Adventures of Supergirl #6 introduced a mysterious new force manipulating Kara’s dreams.

Previously we shared an exclusive preview of Adventures of Supergirl #6, and now we’re looking at the issue as a whole. As I mentioned in my preview, while writer Sterling Gates remains the same, we have yet another artist, Emanuela Lupacchino, and a new colorist, Hi-Fi.

Adventures of Supergirl #6 picks up with Kara’s concerns about Vril Dox, despite his capture in the previous issue. We open with a sequence of Supergirl questioning Vril Dox at the DEO about who hired him to target Kara’s friends, but — like in the film Kara’s opening monologue discusses, Silence of the Lambs — the interrogation quickly turns as Vril Dox takes control of the DEO agents behind Kara. They threaten her with Kryptonite bullets, then Kara wakes up gasping. She’s been having nightmares since Vril Dox’s capture.

However, we quickly realize that Kara is caught in an Inception-type scenario as she finds herself in yet another dream in which the DEO has blown up. Kara suddenly finds herself there and being attacked by the zombie versions of Alex and Hank. However, Kara realizes that her loved ones would never say the cruel things these zombies are saying and that her dreams are being manipulated.

She flies off to face whatever is affecting her, only to find herself as a child having dinner with her parents on Krypton. She quickly recognizes the dream again, though; all those years Kara spent asleep in the Phantom Zone allowed her to control her dreams, so she knows what she’s up against. The issue closes with Kara flying off to confront whatever is affecting her mind.

It’s good to see that Vril Dox’s story isn’t quite over after all, as the previous issue felt a bit sudden in terms of the rogue’s defeat. In fact, his story has only set up a larger mystery: who hired him to target Kara’s friends? Who knows Supergirl well enough to know about her friends? And who could be controlling her dreams like this? Will we be seeing a villain from the television series or will this be someone exclusive to the comic?

On the other hand, it’s inspiring to see Kara able to recognize that she’s dreaming and face the illusions head-on. There is an echo of “For the Girl Who Has Everything,” as we see Kara with her family on Krypton, and like in the episode, Kara quickly realizes things aren’t as they seem. However, in the episode Kara starts losing her memories of Earth under the power of the Black Mercy while this time Kara’s realization that she is dreaming actually powers her up.

The new art by Lupacchino feels closer to Pop Mhan’s from the previous issue than any of the other artists’ so far, serving as a happy medium between the bubbly art of Bengal and the sharpness of Jonboy Meyers. The zombies look terrifying as they attack Kara, and it’s neat to see Kara almost emerging from the panel on the final page of the issue as she flies off to find her enemy. The bright colors framing the panels also emphasize the dream world Kara finds herself in.

Adventures of Supergirl continues to prove itself a worthwhile companion to the television series that fans should be reading every other week.

Adventures of Supergirl #7 will be released on Monday, April 18.