Batman as a bad father
I finished issue one worried Robin: Year One might be a goofy story. Even though issue two starts with Batman and Robin in their finned Batmobile chasing Killer Moth's equally flashy Mothmobile, I was in no doubt by the final page that this is a serious, emotional, brutal story. It's not afraid to hurt Robin or shine a light on Batman's flaws.
Out of all the adults in Robin's life, Bruce seems the least concerned for him. The man who was forced to learn independence at a young age is trying to teach Dick Grayson the same. It's painful to read Alfred's journal, as he describes his impotent opposition to Bruce's approach. (It's also difficult to read, thanks to the butler's florid handwriting.) It's even more painful to see where it leads.
In the early pages, Robin tells Alfred "A girl could have whipped the Killer Moth." I'm not sure if this is a hint to writing pair Scott Beatty and Chuck Dixon's future Batgirl: Year One, but I was disappointed that Bruce or Alfred don't call him out for his sexism. I'm interpreting this as a failure on the writers' parts, rather than the characters'.
As Two Face's involvement becomes clear, his kangaroo court forces Robin to make a costly mistake that ends the issue with the brutality I mentioned earlier. Even though the aesthetic -- gimmicky villains and henchmen, and gorgeous solid colors -- is light, the story is the opposite, and it's refreshing to see Batman's character flaws cost him so dearly.