There is sexism in the earlier books (it seems that all the women get raped/tortured/etc... There were a couple points where I skipped ahead because I just was squicked out). And some subtle racism (kids with Afros potentially shoplifting). And less creativity in the superheroes than I necessarily would like. A pimp who gets his power from sex? And hints at unexplored issues of incest, etc, that could have been padded out to create a more interesting dynamic. But, at the same time, I have the luxury of comparing and contrasting with the later, more polished novels.
I do think it is a good exercise.