What do you mean by "false validation"? Comic books deserve validation as a proper art form - we're having a discussion elsewhere on this forum on the validity of video games as art, for crying out loud. No video games have ever won a Pulitzer Prize as far as I know. The reference to Roy Lichtenstein is, I believe, meant only to show the seeping of comic-book visuals into more mainstream media, specifically high-brow artistic media. And, as far as the Comics Code goes, I think there's little question that the Code did, as Fell said, far more harm than good.
The comparison as Hickman uses it is unfair, and the over-the-top, reactionary tone of the piece kind of undermines the validity of many of his arguments. He admits that Wizards sets up a rating system, showing that a wide range of "grittiness" can be deemed appropriate depending on what's appropriate for the people involved in particular campaign, but then he claims that Wizards goes on to "dismantle" the vestiges of ethical guidance in roleplaying. Obviously, Wizards is not espousing the use of "dark" elements in Lighthearted (LG) or even Standard Gaming (SG). The purpose of the Book of Darkness is to provide resources for GMs wishing to run the more gritty Mature or Vile Games. It's unfair for Hickman to misrepresent the motives of Wizards like this and it makes him look like an irrational moralist.
Not being familiar with the materials, I'd venture to guess that I would be okay with the idea of Mature Gaming but somewhat dubious about Vile Gaming. I agree with Sprig that the materials are not appropriate for teen gamers, but I wonder if the policing of content in RPGs is not the responsibility of parents rather than the industry. Should Wizards second-guess all their content because they know they have 12-year-old subscribers, or should parents keep better track of what kind of roleplaying their kids get involved with? Roleplaying is a good vehicle for education and social development, but that doesn't mean that the industry should only produce PG-rated roleplaying resources. For mature gamers wishing to explore darker subjects that are part of real life, resources should be available to help them accomplish this.
I seriously question the exploration of "dark" content with evil PCs, though. There MIGHT be circumstances where a group of highly well-adjusted individuals could attempt to explore deviance and evil from the point of view of sociopathic individuals, but - well, what are the chances that well-adjusted people would be interested in doing something like that, right? I believe that there is a place for mature themes in roleplaying, but - like normal people confronting such things (abuse, rape, extreme violence) in real life - I believe that, when such themes arise, they should be thrown up as something for the protagonists to react to and deal with. I don't think I would ever tolerate a player wishing to do such things as a PC. However, that doesn't mean that such themes should be excluded from roleplaying entirely - if roleplaying is useful as an educational tool, it can be used to educate individuals about real and difficult issues where appropriate. I wouldn't be averse to participating in a standard (fantasy or scifi) roleplaying campaign where characters had to confront issues like pedophilia, genocide, or violent insanity in a realistic and mature way.
If Wizards have erred here (and I think they have), they're greatest sin is carelessness. They should have been more responsible in their release of these materials and in the ways that they encourage gamers to use them. I think that "vile darkness" is not something that should be removed entirely from the roleplaying market, but it should be marketed responsibly and maturely. At worst, Wizards has figured that young adults and teens are into evil and they represent a great target audience for amoral and sociopathic roleplaying - if so, I would say, "SHAME ON YOU, WIZARDS OF THE COAST."
