Year Two is another Batman story that might be more fondly remembered if it didn't so heavily feature our hero being forced to contemplate the use of guns. Batman and firearms are simply two things that just don't mix for most fans. Batman hates guns and would never use one. It's one of the most defining aspects of the character and generally stories move into troubling territory whenever they tackle this issue. However, Year Two presents a chilling narrative and builds a truly compelling rationale behind Batman taking up the way of the gun. In Year Two, Batman comes up against Gotham's first vigilante, The Reaper, who uses much more lethal methods in his war on crime (namely, a huge grim reaper style scythe and an arsenal of guns). Batman is summarily beaten by The Reaper and left close to death, and it is at this point that the young and relatively inexperienced Bruce believes he may have to play The Reaper at his own game. He retrieves the gun used to kill his parents and even teams up with members of the Gotham underworld, specifically Joe Chill (!) in order to kill The Reaper. Of course, in the end Batman decides not to kill either The Reaper or Chill, the man who killed Thomas and Martha Wayne, but even the notion that he came so far before pulling away is anathema to most fans. It appears that in the late 1980's, DC was experimenting and pushing Batman's boundaries more than ever before. Year One and The Dark Knight Returns pushed just far enough, as they were brutal but true to the character. The Cult and Year Two perhaps went over the line, and that is why they aren't heralded as much. But they are still interesting and important curiosities and to us, deserve to be read and discussed. An intriguing side-note is that The Reaper inspired the creation of The Phantasm in the acclaimed animated movie 'Mask Of The Phantasm', so it's clear that maybe writer Mike W. Barr was on to something special with that character and it just needed to be refined.
