Thanks to strong box office numbers and multimillion-dollar licensing programs, Marvel Entertainment achieved a strong Q2 performance, reporting US$156.9 million in net sales and US$46.7 million in net income, up from US$101.5 million net sales made during the same period last year.

Global box office sales hit US$817 million with the release of feature films Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk, while Marvel’s licensing segment increased its net sales to US$94.9 million from US$65.6 million in Q2 2007. This increase was offset somewhat by a decline in net sales from its Sony joint-venture Spider-Man L.P. to US$13.0 million from US$18.2 million in Q2 2007. Operating income in the licensing segment, however, increased 54% on a year-over-year basis to US$77.5 million from $50.2 million in Q2 2007.

Net sales for the company’s licensing segment is expected to reach between US$260 to US$270 million in 2008, while aiming for its film production to contribute revenues between US$65 to US$80 million.