this idea that Victor Creed is the hero (or anti-hero in his clearer moments) of his own story.

OOOOH YES.

I loveloveLOVED Schreiber and his Victor. OMFG. I watched the movie twice, and I definitely did that more for him than for Hugh Jackman, whom I do love, but, yeah, he's the "hero" so he was kinda... bland, really.

Every time people bitch about canon, yeah, it's like, hello. Even canon isn't canon. Not when it comes to comics.