Terry Pratchett creates veritable works of art out of 'tropes', including various ubercharacters (Lord Vetinari, Granny Weatherwax), and your cliche'd character types (Captain Vimes the jaded but honest, just but ruthless, lawful but plays-by-his-own-rules street cop). He often plays them for humor, but they still work as fiction. (As far as I'm concerned, anyway.)