A couple of years ago, I read and reviewed a book called Becoming Batman: The Possibility of a Superhero. Unlike many other superhero-meets-something topics (usually that “something” is philosophy related), this one interested me on two fundamental levels: it talked about Batman from the appreciative standpoint of specific comic book issues, and it showed me with rock hard, scientific proof which aspects of my favorite caped crusader were possible to achieve by way of body and mind and which were not.

Now the author of that book is back with another investigation into the possible and impossible, and this time he’s adding another layer to the inquiry: human and machine. E. Paul Zehr, who so kindly provided me a review copy of his latest work (on sale October 1), has chosen Iron Man as his sophomore course of study, and he follows through with as much curiosity and passion as his first. Inventing Iron Man: The Possibility of a Human Machine uses Tony Stark’s original and remodeled suits as a launch point to answer countless questions about man and his capability to connect with complicated machines and to investigate how close to current technology those wondrous armors are.

The questions lead the reader down paths of neuroscience and kinesiology (the study of human movement) to possibilities of flight, the myth of multi-tasking, the effects of substance abuse, the damage sustained by prolonged biological interface with a machine, to the long-lasting effects of subjecting the human body to a second exoskeleton that does all the major work for you. As with Becoming Batman, the most fascinating parts of Inventing Iron Man are the avenues of discussion most comic book fans never consider: like how wearing the Iron Man suit would expose Tony to the same gravitational issues that astronauts face when they return to Earth, or what realistic explanation could be offered in replacement of Stark’s fictional origin story.

Like a true costumed hero, Zehr masks learning in the guise of pop culture enthusiasm—the language and life blood of comic book nerds. Readers will forget they’re being taught real-world information and that at the book’s center—and Iron Man’s heart—is the same science and technology they were exposed to in school. The techno-speak weighs down the occasional chapter, but most of the time the author has a good handle on making the language accessible and easily understood. I wish Zehr had written all my biology textbooks.

Inventing Iron Man: The Possibility of a Human Machine is a perfect source to learn about the history of Iron Man and the strength and limits of the human body and brain. If you’re already a genius-level Iron Man fan, then you’re bound to discover a new facet of your beloved hero. Take it from a girl who knows her Batman ever better now than before.

For more information, visit inventingironman.com.