Yeah, I get the commercial aspects, but it just seems weird. Hank was basically "abusive" for...a handful of issues, at best. I'd also argue that Reed Richards probably doesn't sell Fantastic Four any more or less than Hank Pym sells Avengers books. From my experience it's Ben and Johnny that tend to be the "draw" for FF.
Of course Ultimates probably didn't help by being a high-profile book that turned Hank Pym into a character people would wish death upon.