This was happening during a time when Batman was being a jerk to everyone. Nothing in the past few issues suggested that he was doing anything different. Nothing even in issue #50 suggested he was doing anything different. To me, it just seemed like the going theme in Batland, which was (and kind of is) - no matter how cruel, stupid, or selfish Batman is, he's somehow always right. Nothing is ever his fault or the result of him screwing up.