Catwoman #58

Issue Details

Synopsis

MEMORIES ARE MAD OF THIS One year ago, Catwoman stood outside Black Mask's apartment covered in his blood. Inside, Xavier Dylan and a goon were standing over Black Mask's body. Dylan knew at once who killed him, and he knew they had to send a message immediately. He told the goon to send Louis and Martin over to Gotham General Hospital where Sam Bradley was recuperating with orders to kill him and make a mess doing it.  In the present, Catwoman and Zatanna are standing over the bound and blindfolded Angle Man and the unconscious Film Freak. Catwoman rips the duct tape off Angle Man's mouth, and he begins to threaten her and her daughter. Catwoman is unafraid, and Zatanna quips that he's got it all backwards.   Angle Man knows what Zatanna did to Dr. Light. Zatanna is retorting when Helena begins to cry from the other room. She starts to say "Ybab, pots," but Catwoman slaps her hand across Zatanna's mouth. Don't. She'll take care of her daughter, and Zatanna will take care of Angle Man and Film Freak.   Zatanna begins wiping Angle Man's memories by forcing him to remember his past: Wonder Woman punching him out, Flash running him down, and finally Replicant destroying his angler. That ended his chance of being one of the big guns, forcing him to join forces with Hugo Strange, Hammer and Sickle, Cheetah, and Captain Cold. Then Catwoman joined, and Angle Man was the only one of the group who didn't approve. He killed her, but somehow it didn't take. That put him back at square one with no money, no weapons, no prospects, and only "some non-powered bitch with a baby" as an archenemy.   In the police precinct, Holly signs the paperwork saying that she understands her rights. Holly asks for her phone call, but Detective Lenahan says first they're going to talk about this--and he sets Black Mask's skull on the table.   Zatanna pulls a water bottle out of the fridge as Selina demands to know what's taking too long. Zatanna explains that it takes a while to wipe someone's memories. It took eight hours to wipe Selina's. Selina suggests they change the subject before she claws Zatanna's eyes out. She asks whether Zatanna has worked her magic on Film Freak yet, and she has--now he won't stop talking. He's quoting Al Jolson's The Jazz Singer. "Wait a minute... wait a minute... you ain't heard nothing yet."   Lenahan is still questioning Holly, pointing out the wounds on Black Mask's skull. Holly says she didn't do it, and Lenahan says he knows... the real Catwoman did. But she's not here and Holly is, and he'll take what he can get. Holly wants to make her phone call now, and Lenahan gladly hands over the phone, thinking she's going to call the original Catwoman. She knows that, so instead she calls Wildcat and asks him to get her out of here and to bring his friend, the one with the green ring.   Zatanna is finished wiping Angle Man and Film Freak's memories of Selina's "Irena Dubrovna" identity. Zatanna comments on how strange Film Freak's mind is, how he only thinks in movie clips. Zatanna plans to send them off under a spell to confess their crimes, but Selina isn't sure that's enough. Zatanna stares her down. Does she think they should kill them? Selina insists that isn't what she meant, but maybe they should have them confess to another crime. Say, the murder of Black Mask. Zatanna holds firm. This is what they're doing, and she casts a spell on them both: "Elgna nam, Mlif Kaerf, og!"   Lenahan and Worth leave the precinct, discussing Holly. Lenahan knows Holly didn't do it, but he's holding her until the original Catwoman comes to get her out. Angle Man walks up to them and says, "I've come to confess." They handcuff him and drag him into the precinct as Film Freak walks by and keeps walking. He summons a cab and tells the driver to take him to W.U.A.B. Studios on Fourth and Elm, and hurry. He has to confess his crimes against cinema.   Selina and Zatanna stand over the unconscious Miranda, Helena's nanny. She'll wake up with no memory of what happened. Selina says she's still angry about what Zatanna did to her, but she thanks her for this. Zatanna promises she's never going to go inside Selina's head again, but even without that, she can tell Selina has deep, dark secrets. She had better deal with them before they rip her to pieces.   Selina flashes back to a year ago--Louis and Martin were standing over the unconscious Sam Bradley, holding an ax and a gun respectively. They were preparing to kill him when Catwoman jumped in through the window, shattering the glass. She whipped Martin's gun out of his hand, but Louis was faster than she'd planned. She dodged his ax, but he managed to knock her down. He was about to strike her with the blade when he was shot twice in the abdomen. Sam woke up, and injured, hooked up to machines, and doped up on sedatives, he still managed to take out Louis. She was in love.   In the present, Film Freak arrives at the studio and goes to his boss John Rinaldi's office. Rinaldi doesn't look up from his paperwork as they speak. He doesn't notice Film Freak walking up behind him with a knife, which he uses to stab Rinaldi several times in the style of "Psycho." Film Freak looms over his dead body and says, "There's nothing more important than the movies. Nothing."