That may have been the chief difference between your Alpha Flight and other contemporary books: the stories were strong because they came directly from the characters, rather than the plot-first approach on most other titles.

ETERNALS and CAPTAIN MARVEL would have been better off starting with comic-accurate versions of Jack Kirby's characters and Mar-Vell.  At least ANT-MAN established that Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne came first, even if only in flashback.

Whether it's a movie or comic or other series, don't start in the middle.  It usually just shows that you skipped something important, that you didn't understand the material.