Batman has a strict moral code of never killing. He's adhered to this for most of his superhero career (the times he hasn't largely being in the deep past or in alternate universe stories. However, that doesn't mean that he hasn't lost his temper on occasion.) Batman has definitely had his moments of snapping and losing his cool over the years too.
However, there have also been several moments where he should have definitely had more of a reaction than he actually did. Batman has a particularly gruesome rogues' gallery, and they sometimes earned a more severe punishment than Batman or the GCPD actually delivers.
10 SHOULD HAVE SNAPPED: After The Joker Shot Barbara Gordon
Another one of the Joker's most horrific crimes was the maiming and implied assault of Barbara Gordon that took place during The Killing Joke. This is the story in which the Joker shot Barbara Gordon in the spine and rendered her immobile.
When Batman finally catches up to Joker at the end of the story he...laughs with the Joker. It's a very bizarre scene and not the climactic finale many were expecting. The Joker was still arrested for his crimes, but it wasn't the epic vengeance that one might have expected after the Joker's heinous acts.
9 ACTUALLY DID: When The Joker Came Back In Dark Knight Returns
However, Batman does get revenge of sorts on the Joker in the Dark Knight Returns story by Frank Miller. The Joker went catatonic after the Batman retired, but he was reawoken when the return of the Caped Crusader was made public. The Joker then went on a rampage that involved attacking Catwoman and going on a murderous rampage in an amusement park.
Batman caught up to him and, from his own narration, was ready to finally kill the Joker. He took out one of Joker's eyes with a Batarang and was about to do the job before the Joker snapped his own neck and caught fire.
8 SHOULD HAVE SNAPPED: When Leslie Thompkins Let Stephanie Brown Die
Stephanie Brown is the daughter of the small-time villain known as the Cluemaster. She has gone by Robin, Batgirl, and Spoiler. During her time as Robin, she tried to enact one of Batman's plans to deal with the entire criminal underworld of Gotham City. Unfortunately, things went awry, and Black Mask caught, tortured, and killed Stephanie.
However, it was later revealed that Leslie Thompkins could have saved Stephanie but let her die as a "lesson" to Batman about the violence his life brings. Batman let Leslie go but swore to arrest her if she ever returned to the states. Batman never got any retribution on the Black Mask either, though he was later killed by Catwoman. It was later revealed that Stephanie never really died and the whole thing was a plan she played out with Thompkins.
7 ACTUALLY DID: When He Caught Up To Thomas Wayne In City Of Bane
The City of Bane by Tom King is one of the most intense wars ever waged against Batman. Bane wreaked havoc across Gotham and was being backed by another Batman--Thomas Wayne from the Flashpoint timeline. During this time Bane killed Alfred. Batman was ready to break Bane's back in retaliation, but Thomas shot Bane in the head and put him in a coma.
Thomas later presented Batman with Alfred's mangled corpse in an attempt to finally break Batman's spirit and convince him to retire from the life of a Caped Crusader. This only provoked Batman into a rage, and the two dueled. Bruce won the fight and proclaimed that this Thomas Wayne was no father of his.
6 SHOULD HAVE SNAPPED: When He First Discovered The Suicide Squad
Despite being an engaging idea for a comic, putting someone in the Suicide Squad is one of the most heinous things anyone could do. It's shocking that the Justice League allows their existence, and it's even more shocking that Batman hasn't made it his personal mission to shut the whole thing down.
Batman first discovered the existence of the Suicide Squad during the events of Millenium. He tracks down Amanda Waller and threatens to expose what she's doing. In retaliation, she threatens to expose Batman's secret identity. Unwilling to take this risk, Batman gives up on ending Task Force X and has done little about it in the time since.
5 ACTUALLY DID: After The Heretic Killed Damian Wayne
Heretic was a clone of Damian Wayne unleashed by Talia al Ghul that killed Damian during the events of Batman Incorporated. This event shook Batman to his core.
In the time afterward, he went on a personal rampage across Gotham City, brutalizing low-level criminals and even attacking Harper Row when she tried to help him. Bruce stayed in the costume for days on end until Harper finally got through to him and calmed Batman down. Batman was later able to resurrect Damian using the Omega Sanction--which is an ability of the Omega Beams of Darkseid.
4 SHOULD HAVE SNAPPED: After The Joker Killed Jason Todd
It took Batman some time to discover who was responsible for the death of the second Robin, Jason Todd. Even after he discerned that it was the Joker, Batman couldn't yet strike back at the Joker as he had diplomatic immunity due to being the Ambassador of Iran.
Batman was later able to finally strike at Joker with the help of Superman, but the Joker still survived that encounter. Batman did later almost kill the Joker during Knightfall, but Batman never gave Joker the payback he arguably deserved.
3 ACTUALLY DID: When He Became Batman Of Zur-En-Arrh
The Black Glove is an organization of the richest and most powerful individuals in the world led by a man named Doctor Simon Hurt. They place bets on world events and, one year, bet if they could break and humiliate Batman. To this end, Dr. Hurt began psychologically manipulating Batman with subtle triggers. He eventually ambushed Batman in the Batcave, injected him with weapons-grade methamphetamine, and set Batman loose as the "Batman of Zurr-En-Arrh.
Batman went on a rampage but still focused his attention on the Black Glove (also the Joker). Eventually, Batman was able to get ahold of himself again and brought down Hurt and the Black Glove.
2 SHOULD HAVE SNAPPED: When Joker Broke Into The Batcave
One of the Joker's most abominable rampages came in the Death of the Family story by Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, and Jock. After leading the Batman through a theater of horrors in Arkham Asylum, the Joker has his showdown with the Batman inside the Batcave, with all of Batman's allies tied to explosives and Alfred poisoned with Joker Gas.
Batman, surprisingly, doesn't try to kill the Joker during this encounter. He beats the Joker and almost knocks him off a cliff, but it's the Joker who lets himself fall when Batman almost says the Joker's real name.
1 ACTUALLY DID: After KGBeast Shot Nightwing In The Head
In the lead-up to City of Bane, Bane hired the KGBeast to assassinate Nightwing. The KGBeast failed in this endeavor, but he did shoot Dick in the head--badly wounding him and causing amnesia. Dick forgot about his entire time with the Batman Family and moved to Bludhaven.
In retaliation, Batman tracked down the KGBeast to the tundras of Russia, savagely beat him, and broke his neck. Batman left the KGBeast for dead, but he was later rescued by the Russian government.
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