Agree here too. I've never subscribed to the "Because comics; therefore screen" method. He might work as a character for a comic book story (Again, I don't know anything about them.), but as a TV character, he falls completely flat - both conceptually and actually.
I wouldn't go that far -- he just needs some modulation and nuance, something to give him a more sympathetic side to balance out his bad attitude. Lots of kids do act like that, but not 24/7.