WARNING: Contains Potential Spoilers for Harley Quinn Fartacular: Silent Butt Deadly #1!
Harley Quinn’s highly controversial new series delivers a 32-page, fart-fueled fiasco that sees the Gotham City Siren ing excessive amounts of gas, and more than a few characters taking a whiff. Yes, you read that correctly. This comic is all about flatulence and sniffing, and it also involves the character-assassination of one iconic Justice League hero. Trust us—you’ll never look at him the same way again.
...DC has done Plastic Man extremely dirty by making him a fart-sniffer in canon.
The wait for Joanne Starer, Ted Brandt, Ro Stein, and Marissa Louise’s Harley Quinn Fartacular: Silent Butt Deadly special is over, and fans are already snatching up this issue for its absurd premise alone. The narrative kicks off with Poison Ivy accidentally tooting while watering her plants. Embarrassed to have farted in front of her girlfriend, Ivy denies it.
Things take a weird turn when Harley takes a big whiff, remarks that it ‘smells like roses,’ and then chases Ivy around, trying to tackle her bum while shouting, ‘Do it again! Gimme some of that eau de poo!’ From that point on, the story only gets more ridiculous… and gassy.
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Comic Page Comes From Joanne Starer’s Harley Quinn Fartacular: Silent Butt Deadly #1 (2025) – Art by Ted Brandt & Ro Stein
Ivy eventually takes offense to Harley’s fart-obsessed antics, believing her girlfriend is making fun of her. Determined to prove her love for Ivy’s toots, Harley sets out to get her hands on Irish novelist and poet James Joyce’s love letters to his wife—letters that, according to the comic, mention Joyce being able to recognize his wife’s farts by smell alone. However, Harley soon discovers these letters are cursed, leaving her with a ‘farting curse’ that causes her to release excessive amounts of gas—both loud and deadly. From that point on, Harley lets out at least one fart per page, if not more. Yet, this is far from the wildest part of the comic.
It is later revealed that there is no fart curse—Harley is just lactose intolerant
At one point, Harley gets hit in the head by a champagne cork, knocking her unconscious and sending her into a fart-centric dream montage. One of the first images fans see is James Joyce on all fours, sniffing Harley’s gassy rear end while saying, "Pardon, simply enjoying your rather fragrant rump." The montage also shows Harley and Joyce soaking in a cup of beans together, having more fart-centric conversations—undoubtedly leaving many fans with their jaws on the floor that this was actually published in an official DC comic. However, James Joyce isn’t the only one subjected to character assassination in this bizarre story.
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Comic Pages Come From Joanne Starer’s Harley Quinn Fartacular: Silent Butt Deadly #1 (2025) – Art by Ted Brandt & Ro Stein
While Harley Quinn and James Joyce take a hit to their reputations in this comic, Plastic Man’s character is outright assassinated. In an effort to get her flatulence under control, Harley seeks help from the Justice League hero. They eventually settle on a plan where O’Brian transforms himself into a fart-proof suit to contain her excessive gas. Gross? Absolutely—but it gets worse. After molding himself into the suit, Plastic Man positions his face right where Harley’s butt is, putting himself directly in the line of fire.
With every fart Harley es, the suit inflates, creating the ridiculous image of her ballooning up. But things take an even grosser turn when Plastic Man releases the gas buildup—by exhaling it through his nostrils and taking a whiff. After sniffing Harley’s fart, he casually remarks, "Hm. Pickle pizza ain’t bad." Since Harley is wearing her mainstream continuity costume at the start of the issue, it’s safe to assume this comic falls within mainstream continuity. That being said, DC has done Plastic Man extremely dirty by making him a fart-sniffer in canon.
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How Are Fans Reacting to Harley Quinn Fartacular: Silent Butt Deadly?
Cover B Amanda Conner Variant for Harley Quinn Fartacular: Silent Butt Deadly #1 (2025)
With DC making both Harley Quinn and Plastic Man canon fart-sniffers, it’s no surprise that this, along with other fart-centric elements of the comic, has sparked mixed reviews. As of March 26, 2025, League of Comic Geeks shows Harley Quinn Fartacular: Silent Butt Deadly sitting at a 2.3 rating—a ‘mostly negative’ score. Across discussion boards, fans have expressed shock that DC published such a narrative, with many stunned beyond words. Meanwhile, others are standing by the comic, arguing that people don’t recognize its ingenuity and that it will eventually become a cult classic. So, what do you think of Harley Quinn’s fartacular tale?
Harley Quinn Fartacular: Silent Butt Deadly #1 is available now from DC Comics!