WHAT would Batman be without the Joker?

And would Luke Skywalker still be kicking his heels in Tatooine if it wasn't for Darth Vader and the Empire?

That troubled, symbiotic relationship between heroes and villains has always been at the cornerstone of all fiction and that is what Loot Crate recently set out to celebrate with its subscription service.

Los Angeles-based Loot Crate is basically like the Graze Box of the pop culture world.

Each month, boxes of film, game and comic related goodies are sent to more than 150,000 subscribers and the craze has gone global with around 13,000 people signed up in the UK.

What you get is a package full of unashamedly geeky merchandise.

It is all surprises so you get that same sort of feeling as when you unwrap a present and much of it is exclusive thanks to Loot Crate teaming up with the likes of Star Wars, Marvel, DC Comics and gaming giants like Nintendo and Capcom.

Each 'crate' is themed with the last two being dedicated to villains and then heroes.

They contained everything from the weird and wonderful like a Bobble-head of Groot from the Guardians of the Galaxy film and a T-shirt of 'Joki' (a combination of the Joker and Marvel's Loki), little trinkets like a Darth Vader keyring and a magnet of Bowser (Super Mario's nemesis) to the downright bizarre like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles sunglasses.

The only downside is that Loot Crate does not come cheap, especially if you are a UK subscriber.

You are looking at $29.95 (£17.45) per crate or sign up for three months for $28/£16.32 per month or six months for $27/£15.73 per month.

A better option is to buy a crate as a one-off as a great present for a geeky friend or family member or for yourself as a treat.

The theme for the September crate is 'galactic' so expect a special sci-fi salute to Firefly, Star Wars and Star Trek.

Visit lootcrate.com