I am all for deconstruction. The problem I find, personally, with most of the darker end of the epic, is that the actual deconstruction gets lost in the gore and torture and doom and disposable women. While it may deconstruct the Hero's Journey, it upholds - and occasionally doubles down on - elements in fantasy I find more personally repellent.

Morgan, at least, whatever the extremes he takes his darkness too, is constructing his narrative in such a way that what he's in dialogue with (and deconstructing) is not only visible, but prominent. And so far, at least, he hasn't gone in for disposable women, one squicky off-screen-gangrape-of-a-villain aside.

Editors and publishers are have to be aware of prior art. But I agree with you that even people who insist on their special unique snowflakeness are most likely influenced in ways they can't or don't want to recognise by other art.