Panel Grids: 6, 9, 16...?

[dewline]

Some comic books I've read over the years distinguished themselves by sticking as closely as possible to a "grid" system of panel layout. The "base" number of panels would vary from artist to artist, book to book, but within a book, it would almost never vary unless you really wanted an attention-getter moment in the book in question. Ditko-era Spider-Man, Watchmen, Miller's first Dark Knight series, Legion of Super-Heroes during the "Giffen-Bierbaum-Squared" era...these stand out as some of the best examples of the method I recall reading to date.

So, I've got a question to throw out to you to answer with your opinions: Is this a method of layout for beginners to stick to as a survival tool, or hardcore pros to show how they really excel under self-inflicted pressure, or both?