If I remember correctly, this comic was written during a time when the crime rate in American cities was basically out of control. People were frightened and angry, and there were a lot of movies like the 'Death Wish' series, where Charles Bronson's family gets killed by crooks, and he goes on a bloody rampage of revenge. It's not surprising that a character who used somewhat more extreme methods wouldn't be treated with the shock and horror that a modern-day audience would expect - the writers were playing up to the mood and expectations of the times.