You'll regret this. You will. I'll show you. 
- — Kitten
Birds of Prey: Batgirl/Catwoman is a one-shot with a cover date of April, 2003. It was published on February 5, 2003.
Synopsis for the 1st Story
Batgirl is trying to take in Jacques Henri DuChamp for the Parkridge Mall robbery when they both land in a landfill. Inside Batgirl finds the decomposing body of Elizabeth McCay, who (according to the coroner) died of electrical shock.
Batgirl looks through Liz's apartment and finds her diary, which the GCPD missed. She learns Liz frequented a club called the Ninth Circle. Barbara takes her photograph around the club and asks if anyone remembers her, but no one does.
Barbara runs into her high school classmate Val Lewton, who takes her into the VIP lounge to catch up. Before they can, Val decides to leave with Erich Darque. Barbara asks the bartender if he remembers Liz, and he says the last time he saw her, she was leaving the club with Darque.
Barbara chases after Val, but she is too late to catch her. Darque takes Val to a mansion where she is given drugs and introduced to Ryder Burnham, a wealthy philanthropist (and also the heir to a fortune in stolen art) for whom Darque serves as a sort of pimp.
Catwoman breaks into the mansion that night, looking for Burnham's art collection, and she witnesses Burnham use his to nearly kill Val. Catwoman abandons her plan and rescues Val, and they narrowly escape.
Batgirl finds Darque's house, and after Burnham alerts him to Val's escape, she follows him to Val's. Catwoman is also outside Val's apartment and breaks in to find her passport and cash that will allow her to leave town. The three briefly fight.
Catwoman threatens to go public unless Darque and Burnham forget Valerie Lewton, and he leaves, though he warns her they'll meet again. Batgirl is outraged that she would let a killer go free. Catwoman mocks her detective skills since Val is alive and Darque is only cleaning up for a rich and powerful man.
Batgirl chases after Catwoman, who agrees to work with her the next night. Catwoman returns to Hotel Townsend, but rather than take the money and run, Val has decided to become her sidekick "the Kitten." Catwoman rejects her, and Val leaves, swearing Catwoman will regret this.
At their meeting, Catwoman tells Batgirl that Ryder Burnham is the killer and suggests Darque will know more. They grab Darque outside Club Caligari and interrogate him, learning the surgery Burnham had to repair his spine after his accident caused him to gain power over electricity as well as a short and violent temper. He has also killed three other girls.
Catwoman arranges to meet Burnham at the library, but Batgirl goes in her place and learns Burnham captured Val when she tried to get her revenge on him. Before he can kill Batgirl or Val, Catwoman arrives with a remote control for the generator in his spine. She stole it. Catwoman turns the generator off, and he falls to the ground.
Catwoman tells Val her testimony could help put Burnham behind bars, but she is too offended by Catwoman's decision to work with Batgirl and not her. Batgirl realizes that while she was distracting Burnham at the library, Catwoman cleared out Burnham's art collection. Catwoman leaves a portrait behind for Batgirl, who anonymously donates it to the Gotham Museum.
Val, meanwhile, returns home to her father's mansion.
Appearing in the 1st Story
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Jim Gordon (Flashback and main story)
- Kitten (First appearance)
- Robin
Antagonists:
- Jacques Henri DuChamp
- Ryder Burnham
- "Erich Darque" (born Stuart Sachs)
Other Characters:
- Batman (Flashback only)
- Elizabeth McCay (Deceased)
- Killer Moth
- Lena Zeitgeist
- Lt. Belzer (Mentioned only)
- Lucius Fox
Locations:
- Gotham City
- GCPD Headquarters
- Parkridge Mall (Mentioned only)
- Falsetto Waste Management
- Vesuvio's (Mentioned only)
- Arcadian District
- Ninth Circle
- The Cauldron
- Club Caligari
- The Runyon
- Hotel Townsend
- Minerva, Ohio (Mentioned only)
Items:
Vehicles:
Notes
- The story continues in Birds of Prey: Catwoman/Oracle.
See Also