Permanus writes:I thought the All-Star titles were just supposed to be limited 12-issue series. I wouldn't mind it if All-Star Superman went on beyond #12, provided that a good writer/artist team could be found, but you know it's just going to deteriorate. Wasn't Legends of the Dark Knight supposed to be a title that only employed "quality" talent (almost as if DC were admitting that they usually employ hacks)? I haven't read it in centuries, but I seem to remember it hit the skids pretty quickly.
LOTDK lasted over 150 issues, if memory serves, though I admit it started a lot stronger than it finished. The problem, in my opinion, was that the book was pitched as a place to tell "untold" stories from throughout Batman's career (including his future) but quickly settled in to a "Year One" rut and rarely got out. And many of the stories could just as easily have fit in any other bat-book.
As far as "quality" talent goes, don't forget DC fought tooth and nail against putting "name" creators on Superman (and I guess Batman) for years there, and I think the "All-Star" books were at first envisioned as a way to get such luminaries on the characters without breaking the "no stars" policy. Of course in the time since the books were launched, DC has reversed course and put such big names as Richard Donner, Geoff Johns, Kurt Busiek and the Kuberts on the "regular" books...
As to the "A-S" books being limited to 12 issues, I really don't think that was the original intent, or else they'd have named them something else, something that reflected the specific contents.