I think he's an interesting case. He's portrayed as an obviously disturbed individual and almost every characteristic he's given is either intended to be negative (reactionary politics), vaguely pitiful (his appearance / personal hygeine, the backstory with his mother) or at best unheroic (his original job). As costumed vigilantes go he's miles away from the Bruce Wayne archetype.

Having said that, his character emerges as one of the few with any real moral integrity in the story (particularly the ending). Even if he's wrong I think there's a certain appeal to his uncompromising attitude and the ethics that go with it.