First, let's get where to find Japanese manga out of the way:
If you have the money you could always try buying the official copies online through Amazon Japan, or Kinokuniya. Amazon Japan has the option of Kindle versions of manga (buying Kindle books from Amazon Japan is explained here), but they're not any cheaper than the physical copies except that you save on shipping (if you're in Australia, you save a lot on shipping). If you're in Japan, you could just pop into any Tsutaya store and buy them brand new (usually around ￥550 per volume), or Book Off and buy them for ￥105 each.
On the other hand, if you don't have the funds but have a decent internet connection you could find the volumes online to download. There are a variety of English websites, and Japanese ones if you're comfortable enough to explore them, that offers downloads of Japanese manga (some of them also offer the English ones). For direct downloads we have: Manga Zone (English), Update Raw (English, also offers novel downloads), Manga Raw Zip Hunters (English, also offers magazine and novel downloads), and Download Manga (Japanese). Nyaa Torrents is most recommended for torrent downloads of Japanese manga, it also offers software, anime, and more.
Next step is choosing the level you want to start reading at. I started with Full Moon wo Sagashite, which had plenty of furigana next to the kanji and easy grammar. Although, I could have gone a bit easier with Sailor Moon.
Sailor Moon, Volume 1
Sailor Moon has plenty of furigana, and words like benkyou (study) are written in hiragana instead of kanji. In fact, the only kanji without furigana are the ones on signs and such in the background.
So, how do you study with Sailor Moon? It's just reading practice, not any different to reading a novel or a passage in your textbook, right? Well, unlike novels (unless they're illustrated) manga gives you an image to use to help with context so when you come across a word you don't understand you can make a better guess as to what it may be.
"But I know the kanji for study, what about something harder
Kuroko no Basuke, Volume 1
If you're just not that into shojo, you could always go for a shounen manga. Most of these have furigana, and most of the time they use more kanji than Sailor Moon does. Boys also have a different way of speaking in manga, there's a lot more boyish slang than you'd find in a shojo (outside of what the love interest and his friends would speak, I suppose).
A good thing to do when reading a manga for the first time is to make a little note somewhere about what gave you trouble, whether it was a grammar point, a kanji, etc. If you're the type to look it up straight away, I guess there's no helping it, but I find it sinks in more for me if I look it up after and then re-read the volume.
If you want something harder...
Kurage-hime, Volume 1
Kurage-hime is a very easy to follow manga with a distinct lack of furigana. So, I suppose it's not that much harder as long as you understand the kanji. Most of the vocabulary, outside of some business talk and Tsukimi's talk of jellyfish, is easy enough to understand.
Of course, there's always...
Liar Game, Volume 1
Liar Game. If you spot furigana in this that isn't a name, you have much better eyes than I do. Liar Game involves a lot of talk, especially a lot of detailed talking on strategy and double crossing opponents. If you didn't know the word for debt before, you do by the end of the first volume.
The manga panels in Liar Game don't always help so much with guessing the context of a word. Many of them are often exaggerated images of characters in shock after they've been deceived, but if you can manage it (and get past the art) the story is interesting and definitely worth reading.
So, who has used manga for study? Who hasn't? Who just doesn't like manga to begin with? Do you have a series you've always wanted to read in the original Japanese? Or is there a series that you're reading now? Let me know in the comments!
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