I've seen three schools of thought for a book that is not going to have a regular issue ready to release for any given scheduled slot:

1) Reprint an old story (maybe with a little new framing art and story.)

2) Run a fill-in / inventory story

3) Get a fill-in writer or artist to continue the storyline with a (sobbing) editor standing very close by.

4) Skip that month and continue as planned the following month.

I would think at first that missing a month is the worst possible thing to do with an ongoing series... but I think back on some of the really dreadful fill-in stories I've read, and I wonder if that doesn't hurt the book more than no product.

Opinions, fellow Byrne victims? Mr. Byrne, I doubt that you've missed very many deadlines at all... it seems your work ethic doesn't allow it. But you're the Pro from Dover... do you have an opinion, please?

As for your options, Eric, I appreciate that a fill-in story can be jarring, but it's better than nothing. In an era where there were standalone tales, it was doable, also. 

I'd rather they did that because we have been conditioned to accept monthly comics (or weekly for us Brits). When a title skips a month - or several years in the case of ALL-STAR BATMAN - one just loses interest. Even the most mediocre fill-in writer/artist story is preferable to skipped months.

Your question is a fair one, but I'm not even sure skipped months have existed in recent years. More like skipped years. And when fans complain, we get the likes of Grant Morrison dismissing our views and telling us we'll get our books when we get our books. 

I hate to have to labour the point again, but a strong person at DC should have either not given Jim Lee the ALL-STAR BATMAN assignment or taken him away from the videogame project. Or insisted that he get the art done. Of course, with the likes of Grant Morrison dismissing fans' concerns, well we know what we are dealing with.

I read very few US superhero comics now so am unaware if delays and late books are still a problem. Problem nowadays is that fill-ins could be problematic in the "decompression age". I'd be fine with them, but some people would want to say, "When are we returning to part 6 of 8?"

When I was a kid, Roy Thomas (and others, I'm sure) resorted to reprints WAY too often!  Even then, when reprint editions were rare and it was unlikely I would ever get to see those stories elsewhere, I felt ripped off by those (even when they had new framing sequences).  When I caught on that some stories were inventory, I actually appreciated the forethought--at least they weren't reprints!

These days, I would say say just make everything bi-monthly since very few people seem capable of meeting a monthly deadline (and everything's so expensive!).  For creator-owned stuff, sure, just delay until the issue's ready--I'm probably just buying for that particular writer or artist anyhow.