemed to want me swallow that he was honorable after Terra died, he seemed evil from day of origin to me, though completely different than his later behavior with Ravager).

I haven't read a lot with Waller or Max. I did read Max's intro (and a few issues of Justice League after), and he seemed evil to me there. But I know he got possessed somewhere along the line, but I'm not sure when, so thought maybe he wasn't actually evil then. Saw him use mental powers to influence Huntress to join League. I did read a few issues of JLA: Classified, but hated it with a fiery passion, and am not going to read any more of that.

I've also heard others complain less about Max's method and more about than about his goal (killing all metahumans) being inconsistent with prior goals.

Waller I have only ever read more than couple scenes with in 1989's Invasion! storyline. IIRC, she did seem grayer there.

So, I'm looking for descriptions of what you each of these character is, or should be, when best-written. Goals, methods, morals, etc.

Also, which books would you recommend I read to get to know them?

[ChaosIncarnate]

Haven’t read any heroic maxwell lord so I can’t give a fair answer, but the only time I’ve ever liked Waller was when John Ostrander wrote her in suicide squad.

[Tzigone]

Haven’t read any heroic maxwell lord so I can’t give a fair answer, but the only time I’ve ever liked Waller was when John Ostrander wrote her in suicide squad.

Truthfully, I find it unlikely I'm ever going to like her, either (except perhaps in small doses in other people's books). I am not an anti-hero person. I like heroes. But I'd like to understand the character. And if there is a controversy, understand it.

[H-E-D]

I'll be honest, I've only read post-Countdown Maxwell Lord, so I can't really say I have a frame of comparison there.