The introduction to the second volume of Vertical Readings in Dante's 'Comedy' considers the variety of methodological approaches and interpretative insights which had emerged in the course of the thirty-three public lectures (2012-16) upon which the three published volumes are based. It also highlights how 'vertical readings' are proliferating outwith the bounds of the volume, evidence that this approach is already being adopted as part of the language of Dante Studies, as well as the influence of the research project on Dante pedagogy. Finally, it provides a synopsis of some of the particular insights of each of the eleven chapters in the volume.