Even though the fandom usually sees 42Aaron as a "bad influence" on Miles G or (less often) an ideal father figure or actually a replacement for Jeff, I'm very interested in his characterization as a good person who really wants to help, though not a perfect uncle.
Because, listen to me, 1610 Miles saw Aaron as some kind of unwavering image of coolness, lightness, an alternative way of looking at the world, looking to him more than his own father. And yet Aaron was not the way Miles saw him - he was much harder, much more difficult, much more complex than just a "cool uncle" in the eyes of a rebellious teenage boy.
Now imagine. Jeff has died, and - although they haven't spoken in years and will never be able to again - Aaron knows that the only thing he could ask of his brother is to look after his family, his wife and son. And so Aaron does. Aaron comes to their home almost immediately after the news of his brother's death, he tries to talk to Rio, brings his nephew a couple of old tapes as a gift, and pushes his own heartbreak far away because it is the only way he can thank his brother and shed light on his memory.
He becomes a loyal helper and friend for Rio, and for Miles G, he becomes a mentor, a role model, and a father figure.
But there is a small problem here - Aaron is not a family man. Aaron is not a father. He really thought that he was a good uncle, a cool uncle who could make a child happy, but all of that shattered as soon as he had to actually LOOK after this child.
Because it's one thing when he comes to your house once a month, you eat popcorn, listen to music and talk about school and girls, and then go out to paint graffiti. And it's completely different when you see a little boy literally falling apart and breaking down before your eyes, when you know that he can't sleep at night because he's afraid of nightmares, when you see him exhausting himself, reaching for some unknown goals, trying to grow up as fast as possible to become a person he was never meant to be... and there's nothing - nothing - you can do about it. You don't know how to approach him, how to open up, how to talk to children. Because you have never been able to deal with your own feelings, let alone the feelings of a small child who is just quietly suffering in front of you.
Of course, this does not mean that they do not have good relationships. They have their own local jokes, gags, and inventions. Miles G can spend hours at Aaron's apartment practicing something, and he will pass on his knowledge to him.
But (and Aaron has made sure of this) this does not make him a really good uncle. Because he just doesn't know what it's like to be a full-fledged father figure, a supervisor, how to be anyone beyond being a "cool uncle" - and he blames himself for this more than anyone else, but he just can't seem to learn. He tries to talk to Miles, but every time he meets an iron wall with the code words "I'm fine" that he just CAN'T break through.
He had no experience. He had no normal parents. There was no one who could explain to him how to do it, and the only person who really cared about him all these years is six feet under the ground.
How often do you think he stood by Jeff's mural, muttering a quiet "I'm sorry" to him? Because for the first time in his life, just making and giving money was not enough. Because he can't be the help he wants to be. Because he hates seeing Rio so tired, too, and he knows Jeff would hate it as well, but he can't do anything but hear a clear "no" to every his suggestion about her resting or taking a day off from from work.
How often do you think he's thought Jeff would be angry at him If he knew the role he gave his child, seeing the scars on his face and soul?
How often do you think he's wondered if Jeff would hate him if he found out what he's doing, even though he's doing the best he can.
How often do you think he thinks his "I'm sorry" doesn't mean anything anymore?
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