Darksiders spawning art books, statues

THQ's Darksiders on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 depicted the death of the world, but it also marked the beginning of a brand. The publisher had planned a sequel for the game when the original was nearly a year away from release and was quick to announce a PC port after the console versions shipped 1.2 million copies in their first four weeks on sale.

It turns out that THQ's plans for the series extend even further. Today the publisher announced merchandising deals with Udon Entertainment and SOTA Toys to make Darksiders art books and collectible statues, respectively.

Udon, which gamers may recognize as the studio responsible for Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix's visual face-lift, will be releasing The Art of Darksiders with concept pieces and original work from Joe Madureira. The artist rose to prominence drawing The Uncanny X-Men in the mid-1990s and currently serves as creative director at Vigil Games.

Meanwhile, SOTA Toys will start taking preorders next month for a 14-inch limited-edition statue of Darksiders protagonist War atop his trusty steed, Ruin. No price was announced, but the company's current line of statues runs from $90 to $250.

For those not interested in the art book or the War statue, there is likely more Darksiders loot on the way. SOTA has committed to a line of statues inspired by the game, and THQ described the announcements as the first steps in "an expansive merchandise line" based on the franchise.