I agree with the shave ready part. Just because it says factory honed doesn't mean that it'll do anything (comfortable) for your face. I use a Dovo best quality and I love it. I also have the Van der Hagen bowl, brush, and soap set you mentioned and I love it. It's actually what I end up using most days. I'm sure you could spend a lot more on better soaps, but for a beginner, it'll be just fine. There's going to be a lot of people trying to tell you what to buy, but in the end, it's just their own opinion.
I'd go with that VDH set. If you like it, then it'll be easy to upgrade to a badger brush in the future or maybe another soap. If it turns out that you don't like it, then hey, you're only out 12 bucks.