With this week’s release of Flash #238, writer Tom Peyer begins scripting the adventures of DC’s fastest man alive — and, appropriately enough, he plans to hit the ground running.

With his first six-part story, "Fast Money," Peyer begins his term as regular writer on the series, picking up where popular DCU author Mark Waid left off: with Bart Allen dead, Wally West back in the bright red suit along with his wife and rapidly aging children, and a brand new villain primed to join the hero’s rogues gallery.

Taking the reins from fan-favorite writers is nothing new for Peyer, however, who has taken critically praised turns on a variety of team titles, but could be best known for his popular run on the entirety of the 25-issue Hourman series published from 1999 to 2001 — a character spun-off from Grant Morrison’s run on JLA.

And, much like with Hourman, Peyer has also been tapped to script the first solo adventures of Tek Jansen, a character created by The Colbert Report‘s Stephen Colbert, for an upcoming series published by Oni Press.

In this interview, Peyer discusses his role as the new, ongoing writer on The Flash, as well as the status of Stephen Colbert’s Tek Jansen.

COMICMIX: Thanks for talking with me today, Tom. Flash #238 is out this week, so what’s the pitch for the new storyline, "Fast Money?"

TOM PEYER: Money is definitely a theme in this story. I think early on I put out an oversimplified description and gave people the idea that it’s really just about Flash having money troubles. Which it really isn’t. Although he is… Money’s the theme that holds together a whole bunch of events. We have a villain who, in the sort of great — or, if you prefer, corny — tradition of early Flash stories, commits a robbery. I don’t think we’ve seen that in a while — a villain who’s purely at it because he wants to steal a Faberge Egg. It’s a little old-fashioned, and I’m kind of nervous about it, but money is a theme that runs throughout the whole story.

Television news is also a big part of the story. TV news gets involved in the story in a big way, and we all know how they feel about money. They are totally willing to just wind us up and tie us into emotional knots so we’ll keep coming back and they can charge their advertisers more money. To me, that’s empirically how they see their job. I call them "freedom’s crazy girlfriend" because they keep winding things up emotionally. Of course, it could be "freedom’s crazy boyfriend," too – I don’t want to stereotype.

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On March 18, 3952 B.C., the world was created, according to the Venerable Bede.

Bede was a Benedictine monk of Jarrow, a biblical scholar, and the first English historian. He lived from 673 to 735 and is best known for His Ecclesiastical History of the English People (H.E.), which he finished four years before his death.

Bede was officially sainted (as St. Bede the Venerable) in 1899 and named Doctor of the Church, but his followers were proclaiming his miracles only 50 years after his death.

Well, this has been an interesting morning.

I awoke to a slew of e-mails from people either asking me about, or trying to get me to not go to, the Pittsburgh Comiccon. Not that I had decided one way or the other, although a lot of friends of ours (including ComicMix’s own Timothy Truman, Mike Grell and Robert Tinnell) will be there. It’s a good show.

This boycott is in response to yesterday’s conviction of Michael George, who, along with his wife Rene, is the promoter of the show. Michael was convicted in Michigan of murdering his first wife 18 years ago. The details of both the crime and the conviction are in the Macomb Daily.

I understand the sentiments of those who feel that they do not want to support a convention run by a convicted murderer. But I strongly believe such feelings are misguided.

First of all, the Pittsburgh Comicon is also a major charity event. Last year, for example, they raised nearly $30,000.00 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation and some $5,000.00 for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. Both are quite worthy causes.

But, more important, Michael George will not benefit from the profits of the show. Quite frankly, he’s set for life – if spending the rest of your life in a Michigan State penitentiary is your idea of “set for life.” It’s Rene who will lose out if this show winds up in the red.

After a long and horrific trial, Rene probably can use a few bucks. No doubt she’s looking at massive legal bills that were hardly of her making – despite her relationship with Michael, she didn’t kill anybody. She now has to create an entirely new life from the ground up; as such, she’s another victim of Michael’s efforts.

I don’t know if I’ll be at the show as I’ve got commitments to other shows and I can only spend so much time on the road, a lesson I learned the hard way last year. But I’m going to try. It’s a good show, Rene is a good person and the Pittsburgh Comicon no longer has anything to do with the sad horror that is Michael George.

Mike Gold is editor-in-chief of ComicMix.