^ What CPRich wrote is probably the most important piece of advise you are going to get.

The brand does not matter very much; all modern cameras are electronically VERY GOOD indeed. What happens, though, once you have selected your brand and started investing in accessories and lenses, switching brands is going to be increasinly more difficult (or, at least, less convenient).

A common rule of thumb is to minimize the investment on the body and maximize it on the lenses. This makes sense for many reasons: 1) new bodies are introduced at fairly fast pace and they tend to become obsolete in a few years but good lenses can serve you for decades; 2) good lenses retain their resale value much better than bodies; 3) lenses make - in most cases - more of a difference to your shotmaking than bodies.

As to whether to take a kit or body only and then add lenses, that is a matter of taste. Kit lenses are usually not the highest quality in the world, but they tend to be good value and they usually have a usable focal range. I would suggest starting out with a kit lens and then expanding your lens inventory once you have found out what kind of shooting you enjoy and what kind of lenses you need. Adding a fast prime into your arsenal early on might also be a good idea; fast primes are useful as learning tools and they are supremely versatile on the field, as well.

The earlier comment about maximizing the investment in the glass notwithstanding, there is something to be said for more expensive bodies. I am currently shooting a 4-year old Nikon D300 (the model is 5+ years old). Technically, it starts to be a dinosaur, as every entry-level camera offers more pixels and better ISO sensitivity range. But what the latest entry-level cameras do not offer is the weather-sealing and near-indestructible build quality (I have shot the camera in -35 °C weather, in monsoon rain, in incredible dust, and so on, without a hitch), the superb 51-segment autofocus system, 8 fps shooting, 2000+ shot battery life (with the vertical grip). I have taken nearly 100.000 shots with the camera, enough to wear out entry-level shutters.

One further thing to consider is whether you have friends or relatives who have a certain brand of camera. Getting the same brand makes swapping lenses and accessories and maybe investing in that nice but expensive lens together possible.

Cheers,
T.