Dark Empire was a comic book not a novel so you can't blame it for not being too hot when it cannot begin to contain the level of complexity that a novel holds

I read ROTS & left my views elsewhere in this forum (quite negative btw), but by all means read it... we can't tell you what it's like.....you have to form your own opinion's...we can but express our own reactions, feelings & opinion's....

you quote Philip K Dick, Frank Herbert & Neil Gaiman amongst your literary tastes...excellent choices....3 of my favourites also....