I know 41 can be considered a poor game. It is however cheap enough almost anyone can buy it. It’s also simple. I’ve taught people to play with 41 and even that can seem daunting to them until they get 2-3 games in. So I have to say 41 is a good starter. Classic is good too probably better actually than 41.
It really depends on how experienced the player is with other games and their interest level. A&A is really a hobby almost more than a game. Overall if you really are opposed to using 41 I’d use Spring 42. I would not start with Global.
Lastly you can always start with a simple board and introduce units, rules etc. in stages and then throw them at global. I think baby steps are the key when introducing someone to the game, how fast they start running will be entirely up to them. You may even want to show them at least the three current versions of the game and say “we’ll start here…but this is where it leads to”.
