While harder to do with dragon's new angle of more, shorter columns, I still think they make a good idea for several reasons:
1) They make a more interesting/unique issue.
2) They make it easier to sort through different issues. It's a lot easier to remember that the ninja PC class was in the ninja issue than in issue #318.
3) They are much better from the perspective of those without subscriptions, from those buying only lone issues or backissues.
Even if it's not a completely themed issue (like #314, of which half the issue had nothing to do with the theme) instead of "special issues" like #315 (almost impossible with the new format), themes are still possible and would IMO improve the magazine.
My bad, should have posted in General discussion.
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I don't think any of us want to get away from doing themes (I'm only guessing here, of course). Every issue (maybe with the exception of #323) we put out has some kind of theme to it, even if that theme is so terribly subtle that nobody discerns what it is. Now that Jason is here and focused on the feature well, you might start seeing the themes become a little more explicit. That's not a promise, but it is certainly a possibility. :)
Well, #323 is the most recent one I got, so I wouldn't know.