If this were a "direction", and not just a storyline intended from the start to be quite temporary, it would be really bad. For what it is, though, it's a bit weird but not really out of line. Strange things happen in the world of superhuman crimefighting.
Of course, I also have a soft spot for the late great Mark Gruenwald, who had honestly deteriorated from his earlier lofty heights by this point in his run but still deserves any amount of slack that could possibly be given. He was one of the best, and had more than earned his place by this point.