Warning! Spoilers ahead for DC Pride #1!
Supergirl’s Nia Nal just made her debut in DC Comics, and she’s exactly the same as she is on the CW show. Finally, the time has come for Nia Nal aka Dreamer to emerge on the comic book pages in a story written by Nicole Maines, who plays Nia on Supergirl. It’s been long asked for by Nia’s fans, ever since she gained popularity in the Arrowverse show. An entire fanbase of new readers will likely be lining up to see Nia Nal’s comic book adventure. Not only because The CW's Supergirl is ending, but because fans want more and more of Nia.
Nia Nal’s debut is part of DC Comics’ new anthology series, DC Pride. Although the comic is not strictly part of DC’s main timeline, having Dreamer debut on the page is a huge step. Hopefully fans will be seeing more of Nia Nal in the near future. There’s an opportunity to link her to the Legion of Superheroes, considering that her ancestor is Nura Nal aka Dream Girl. However, the clear route would be to incorporate her into future Supergirl comics, as it’s been proven that they work great together.
In ‘Date Night’ by Nicole Maines, Rachael Stott, and Enrica Eren Angiolini, Nia is exactly the same as in the Supergirl TV show. Readers who are also avid fans of Supergirl will have picked up on the little nuances in Nia’s personality that have been translated to the comics. It’s incredible that a character could transition so smoothly from one medium to another. Dreamer also gets an opportunity to fly solo in the issue, unlike in Supergirl. Normally, Nia takes on criminals in National City as part of Team Supergirl. But here, Nia has progressed to being a hero worthy of Supergirl.
With Nia being so similar to how she is on the show, it highlights how well actress and writer Nicole Maines knows the character. DC’s choice to let Maines write the short story is the best thing that could have happened to Nia’s debut. There’s an authenticity to the pages, displaying all the quirks that Nia displays on-screen. It’s an impressive feat of writing, considering that it’s usually the other way round, from comics to TV. Perhaps there is a future for Maines in the comic book realm? Could a Dreamer comic book series arrive post-Supergirl’s ending or will she show up elsewhere? All of course, for now, under the guise of Nicole Maines.
However, it’s not only Nicole Maines’ own character that she’s so successfully depicted. Jesse Rath’s Brainy aka Brainiac 5 also appears. In the Arrowverse show, Nia and Brainy are a couple, just like they are here in the comics. He briefly appears in a number of panels as he prepares to meet Nia Nal after her heroic stints, including, ending the night by defeating the leader of a rising faction from the League of Shadows. Nia and Brainy’s interactions are full of the quirks seen in the show. Read DC Pride #1, which is out now, to see for yourself!