Joseph William Marek wrote:
I would like to see them speeded up until they're about a Year behind hardcover Masterworks. If there are outside issues that make that impractical, even 18 mos. - 2 years behind the hardcovers would be okay.


You'd have a major issue of the TPB's vulturing sales from the HC Masterworks if they came out that soon after the HC versions.  I'd love to get them faster too, but the softcover versions only exist because of the HC versions and their much higher price point.  I certainly would stop buying any of the new HC's if there was a much cheaper softcover version due that quickly.  

That said, they could certainly close the gap from where it currently stands (about 12 years, if my math is correct) without causing any damage to the sales of their new HC volumes.